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The Airplane Fanatic Thread


Hornsareus

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Was just out in my backyard in south Austin, and a C-47 flew over pretty low.  That was unexpected, but cool.

Will never forget being in the backyard as a kid when a pair of wings-back B1-b’s buzzed the house about 300 feet off the deck (likely coming from a Rangers game flyover).

My grandfather, who flew 24’s and a ton more during the war, was right next to me and let out a “wooooo, nice flying boys!”.

The unexpected ones are always the best!
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On 10/30/2022 at 6:54 PM, Party_Taco said:

The unexpected ones are always the best!

About 20 years ago I was working at Centennial Liquor in Addison when a B-17 took off from ADS and flew right over us. I thought the building was going to shake apart. 

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Now that the weather is nice, I really need to go up and get my drug. It’s been a minute but got dang with sports with a 13 and 11 year old and both love hunting and work and yada yada yada. I really need to do something for just me. No vacation since July ‘21 either with only a half day off and that isn’t a brag but a dumbass me mistake.

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Anyone on the ground hurt?

Not as far as I could tell. The B-17 came to rest well within the confines of the airport, on the far side of the runway from the spectators. I don’t know if the P-63 was balled up with it or landed somewhere else. There were reports of debris on Hwy 67 near the airport but I have no idea if that means a nut or a fuselage.
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16 hours ago, cabowabo said:

Weird to be saying this, but I’m almost saddened more at the loss of a B17 than the loss the human lives. 

I understand.  My favorite WW II warbird is the DeHavilland Mosquito.  Several years ago I saw a video where the world's only flying Mossie crashed at an airshow in England.  The pilot, who flew Mossies in the war and had returned his plane to airworthy condition, was in his eighties and had a heart attack during the flight.  The Mossie dove straight into the ground.  I guess that the guy died doing what he loved, but he took a one of a kind plane with him.  I felt bad for him and the plane.

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https://www.flyingmag.com/ntsb-commences-investigation-following-dallas-airshow-accident/

this is not a big mystery

the guy driving the p-63 was late and behind a formation of smalls that was ahead of the b-17 on simulated final

based on his angle of attack he had no idea what was about to happen - either he had a coronary event or it was a repeat of PSA in San Diego with higher speed differential

there gets to be a point where there is some aggy in the CAF desire to "simulate" ww2 combat with smoke and tiny pyro charges

there's a reason half these guys are way past the mandatory FAA commercial retirement age of 65 (which used to be 60)

the T-Birds and Angels are the nation's best of the best of the best beyond the right stuff and they have lost quite a few souls and birds in their history

this is not easy flying and it's also not necessary

it's about time to lock it down on the unique airworthy items formations only - nothing that requires timing - and no unnecessary fire or smoke

there are a grand total of TWO remaining airworthy B-29s and you don't see them involved in combat simulations - they stay the hell away from all other birds on the field that day

as they should

++

to go west, my friend, is a trip we all must take, for a final check

 

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On 11/12/2022 at 11:36 PM, cabowabo said:

Weird to be saying this, but I’m almost saddened more at the loss of a B17 than the loss the human lives. 

It’s understandable. The loss of life is tragic. I know people who know some of the pilots killed and one was from my town, but there’s no real connection there. That’s not to say it’s not sad, you don’t feel for the loved ones or don’t reflect upon your own mortality and think about what you do and leaving your own family behind. 
 

There also the flip side of crawling all over and watching Texas Raiders at air shows for decades now and feeling that loss too. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/4/2022 at 3:09 PM, shadow_operative2.0 said:

They ever figure how/why that dude in NC fell/jumped out of the plane? 

On 8/4/2022 at 7:43 PM, Lat22 said:

One YouTuber I follow said he was probably standing on the open ramp trying to get a look at the wheel. 

Or he just went whoosh

Quote

“They were flying at approximately 3500 feet with the rear ramp open for ventilation. The aircraft encountered moderate turbulence,” the report said. “At some point, the decedent (copilot) opened a cockpit window for ventilation and possibly to vomit. Sometime after, he told the pilot that he felt he was going to be sick and apologized. He then departed the cockpit towards the open rear ramp; at some point, the pilot realized that he had apparently fallen from the aircraft.”

According to a preliminary report about the incident from the National Transportation Safety Board, Crooks appeared “visibly upset” when he told the pilot he felt sick and needed air.

The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, told investigators that Crooks did not appear to reach for a bar about 6 feet above the ramp, the report says. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/death-co-pilot-mysteriously-exited-210346613.html

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On 12/2/2022 at 4:08 PM, SuperSport said:

Didn't see it posted anywhere else...B-21 Raider will be unveiled this afternoon/evening in Palmdale.

 

 

Was camping with my son this weekend and had like 1 bar, so catching up on it today…sadly we don’t know much beyond the full frontal view, but the shape is subtly amazing.
 

The whole thing looks like one piece, the joins are so smooth and blended.  What initially got me were the engine inlets are damn near art, appearing to lack the splitter for boundary layer and associated saw tooth features on the B2.  

