The Airplane Thread

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by 3798j

Lockheed Shooting Star...

I believe that it's a Northrop F-89 Scorpion.

[3798j]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

I believe that it's a Northrop F-89 Scorpion.

Whoops!...will correct.

[M-technik-3]

Originally Posted by Llarry

I think the total F-15EX buy will be cut to 80 aircraft, which will only be enough to equip the two squadrons in the Oregon Air National Guard and the one squadron in the Florida ANG. The other F-15C squadrons in the ANG (Massachusetts, California & Louisiana) will probably get the F-35A.

The surrounding towns of Barnes ANG in Mass do not want F-35's The noise level is will cause push back. I don't and I'm retired USAF and my house is not on the flight paths. We have c/d's now and they are loud in comparision to the A-10's we had. I don't understand why they did not combine the fields 10 years ago when the F-15's were moved from Otis to Barnes. They should have moved them to Westover. They had to build all new infrastructure at Barnes to support the new airframes plus they had to add alot more concrete to the runway.

Poor impact study and they didn't want to create a JRB which they did anyway since the Army and the Navy does training on Westover.

[ezaircon4jc]

This thread is killing me! I haven't had work dreams in quite a while... UNTIL this thread! I had one last night where I couldn't get my map set the way I liked (couldn't see enough airspace to my liking) and my airplanes kept coming in from my "blind" side. 'Twas quite distressing.

I still love this thread!!

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

The surrounding towns of Barnes ANG in Mass do not want F-35's

I don't think anybody wants F-35s -- that 40,000 lb thrust engine is LOUD!

[Llarry]

Is there ANYTHING that won't fit in a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy?
Two M1 Abrams tanks will
A CH-53 Sea Stallion heavy-lift helicopter will
A CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter will
The fuselage of a C-130 Hercules will
A satellite in its special continer will (in the C-5M-SCM)
Llarry will, along with his teammates who had disembarked from a submarine in Japan in 1972, although the landing at Clark Air Base in the Philippines was HARD and had a crewmember removing an access panel to make sure there was no structural damage. We were way up on the top deck and I have no memory of what was loaded down below -- nothing too exotic, I would guess. My only ride in a C-5A.

Anyway, Fred (the C-5M) is a national treasure and when they finally get too old and need to go to the boneyard, the USAF will need a similar aircraft for those outsized loads that absolutely have to be there ASAP.

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Is there ANYTHING that won't fit in a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy?
Two M1 Abrams tanks will
A CH-53 Sea Stallion heavy-lift helicopter will
A CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter will
The fuselage of a C-130 Hercules will
Llarry will, along with his teammates who had disembarked from a submarine in Japan in 1972, although the landing at Clark Air Base in the Philippines was HARD and had a crewmember removing an access panel to make sure there was no structural damage. We were way up on the top deck and I have no memory of what was loaded down below -- nothing too exotic, I would guess. My only ride in a C-5A.

Anyway, Fred (the C-5M) is a national treasure and when they finally get too old and need to go to the boneyard, the USAF will need a similar aircraft for those outsized loads that absolutely have to be there ASAP.

I'm reasonably certain that I retired as #1 in the AF on the jet. I flew it continuously for 27 years on both the East and West coasts on Active Duty and in the Reserves. I flew the A's with the original crosswind gear, the A-Mod's with the new wings, the B's, the AMP's (B's with glass cockpits) and the two C (Space Cargo Modified) variants. I retired just as my unit was transitioning to the M (basically the AMP with new engines), so that's the one I missed.

R.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

I flew the A's with the original crosswind gear, the A-Mod's with the new wings, the B's, the AMP's (B's with glass cockpits) and the two C (Space Cargo Modified) variants. I retired just as my unit was transitioning to the M (basically the AMP with new engines), so that's the one I missed.

Respect! So did the M increase performance at all or was it primarily a reliability & maintainability modification?

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Respect! So did the M increase performance at all or was it primarily a reliability & maintainability modification?

A little of each. The original TF-39 motor was rated at 40-40,500 lbs of thrust at 27C-- after that the thrust curve fell off a cliff. The M has CF-6's- they're flat-rated at 50,000 lbs of thrust per engine. This means that you're getting 50k at sea level and at 41,000' as well-- a HUGE difference.

Additionally, the new motors burn less gas. Which means you can carry more cargo and/or go a longer distance-- a force multiplier.

The rest of the stuff they did was modernization-- LED lighting in the cargo box, new auxiliary power units, upgraded emergency generator, better electrics, different thrust reversers, etc.

Every year, my old squadron (I was in it for 20 years) throws a big party for everyone who retired the previous year and retiree's and former members are all invited. My wife and I are flying out to NorCal next month to go-- it should be a good time, I'll get to see a lot of old friends and get caught up on all of the current rumors and war stories about what's been going on in the C-5 community the past several years.

R.

[flybigjet]

.

