Post amazingly cool pictures of aircraft (Volume 2)

[Eric Mc]

I actually doubt it. They'be been messing about with airliner designs for 60 years and so far have managed nothing of note. I confidently predict we will see no mass produced successful Chinese designed and built airliners for at least 50 years.

[hidetheelephants]

Eric Mc said:

I actually doubt it. They'be been messing about with airliner designs for 60 years and so far have managed nothing of note. I confidently predict we will see no mass produced successful Chinese designed and built airliners for at least 50 years.

They've mastered every other aspect of advanced manufacturing technology up to and including launching meatsacks into space without killing them; airliners are pretty midfield on that scale. I'll grant that it might be a long time before any non-chinese airline buys a chinese airliner though. In 50 years we'll all be using jetpacks and teleporting to the moon!*







*may contain bullst 1960s futurist conjecture.

[Eric Mc]

I think the word "may" in your footnote can easily be replaced with the words "definitely does"

A lot of success in aerospace comes from longevity and a successful track record. The Russians are even struggling to come up with designs that others feel they can trust and rely on, and they've been building (semi decent airliners since the 1950s.

[hidetheelephants]

Command economies don't lend themselves to efficiency, either in processes or products; kleptocracies clearly have similar inefficiency built in, or perhaps they militate against the necessary quality control that airlines now expect as a matter of course.

[Eric Mc]

Aircraft manufacturing, by its nature, is a very, very conservative operation. When airlines want to buy new airliners, they need massive reassurance of reliability and product support that needs to be available over decades. No Russian nor Chinese manufacturer can supply this.

Even Boeing, the key player in this industry, is finding how quickly confidence in their product can be erased.

[Speed 3]

[MartG]

[LotusOmega375D]

Great photo. My dad used to cycle to Bruntingthorpe as a teenager to watch the B47s. His favourite memory of those trips were the rocket bottle take-offs.

Here we are about 60 years later and we can still regularly see B52s flying overhead.

[Trevatanus]

LotusOmega375D said:

Here we are about 60 years later and we can still regularly see B52s flying overhead.

And will do for another 30 years!

[Trevatanus]

More of a "record" short than anything, but a true "once in a lifetime" photo.

[MartG]

[MartG]

Nice registration


Pic credit Steve Slater

[Eric Mc]

He hasn't seen his fuel bill yet.

[MartG]

Interesting architecture...

[RicksAlfas]

MartG said:

Interesting architecture...

Do you think the lights are on PIRs?

[irocfan]

MartG said:

Interesting architecture...

is it wrong that I like that?

[Trevatanus]

MartG said:

Nice registration


Pic credit Steve Slater

Imagine him talking to ATC.
"I'm HA PPY", I'm HA-PPY, I know I am, I'm sure I am, I'm HA PPY"

[anonymous-user]

irocfan said:

MartG said:

Interesting architecture...

is it wrong that I like that?

So cool.

I’m always trying to buy bits of aircraft for my house but my wife can’t see the attraction. She’s very unsophisticated like that.

Mind you I do have a row of 3 economy seats from a 757 in my garage doing nothing useful.

[Speed 3]

Probably been posted before:

[Lily the Pink]

MartG said:

Interesting architecture...

I hope they keep the tyres pumped up.