The front windows look as if the designers were like ‘fine, we will add windows so you can see when landing and refueling…otherwise you’re fucking with our all-aspect stealth here.’  Same with the side windows, which are shaped that way to minimize exposure to expected radar aspects.  
 

Naturally can’t see the exhaust yet, or see if it lost that platypus tail the B2 needed for the failed low altitude requirement.  Besides, all the really good stuff is hidden underneath the skin…structures, systems, antennas, etc.  

Crazy to think back like 65’ish years when something like the B-58 came out and you could glean a lot just looking at it.  But compared to some of those Chinese prototypes we’ve seen, with huge panel gaps and the fit/finish of a bad Tesla, this thing really looks like a finished product on the outside at least.  

image.jpeg

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13 hours ago, Homercles said:

Was camping with my son this weekend and had like 1 bar, so catching up on it today…sadly we don’t know much beyond the full frontal view, but the shape is subtly amazing.
 

The whole thing looks like one piece, the joins are so smooth and blended.  What initially got me were the engine inlets are damn near art, appearing to lack the splitter for boundary layer and associated saw tooth features on the B2.  

The front windows look as if the designers were like ‘fine, we will add windows so you can see when landing and refueling…otherwise you’re fucking with our all-aspect stealth here.’  Same with the side windows, which are shaped that way to minimize exposure to expected radar aspects.  
 

Naturally can’t see the exhaust yet, or see if it lost that platypus tail the B2 needed for the failed low altitude requirement.  Besides, all the really good stuff is hidden underneath the skin…structures, systems, antennas, etc.  

Crazy to think back like 65’ish years when something like the B-58 came out and you could glean a lot just looking at it.  But compared to some of those Chinese prototypes we’ve seen, with huge panel gaps and the fit/finish of a bad Tesla, this thing really looks like a finished product on the outside at least.  

image.jpeg

With things like the F35 cockpit, helmet, and cameras enabling pilots to see through the plane, why even have windows if they have a significant RCS penalty? Although, I assume those camera systems also have a RCS penalty. 

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With things like the F35 cockpit, helmet, and cameras enabling pilots to see through the plane, why even have windows if they have a significant RCS penalty? Although, I assume those camera systems also have a RCS penalty. 

Because when cool techy shit breaks, you still need to as the horizon.
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1 minute ago, Chad Fuck said:


Because when cool techy shit breaks, you still need to as the horizon.

I'm presuming if critical cool techy things break (e.g., the fly by wire computer systems) on modern military aircraft, the planes end up in a ditch anyway. At some point the technology becomes important and reliable enough that it replaces the old standbys. If windows negatively impact low observability enough, I'm sure they'll eventually be ditched. I just find it interesting that it didn't happen here with an aircraft also designed to work autonomously. 

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38 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

I'm presuming if critical cool techy things break (e.g., the fly by wire computer systems) on modern military aircraft, the planes end up in a ditch anyway. At some point the technology becomes important and reliable enough that it replaces the old standbys. If windows negatively impact low observability enough, I'm sure they'll eventually be ditched. I just find it interesting that it didn't happen here with an aircraft also designed to work autonomously. 

As long as there is a human inside, you're going to need to be able to see the horizon.   No matter how many systems there are backing up each other.  I don't see anyone saying, "I'm going to climb into that black box and just hope all the things the eggheads back at Palmdale built in are going to work."  

Of course, the obvious question is at what point do we determine we can ditch the human entirely and this plane is really a giant question mark in that regard.

Edited by Chad Fuck
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On 12/5/2022 at 8:07 AM, Dahobbs said:

With things like the F35 cockpit, helmet, and cameras enabling pilots to see through the plane, why even have windows if they have a significant RCS penalty? Although, I assume those camera systems also have a RCS penalty. 

No real penalty . On the F-117a they were coated in gold film, opaque to radar. We had the regularly measure ohm readings at various points to periodically to ensure integrity. 

Edited by Rv8riveter
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9 minutes ago, milkman said:


Looking to spend around $150-200K. Mission is 4 of us and mainly going to NW Florida from Texas.....roughly 575nm. Ideally would like to find a partner as the plane would only be flown a few times monthly.

We did this similar route in a 206 and then a Baron. It was much better in the Baron. 

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Looking to spend around $150-200K. Mission is 4 of us and mainly going to NW Florida from Texas.....roughly 575nm. Ideally would like to find a partner as the plane would only be flown a few times monthly.

If you’re looking at a single, I’d look hard at an F33. So good.

182RG and even a 177RG will fill that role.

231 would be nice but cramped and that have that hot start issue.
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I'm about to go under contract on a Comanche 250. Happy but at the same time nervous as hell buying a Time Machine! Being a first time buyer trying to navigate this market is a bit overwhelming.

There was a 182P that I was trying to buy a few weeks ago that the seller got cold feet. I woke up this morning to a text message saying he is willing to sell and to come take a look this weekend if I’m still interested. Now i’m torn on what to do.
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