[Llarry]

The more I learn about the Royal Australian Air Force, the more impressed I am. The RAAF is a modern, well-balanced Air Force. I recently lauded the Royal Norwegian Air Force as among the most modern in the world; the RAAF is every bit as modern and has additional capabilities such as transport, refueling and electronic warfare that add substantially to the Air Force's combat effectiveness.

The main fighter of the RAAF is the F-35A Lightning stealth fighter; the RAAF has three squadrons of these, as well as a OCU for training. They also have one squadron of F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters and apparently intend to replace these with F-35As in the future. Related to the F/A-18F is the squadron of EA-18G Growler EW aircraft; I wonder if they will convert some of the F/A-18Fs to augment the EW aircraft or perhaps use the Fs for spares. Time will tell.

In the SIGINT role, the RAAF currently uses two converted P-3C patrol aircraft (not pictured) but has ordered four Gulfstream G550 conversions to be designated MC-55A; these airplanes are already flying in the US and testing systems prior to delivery to Australia.

For maritime surveillance duties, the RAAF operates P-8A patrol aircraft and has on order MQ-4C high-altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicles similar to the U.S. Navy's.

In the transport role, the RAAF has a squadron of C-17 heavy lifters, a squadron of C-130J Hercules, a squadron of C-27J Spartan twin-engine transports and a small squadrons of Beechcraft 350 King Air light transports and VIP aircraft (not pictured.)

Aerial refueling and transport roles are filled by a squadron of KC-30A (Airbus A330) tanker/transports. The KC-30A have both boom and drogue refueling capabilities for maximum effectiveness.

For search and rescue helicopters, they use a contractor flying Leonardo AW139 helicopters (not pictured.)

Training requirements are met with flight screening Diamond aircraft (not pictured), Pilatus PC-21s, modernized BAe Hawk 127s for lead-in fast jet training and more Beechcraft King Airs. The photo of the PC-21 shows an aircraft of the RAAF aerobatic team, the Roulettes.

[Llarry]

Here's something unexpected; among the many militaries using the Sikorsky H-60 worldwide is: The Chinese People's Liberation Army.

The Chinese were looking for a helo specifically for the high altitudes of Tibet and other regions of Western China and held a flyoff years ago which the Sikorsky won. Although the purchase of 24 Blackhawks was ostensibly for civilian purposes (thus the designation S-70C rather than UH-60), the helos are used by the People's Liberation Army.

[Lady Jane]

Bell X-14 (Bell Type 68)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-14

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Here's something unexpected; among the many militaries using the Sikorsky H-60 worldwide is: The Chinese People's Liberation Army.

The PLA was looking for a helo specifically for the high altitudes of Tibet and other regions of Western China and held a flyoff years ago which the Sikorsky won. Although the purchase of 24 Blackhawks was ostensibly for civilian purposes (thus the designation S-70C rather than UH-60), the helos are used by the People's Liberation Army.

Actually the Chinese purchase of S-70s was made in 1983-84. After the Tiananmen massacre of 1989, spare parts from the U.S. were cut off.

So the Chinese did what they always do -- they just made copies. The Harbin Z-20 is an improved S-70: 5-blade rotor instead of 4 blades, etc. Note that the Z-20 has PLA military markings.

[Lady Jane]

Lotarev D-236T, a.k.a Yak 42LL.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_D-236

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by Llarry

So the Chinese did what they always do -- they just made copies.

Communist China copied the word plagiarism. Industrious ( Thank you slave labor) with no forward original thinking.

[Jbrown7403]

That shot of the C-130 fuselage in the C-5 is just insane! I remember driving past a C5 at Davis-Monthan in Tucson many years ago and I refuse the believe that that monster can get off the ground!

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Jbrown7403

That shot of the C-130 fuselage in the C-5 is just insane! I remember driving past a C5 at Davis-Monthan in Tucson many years ago and I refuse the believe that that monster can get off the ground!

You ought to see them floating-in on final!

[Llarry]

Interesting factoid from Wikipedia: The Chinese PLAAF SIGINT aircraft appears to be the Bombardier Challenger 850 imported from Canada. They are credited with 12 of them. The photo, however, does not in my opinion show any modifications for the SIGINT mission; I imagine the aircraft now has lots of bumps and antennas.

https://en.wikipedia/wiki/List_of_ac..._Army_aircraft

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

You ought to see them floating-in on final!

I was just about to post this! We live under the approach of an ANG base that was flying C-5's until just a few years ago, and seeing those behemoths seemingly hover on final without falling out of the sky is mind-boggling. I would go outside on our back deck to watch them flying touch-and-go laps around the airport, and it never got tiring. Never got the urge to go outside and watch the replacement C-17's flying their laps.....

[Lady Jane]

Propfan, also called an open rotor engine, or unducted fan. Test beds and proposals pusher and puller designs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propfan

[Jbrown7403]

Interesting article!

https://jalopnik.com/airbus-a380-bec...ays-1850343997
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