What is your favorite aircraft of all time?

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They'll burn as much fuel as necessary to complete the mission. But the more fuel you burn just getting into the air, the less you have to complete the mission. You might leave ordnance behind and have enough fuel to get to your target and back, but then you have a smaller payload to drop on the enemy. This is somewhat alleviated with in-air refueling. However insufficient fuel may be a factor in a tactical situation. My ex-fiancée was a Black Hawk pilot during the Gulf War. On one mission they landed with 60 pounds of fuel. (Or maybe less; I don't remember.) You can never have too much fuel -- unless you're on fire.

 

[cco23i]

Thanks for the info gentlemen. One other silly question: since when does the US military get too concerned about fuel burn? lol

Believe it or not, we removed a bunch of needed equipment from our airplanes to "improve fuel economy" because the Air Force "did a study". Well, a year after we removed it all and a ton of headaches later they had us put the stuff back on.

Scott

 

[HepKitty]

ex-fiancée was a Black Hawk pilot during the Gulf War

She's my hero

Believe it or not, we removed a bunch of needed equipment from our airplanes to "improve fuel economy" because the Air Force "did a study". Well, a year after we removed it all and a ton of headaches later they had us put the stuff back on.

Scott

Sounds like a huge pain and a waste of time, especially if the quoted terms are meant sarcastically

 

[cco23i]

She's my hero



Sounds like a huge pain and a waste of time, especially if the quoted terms are meant sarcastically

NOPE! The study was real and a real PAIN IN THE BUTT TOO!

Scott

 

[Diamondback]

HK, some discussion on Project Infiltrator can be found back on post 215 and a couple more in that range...
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...ft-of-all-time&p=514361&viewfull=1#post514361

The nuke-plant got added a couple months after that discussion, and it would have to wait until either "hot" or "cold" fusion becomes usable tech... especially given the power requirements for the point-defense lasers and active-camouflage system.

 

[Aristaeus]

Junkers Ju-87B "Stuka" Dive Bomber

Mine is the Ju-87A.

http://www.fighter-planes.com/info/ju87.htm


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suvoOyGGUPk

 

[Aristaeus]

In the 80's I saw "TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY" (- the same time I realized Indiana jones on the screen). Jake Cutter, Manfred v. Richthofen and Capt'n Baloo (disney's TaleSpin 1990) were the pilot-heroes of my childhood.

So the Grumman G-21 was my first loved plane and my heart started to tick for these kind of adventures! Thru the years I had a few dates with the P 40 Warhawk, Dornier Do 24 ... but there are to manny other "pilots" hugging and touching this sweeties. Serious: the Grumman Goose aka Cutter's Goose is "my" plane. This amphibian beauty is not only freedom, adventure, ... it makes me smile about my childhood and the dreams that surely every kid has.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_Goose

b

Tales of the Gold Monkey just came out on DVD.:eusa_clap

 

[Zaxxon]

The Douglas Skyraider:
http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/mypics/909235/display/18450918

 

[fenaxton44]

The de Havilland Dragon Rapide

 

[David Conwill]

Mine is the Ju-87A.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suvoOyGGUPk

I have always loved those wheel spats.

Didn't the Curtiss A-12 Shrike use similar?

-Dave

 

[HepKitty]

NOPE! The study was real and a real PAIN IN THE BUTT TOO!

Scott

Sounds like!

The Douglas Skyraider:
http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/mypics/909235/display/18450918

I love Skyraiders, there were 2 at the Big Band Bash & General Aviation apprec day a few months ago, I'll see if I can find a good photo of them

 

[HepKitty]

The de Havilland Dragon Rapide

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Dragon_Rapide This should help

 

[fenaxton44]

Thanks Hepkitty for the link, i was in a rush this morning.

 

[Aristaeus]

Yes the Cutriss A-12 and the A-8 Shrike had them.

Curtiss A-8 Shrike.

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_curtiss_A-8_Shrike.html

Curtiss A-12 Shrike.

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_curtiss_A-12_Shrike.html

 

[HepKitty]

They have boots, how cute! ^_^

 

[Spitfire]

They have boots, how cute! ^_^

 

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My dad was Combat Aircrew in an AEW Skyraider off of USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) in Korea. He was enlisted at the time, and ran the radar.

 

[HepKitty]

ah, Skyraiders... these 2 were the backdrop for the dance floor, and it was wonderful Didn't get to see them fly until the next month at the air show in Idaho Falls and they were even more beautiful

 

[/|\]

I got to see a Skyraider fly at Chino a few years ago. There was one at Abbotsford this year. (Abbotsford also had a Lanc! What a treat! It's been my favourite bomber since I was a kid.) I've got some of dad's 8mm film that he shot landing on a carrier. He told me once that the pilot would let him take the controls sometimes.

 

[David Conwill]

My dad served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. He was a crew chief on F4 Phantom IIs, but working the line saw a lot of different aircraft come through. I think the Skyraiders were some of his favorites. He said they were very cool firing up, as you could see an individual puff of smoke from each cylinder as they picked up RPMs.

Dad was exposed to a lot of cool aircraft, because his dad (see my avatar) was career USAAF/USAF. Grandpa and family were stationed at Tachikawa AFB in the mid-1950s and he saw some of the last F-51s and F4U Corsairs in service, and got to ride in a glass-nosed B-25.

After Japan, grandpa went to Forbes AFB near Topeka, Kansas, where Dad was exposed to B-58 Hustlers, another fascinating aircraft. But I digress...

-Dave