Post amazingly cool pictures of aircraft (Volume 1)

[paul_y3k]

going to add my first attempt... only the second time I've used the DSLR in anger ...

[Jonny671]

XB-70 Valkyrie..



B-58 Hustler..



I found this quote about it;

Convair B-58A-10-CF Hustler 59-2458. This aircraft set transcontinental speed record 03/05/62 by flying nonstop from Los Angeles to New York and back again. First leg at average speed of 1214.71 mph, return leg at average speed of 1081.77 mph. Return leg was first transcontinental flight that moved across the country faster than the rotational speed of the earth. Crew awarded Bendix and Mackay Trophies. Now on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Edited by Jonny671 on Tuesday 21st July 10:06

[IforB]

[dodgyviper]

IforB said:

Wow, cropduster on speed

[Eric Mc]

That's probably Ray Hanna.

[perdu]

Now that is an amazingly cool HOT photo

good old Gnats, SheWhoMust..wouldn't even acknowlege the Hawk Arrows as authentic for a couple of years or so!

[Simpo Two]

Martin Baker MB5:

[SMKurt]

IforB said:

Was this taken yesterday, in my back garden? 'Cause yesterday, i was having a nice sleep in when 'wwwwhhhhoOOOOOCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH!' one of them flew over making me fly out of bed! Buggers! Any ideas what they where doing at Teeside/Durham Tees Vally airport?

[perdu]

SMKurt said:

IforB said:

Was this taken yesterday, in my back garden? 'Cause yesterday, i was having a nice sleep in when 'wwwwhhhhoOOOOOCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH!' one of them flew over making me fly out of bed! Buggers! Any ideas what they where doing at Teeside/Durham Tees Vally airport?

was it a Gnat? (as in the picture)

or was it a Red Arrow, in a Hawk

I'd love to have a Gnat come whistlng over my garden, pretty rare these days I think

but the Arrows do displays in all sorts of places, short "shows" where invited often if returning from other events, so I understand. Could have been one of those affairs

Yup

they can come and wake me up too

but I would really love to see a Gnat again, in flight.

Anyone know who operates any these days?

[dr_gn]

perdu said:

SMKurt said:

IforB said:

Was this taken yesterday, in my back garden? 'Cause yesterday, i was having a nice sleep in when 'wwwwhhhhoOOOOOCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH!' one of them flew over making me fly out of bed! Buggers! Any ideas what they where doing at Teeside/Durham Tees Vally airport?

was it a Gnat? (as in the picture)

or was it a Red Arrow, in a Hawk

I'd love to have a Gnat come whistlng over my garden, pretty rare these days I think

but the Arrows do displays in all sorts of places, short "shows" where invited often if returning from other events, so I understand. Could have been one of those affairs

Yup

they can come and wake me up too

but I would really love to see a Gnat again, in flight.

Anyone know who operates any these days?

Here you go:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2008/...

[SMKurt]

perdu said:

SMKurt said:

IforB said:

Was this taken yesterday, in my back garden? 'Cause yesterday, i was having a nice sleep in when 'wwwwhhhhoOOOOOCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH!' one of them flew over making me fly out of bed! Buggers! Any ideas what they where doing at Teeside/Durham Tees Vally airport?

was it a Gnat? (as in the picture)

or was it a Red Arrow, in a Hawk

I'd love to have a Gnat come whistlng over my garden, pretty rare these days I think

but the Arrows do displays in all sorts of places, short "shows" where invited often if returning from other events, so I understand. Could have been one of those affairs

Yup

they can come and wake me up too

but I would really love to see a Gnat again, in flight.

Anyone know who operates any these days?

No, i dont think it wat a Gnat, was a new ish one Hawk i guess.

[sorrento205]

What makes the Gnat more special than a Hawk other than nostalgia?

[squirrel2007]

Taken at RIAT on Saturday

[dr_gn]

sorrento205 said:

What makes the Gnat more special than a Hawk other than nostalgia?

The Gnat has a few air-to-air 'kills' to it's name, whereas the Hawk doesn't?

Neither aircraft really fires my enthusiasm tbh. Gnat's too small and the Hawk just looks a bit naff.

Cheers,

[JonRB]

dr_gn said:

The Gnat has a few air-to-air 'kills' to it's name, whereas the Hawk doesn't?

I'd imagine the Hawk has plenty of air-to-ground kills though. Especially the Indonesian ones. Allegedly.

Edited by JonRB on Tuesday 21st July 18:41

[Eric Mc]

The single seat Gnat was quite a different aircraft to the two seat trainer.

The Gant had a much faster rate of roll than the Hawk.

[D-Angle]

Eric Mc said:

The single seat Gnat was quite a different aircraft to the two seat trainer.

The Gant had a much faster rate of roll than the Hawk.

Eric, any background as to why the Red Arrows moved to the Hawk? Was it just to use a more modern airframe with continued tech support, or were there other reasons?

Edited by D-Angle on Tuesday 21st July 19:13

[HereBeMonsters]

D-Angle said:

Eric Mc said:

The single seat Gnat was quite a different aircraft to the two seat trainer.

The Gant had a much faster rate of roll than the Hawk.

Eric, any background as to why the Red Arrows moved to the Hawk? Was it just to use a more modern airframe with continued tech support, or were there other reasons?

Edited by D-Angle on Tuesday 21st July 19:13

I remember a documentary (from about 1989?) I had on tape back when we lived abroad, unfortunately the first part was cut off, but it explained why they moved from yellow to red, and I seem to recall all the pilots being happy about getting their new Hawks. I didn't see what all the fuss was about, after all, in Top Trumps, they were crap.

[Jonny671]

Wikipedia said:

The new team name took the word red from the fact that the Yellowjacks' planes had been painted red (as it was a far clearer and visible colour in the sky for safety reasons) and arrows after the Black Arrows; however some think red was a tribute to the Red Pelicans. Another reason for the change to red is that responsibility for the team moved from Fighter Command to the Central Flying School, whose main colour was red.

[Dr Jekyll]

Jonny671 said:

Wikipedia said:

The new team name took the word red from the fact that the Yellowjacks' planes had been painted red (as it was a far clearer and visible colour in the sky for safety reasons) and arrows after the Black Arrows; however some think red was a tribute to the Red Pelicans. Another reason for the change to red is that responsibility for the team moved from Fighter Command to the Central Flying School, whose main colour was red.

Also the pilots got fed up with being called 'The Daffodil patrol'.