Post amazingly cool pictures of aircraft (Volume 3)

[MartG]

One of my alltime favourite aircraft designs

[Eric Mc]

Me too - way ahead of its time.

[irocfan]

Ayahuasca said:

A 109 with a bubble canopy would have been interesting. I understand that visibility was one of the 109’s weaknesses.

On that subject - would I be right to assume that the 109 canopy (others too eg Hurricane) helped structurally, if not what's the point?

[Eric Mc]

No - no structural role as far as the airframe is concerned.

The canopies were designed that way because, in the mid 1930s, that was the only way to ensure they didn't cave in to the air pressure generated by an airflow that could exceed 400 mph.

[irocfan]

Eric Mc said:

No - no structural role as far as the airframe is concerned.

The canopies were designed that way because, in the mid 1930s, that was the only way to ensure they didn't cave in to the air pressure generated by an airflow that could exceed 400 mph.

thanks

[Eric Mc]

It was the introduction of plastic layering into the process (plexiglass) that allowed canopies to be strong without the need for heavy framing. The Spitfire was one of the first to make use of the process.

All Spitfires had a low frame count - even the very early Mk Is.

Within a year, the early MkI canopies had been improved by a "blown" sliding section.

Later in the war, a fully blown canopy was introduced -

This picture of 19 Squadron Spitfires at Duxford in 1938 shows the original "flat" sliding hood together with some of the first Spitfires fitted with the "blown" version.




This is the fully blown type of hood -

[DeltonaS]

The final days of the 747:



https://twitter.com/JetPhotos/status/1347284875036...

[irocfan]

[Ayahuasca]

irocfan said:

Lose the weight of the ordnance and you don’t need the wings to be as big anymore.

[nre]

More recently

Douglas Skyraider by Nigel Eite, on Flickr

[Smollet]

nre said:

More recently

Douglas Skyraider by Nigel Eite, on Flickr

Oooh. What a machine. Iirc it could carry more ordnance than a B17.

[nre]

Smollet said:

nre said:

More recently

Douglas Skyraider by Nigel Eite, on Flickr

Oooh. What a machine. Iirc it could carry more ordnance than a B17.

It is, but the main reason for posting it is that it's also missing the end of its wing. Not through battle damage but for trying to fly into a space already occupied by a Mustang.

[Ayahuasca]

The engine appears to be running rather rich.

[MartG]

Ayahuasca said:

The engine appears to be running rather rich.

Oh, they all do that sir !

[Eric Mc]

Exactly. Skyraiders always spewed oil.

Some colour schemes used had the fuselage aft of the engine painted black just to hide the stains.

[Lily the Pink]

nre said:

Not through battle damage but for trying to fly into a space already occupied by a Mustang.

I'm sure the pilot would dispute that. Assuming the Mustang was the faster aircraft (?) then the Skyraider would surely have been in that bit of airspace first.

[FourWheelDrift]

Lily the Pink said:

nre said:

Not through battle damage but for trying to fly into a space already occupied by a Mustang.

I'm sure the pilot would dispute that. Assuming the Mustang was the faster aircraft (?) then the Skyraider would surely have been in that bit of airspace first.

Skyraider flew into the Mustang - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oJngucEac4

[Eric Mc]

Yep, it was the Skyraider's fault. He pulled up too steeply and clipped the P-51.

[RizzoTheRat]

Just seen this on Twitter, Sea Fury on takeoff.



The guy has a pretty interesting feed

https://twitter.com/ron_eisele

[Skyrocket21]

I've been an aviation enthusiast all my life, especially regarding military planes. My parents were discussing their trip to the Exeter Airport airshow in 1969. So I looked for photos of that show, up popped this plane, I know a lot about the Blackburn Buccaneer that replaced it and the Harriers, Tornados, Lightnings etc. I've never seen one of these, a Supermarine Scimatar, it looks like the Harrier inherited a lot of DNA from this design, only ever 76 built, is it a forgotten plane?