Posted on 11/30/2010 5:00:39 PM PST by ccmay
Just for fun, how about we stump each other with exotic or unusual airplane photos. Upload to Tinypic so no one can cheat by looking at the image source.
I'll go first. What is this aircraft?
“Excuse me, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the action on this piano.”
(You are the coolest bad a$$ Freeper I’ve met in many a year. Awesome tech obsession, and an edgy art wisdom. Check your Freepmail.)
I try to contribute the best way I can.
Ping.
Wingspan was 22'8” and it flew. Maybe Snoopy's doghouse Sopwith Camel was more feasible that I thought.
If I remember right the Avro Arrow was the most advanced fighter plane in the world. Suddenly it was canceled and the Canadian government gave some excuse of needing the money for agricultural subsidies.
It turned out later that the U.S. notified them that the program was chock full of soviet spies. We agreed to supply them with fighters in exchange for it’s cancellation.
I am not sure what the connection is but I always thought the Mig 25 looked a lot like it.
The Arrow was a slick ship. The most citied explanation for her demise is budget troubles.
The Horten Brothers were brilliant.
Hughes Racer - replica
Space Shuttle and a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle transport.
Avro Arrow! Much beloved.
The Russian Buran Shuttle and its massive Antonov An-225 transport.
Close...it is a shuttle, but not ours.
I used to think I knew a lot about military aircraft but now realize my knowledge is pretty limited. I was lucky in a couple of respects.
During the 50’s and 60’s when I was growing up, my Father worked at Eglin AFB. He was responsible for heating and AC for both the King Hangar and a large office bldg. beside it.
When he was on the night shift, he would sometimes let me go to work with him. Daddy always kept a pot of coffee on and got to know all the APs. They would let a ten year old boy roam around all the planes with no problem. They just told me not to get inside them.
There was always a few dozen from F100s, F104s, F105’s B52’s, B58’s, and all kinds of others. By the time I was grown there were F4’s. One day I noticed a new black one. It was the SR71 or whatever they called it back in the early 60’s.
Also where we lived, I could go up to the highest part of our pasture with binoculars and watch fighters and fighter-bombers go on their bomb/strafing runs. I would not see them deliver the ordinance but could hear the guns and both feel and hear the bombs going off. Then I would see them zoom back in the air basically making a circle for another run.
I bought a used Nippon Kogaku binocular at a pawn shop in Ft. Walton Bch. They had been pawned by some airman I guess and no one knew what they were. They were actually Nikon and extremely good. Just the thing for viewing aircraft in the air.
Comrade Antonov might take umbrage at being accused of plagiarizing Boeing. And, as for the bird on top, it never saw Cape Canaveral, except possibly from low earth orbit (in 1988).
You are THE MAN!!!
Lucky kid!
Thanks. It is the result of a long standing love affair with aviation.
Yes, I sure was.
One thing I recall was reading an article about the F-104. It said the wings were razor sharp and they had to put wooden slats over them to keep workers from being injured.
I went up and noticed no edge covers and touched the wing edge. Yes it was very thin but not even close to razor sharp.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.