Posted on 03/12/2007 3:56:53 AM PDT by EnjoyingLife
A memorable and very beautiful U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet "Rhino" flight demo (Hillsboro, Oregon, August 2005) flown by Lt. Steve Walborn of VFA-122 "The Flying Eagles".
And for all you 'supersonic' junkies on FR, you can see the aircraft at least twice be enveloped by the "supersonic transition vapor cloud" when he is clearly NOT supersonic. Note the high humidity of the day/ rainshowers.
Actually my favorite part is when he sits the aircraft on its tail and just hangs in the air at about 50 KIA. Not sure of the tactical value of the maneuver, but it's a nice demonstration of what fly-by-wire can do for a pilot.
Oh, I bet his back-seater had a fun time.
ping..
Just before it goes to pieces!
that is TOO funny...
When I saw it I said oooooooooooooooooh!
LOL!! How big was the resulting debris field???
perhaps the prop tips went supersonic ...
;-p
ping
ping ping
Post or FReepmail me if you wish to be enlisted in or discharged from the Navair Pinglist.
This is a low volume pinglist.
I heard from guy who'd been maintenance for same that A-1's would hang on their props to let the Mig pass them just before they ruined the Mig pilots day.
Ha! I used to work with P-3 simulators years ago and I could never get them to break the sound barrier!
Those Difars would break apart too!
Long live the Skyraider! That was the final aircraft type my dad flew in the Navy prior to discharge. His first aircraft (in flight training) was a STEARMAN!
Here's some eye-air-candy for ya' :-)
http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/Aircraft/Attack/SkyraiderOverSaltonSea.jpg
Thanks, my old wallpaper was getting a little stale and I'd had my eye out for a new one.
I would have been very happy to sit in the back seat! Lets see, can the USN and USMC buy F/A-18 Hornets with three seats? You know, for those times when us civilians need to -- ah, lets see we need to give a reason don't we...oh yes -- to fly with the crew to ensure that the takeoff, sitting Rhino on the edge of a stall for 30+ seconds, and landing are not causing undue hardship on the pilots.
And thanks for posting an always-excellent Richard Seaman photo.
Image link: http://pip.rubberfeet.org/desktop_pics/Sonic_boom/Sonic_boom1152x768.jpg
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