Post amazingly cool pictures of aircraft (Volume 3)

[clive_candy]

generationx said:

Eric Mc said:

When the B-52 first flew, it was quite a radical design in itself - although for me the bomber design that really WAS radical (and more or less invented the format for most large jet transports ever since) was the B-47 - which first flew in 1947!

So good.

[MartG]

F-16 prototype with Hornet AN/APG-65 radar, 1979.

Jimmy Durante aerodynamics

[mko9]

What the heck is going on there? The F-16 was already fielded with the APG-66. Was that just because there weren't sufficient F/A-18 airframes available for flight testing the RADAR?

EDIT: In retrospect, this makes no sense as one is a Lockheed product and the other is McDonnell-Douglas. There is likely nothing in common between the two jets, outside general layout.

Edited by mko9 on Monday 6th November 16:07

[MartG]

mko9 said:

What the heck is going on there? The F-16 was already fielded with the APG-66. Was that just because there weren't sufficient F/A-18 airframes available for flight testing the RADAR?

As I understand it, the original version of the APG-66 fitted to F-16s wasn't compatible with certain BVR missiles, so this was tested. However the APG-66 was upgraded to give BVR capability so the project was shelved

[mko9]

MartG said:

mko9 said:

What the heck is going on there? The F-16 was already fielded with the APG-66. Was that just because there weren't sufficient F/A-18 airframes available for flight testing the RADAR?

As I understand it, the original version of the APG-66 fitted to F-16s wasn't compatible with certain BVR missiles, so this was tested. However the APG-66 was upgraded to give BVR capability so the project was shelved

That is true, stock APG-66 wasn't compatible with any BVR missiles. F-16As were heaters and guns only. They modified the APG-66 that went to ANG air defense units to add a continuous wave illuminator, so they would have AIM-7 capability. Line F-16 units didn't get a BVR capability until APG-68 and AMRAAM. As an aside, AIM-120 AMRAAM capability was compromised so it could be carried by the F-16 on the wingtip stations. For a long time F-15C still carried AIM-7s as well as AIM-120, because in some situations the AIM-7 was more capable.

[Flying Phil]

Is there a lay person's guide to all these acronyms etc?.....

[Fastdruid]

Flying Phil said:

Is there a lay person's guide to all these acronyms etc?.....

AIM = "Air Intercept Missile"
ANG = "Air National Guard"
BVR = "Beyond Visual Range"
AMRAAM = "Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile"

I'm sure AN/APG stands for something but I've no idea what.

[Yertis]

AN means Air Force / Navy (ie jointly developed by) and APG stands for Airborne Phased Array Radar (obviously ).

Thanks, Google.

[mko9]

Sorry for the acronym salad.

APG is not phased array. Original versions of APG-63/65/66/68/70 are mechanically scanned arrays.

APG - Airborne RADAR fire control according to the link. I thought it was all-apect, as older aircraft like the F-4 that used pulsed RADARs are APQ.

http://www.milspec.ca/radcodes/ancodes.html

That list appears to be incomplete. It doesn't list R as a first letter, which is a naval variant. AIM-7 is the Sparrow semi-active RADAR homing (SAR or SARH) missile, and RIM-7 is the Sea Sparrow. Army missiles are typically FIM, even if they are being carried airborne or an Apache or similar.

Edited by mko9 on Tuesday 7th November 15:10

Edited by mko9 on Tuesday 7th November 15:13

[Flying Phil]

Thanks for the translation, it is easy to get the gist but the fine detail is harder to follow at times!

[Voldemort]

[Trevatanus]

havoc said:

Eric Mc said:

Design of the B-52 began around 1948. The B-1 programme began around 1970.

Aviation had progressed quite a bit between those two years.

Please can I present exhibit A, first flown less than 5 months after the B52...

And 12 years after the Lancaster Bomber, designed by the same person.

[MartG]

B-21 first flight

[hidetheelephants]

Why is it towing a piece of string?

[MartG]

hidetheelephants said:

Why is it towing a piece of string?

Not sure if it's some kind of air data probe for the prototype, or part of its ECM suite

[havoc]

hidetheelephants said:

Why is it towing a piece of string?

It's pretending to be a submarine.

[PRTVR]

hidetheelephants said:

Why is it towing a piece of string?

Your not supposed to notice it’s really a kite, admittedly a very expensive one.

[Ian Lancs]

MartG said:

hidetheelephants said:

Why is it towing a piece of string?

Not sure if it's some kind of air data probe for the prototype, or part of its ECM suite

Probably this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailing_cone

[CanAm]

MartG said:

Eric Mc said:

Did it crash killing the inventor?

That was par for the course back then.

At least one of them crashed and killed the pilot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_JM-2

The original was raced by Jim Miller from 1974 to 1986 (with the ducting removed at some point). The new owner, Errol Robertson, raced it from 1987 until 1989, when it was destroyed while racing in the Reno Air Races at Reno in September 1989, when it flew through a dust devil and broke up in flight, killing the pilot.

[Voldemort]