The Aviation Thread [Contains Lots of Awesome Pictures]

[jasonof2000]

P6M Seamaster. A bomber flying boat that had no landing gear.

The landing cradle.

 

[nsx_23]

I've been flying choppers recently and I must say I really enjoy it (despite it costing much more than fixed wing :lol. It took about 30-40 minutes before I became very comfortable with the controls but whilst challenging its great fun, something fixed-wing guys should definitely experience some time. I must note that I haven't seen many people taking up commercial rotary-wing courses though.

 

[alaskarat]

Back in the day I flew in the Gunner position on AH-1F Cobras to do the Track and Balancing, what a ride. So how about some trivia?
All U.S. Army Aircraft are named after famous Native Americans or Tribes for example UH-1 Iroquois, UH-60 Blackhawk, AH-64 Apache. Yet the AH-1 is known as the Cobra, what happened there?

You will note that the Huey is a UH-1 Mission-Design-Series: U-Utility , Aircraft Type: H ? Helicopter Design Number: 1 now a design number on helicopters in sequential counting experimental and prototypes. But note that the AH-1 has the same design number the only difference in the designation is the Mission Design Series of A for Attack.

The short version is: During Vietnam with the demand of an attack helicopter being so high the Army did not want to spend the time and money to develop a from the ground up designed attack helicopter. So Bell took the basic UH-1 (Bell 204/205) drivetrain, rotors and engines and wrapped a Cobra fuselage around and made Bell Model 209. Since it was not a real new design it became the AH-1 Iroquois or Huey Cobra latter to just be called Cobra. It was not until the Apache entered service that the Army had a real purpose built Attack Helicopter the AH-64.

 

[alaskarat]

The Lockheed Cheyenne Helicopter AH-56.

 

[D-Fence]

 

[Whappeh]

I want to believe that airplane is flying, but I can see that it is suspended.

 

[alaskarat]

I want to believe that airplane is flying, but I can see that it is suspended.

It would not be healthy to have an unsupported airplane in a wind tunnel.

 

[alaskarat]

 

[Heathrow]

I want to believe that airplane is flying, but I can see that it is suspended.

Flying a pre-war German aircraft indoors?

Hanna Reitsch had that covered.

At the Berlin Motor show, 1938. (2:38 onward)

Hanna Reisch (wiki)

In February 1938, the Fw 61 was demonstrated by Hanna Reitsch indoors at the Deutschlandhalle sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. It subsequently set several records for altitude, speed and flight duration culminating, in June 1938, with an altitude record of 3,427 m (11,243 ft) and a straight line flight record of 230 km (143 mi).

 

[Dr_Grip]

I always want to shout "That's the wind tunnel in Adlershof!" when someone posts that picture.
But AFAIK the picture was taken in Braunschweig.

 

[h-p]

What does it say on the wall?

 

[Eye-Q]

It's "The german nation will enforce it's condign place in the world by conquest of the air".

 

[h-p]

Thanks, I guessed it's something like that. What is it with dicatorships and constant propaganda?

----

 

[AiR]

Thanks, I guessed it's something like that. What is it with dicatorships and constant propaganda?

It's not a very good dictatorship if people get to think for themselves. You need to tell them what to do. I wonder why the eagles wings are broken by those pillars. That's not proper.

</stylefascist>

 

[alaskarat]

How about some more cool German things?
The things some folks will do to win a war. This is the Fieseler Fi 103R (Reichenberg IV) Manned V 1 Flying Bomb. The idea was it was flown into the operational area under a He 111 then the pilot would fly and aim the bomb and then bail out. Bailing out was found to be more acceptable than the Japanese suicide method.

Lauching of Fieseler Fi 103 Reichenberg (un-manned) from a He 111.

 

[BlaRo]

I've always wanted to fly small airplanes; I think I might actually start nearer the middle of this year. I'll have to hit you lot up for questions as I haven't the faintest idea on how to start.

 

[burnsy]

AOPA's Let's Go Flying
Used that to calculate a rough estimate of $10k, including rental, to achieve a private pilot's certificate. I too plan to one day, hopefully, be able to privately fly. Was given a discovery flight many years ago, and can't stop looking up at the sky and wanting to go again.

 

[Heathrow]

Beech Shadow (RAF)​

A nice looking aircraft in its smart military livery.

Beech King Air (wiki)

Four King Air 350ERs equipped for ISTAR missions over Afghanistan have been ordered for the RAF. This variant is called the Shadow R1 in RAF service.
Four more King Air 350s replaced the Royal Navy's Jetstream T2 observer trainers in 2011 and in this role are known as Avenger T1.

I've always wanted to fly small airplanes; I think I might actually start nearer the middle of this year. I'll have to hit you lot up for questions as I haven't the faintest idea on how to start.

You should do it and have fun.
(Only obvious drawback is if you have colorblindness, dunno what the FAA say about that.)

 

[nsx_23]

I've always wanted to fly small airplanes; I think I might actually start nearer the middle of this year. I'll have to hit you lot up for questions as I haven't the faintest idea on how to start.

Its an addiction worse than crack but there is a coolness factor that comes from being able to tell members of the opposite sex that you can fly an airplane.

 

[KaJuN]

I've always wanted to fly small airplanes; I think I might actually start nearer the middle of this year. I'll have to hit you lot up for questions as I haven't the faintest idea on how to start.

Don't overlook the sport pilot and recreational pilot certificates. If all you want to do is fly around a bit for fun they can save you a lot of money and you can be done with them a lot quicker.