The plane enthusiasts thread

[DaveReading]

There were lots of other Short flying boats starting with S, too.

Last time I visited Queens Island (about 25 years ago), you could still see the slipway down which they were launched.

I don't think there's anything left of the original Rochester factory, though I could be wrong.

 

[ozboz]

Whilst living in Queensland , I saw many photos in varying places on the Gold Coast and maybe Brisbane of Short Flying Boats , an ideal Aircraft for the Australian Eastern Coast ,

 

[midlife]

Slightly off topic I built a flying porcupine Airfix model in about 1972...... dwarfed my wwII collection of fighters

Shaun

 

[ozboz]

Slightly off topic I built a flying porcupine Airfix model in about 1972...... dwarfed my wwII collection of fighters

Shaun

As a kid living in Wythenshawe , (a big estate near Manchester ),
Some brothers at the bottom of the Avenue appeared with a Monster Sunderland made of a dark rich coloured wood , the story was it had been crafted for windtunnel purposes , no doubt it has long gone now , but there wasnt an un envying Lad for miles around !!

 

[macp]

Gratuitous photo of my fave plane

Wasnt there a horrific crash between a valk and the chase plane ?

 

[Drago]

Yes, an F104 was sucked into the Valkyrie's slipstream, flipped, and crashed into the top of the bomber. Completely destroyed the Starfighter and the prototype. The footage is something else.

 

[gbb]

Stood I my workshop today overlooking Fenland fields, I hear a distant low pitched ...
'Thumpa thumpa thumpa thumpa...'
...out to the door to see a Chinook descending through low cloud and levelled off at about 200ft maybe and thumped it's way off into the distance

Occasionally you'll see attack type helicopters come low and fast on the same, etc flightpath, maybe only 50ft up...awesome sight. I think they're on the way to/from Mildenhall.

 

[gbb]

Driving home tonight and coming straight towards me at about a thousand feet or so we're two bright landing lights, no great speed....a B52 lumbered overhead probably headed toward Mildenhall or Lakenheath, we often see military stuff headed that way.
First EVER sighting of a B52.

 

[DaveReading]

Driving home tonight and coming straight towards me at about a thousand feet or so we're two bright landing lights, no great speed....a B52 lumbered overhead probably headed toward Mildenhall or Lakenheath, we often see military stuff headed that way.
First EVER sighting of a B52.

Unusual to see B-52s at the Suffolk bases unless they are hosting an airshow. Maybe one on a mission from the deployment that's at Fairford at the moment..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-170111/US-B-52-bombers-airbase.html

 

[gbb]

Unusual to see B-52s at the Suffolk bases unless they are hosting an airshow. Maybe one on a mission from the deployment that's at Fairford at the moment..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-170111/US-B-52-bombers-airbase.html

Made me think now. As I said, never seen one before but it had that classic swept back wing, 4 engines slung quite forward of the leading edge of the wind, very noticeable large tailplane...but as always, it's a few seconds good look in silhouette. Perhaps it wasn't a B52 if they're not normally seen around.
Meh, maybe, maybe not...possibly not then

 

[TheDoctor]

Slightly off topic I built a flying porcupine Airfix model in about 1972...... dwarfed my wwII collection of fighters

View attachment 328324
Shaun

The Solent Sky museum at Southampton has one of those. A full size one you can get into, not the Airfix kit. Strictly speaking, it's the civilian conversion,a Sandringham. Well worth a trip!

 

[Spinney]

I saw one these do the vertical climb in the late 60s, at RAF Finningley, it was a most amazing thing to see.

When I worked at BAe Warton (before it became BAE Systems), they had a Lightning that acted as a chase or target aircraft (not to actually be shot at, but for testing aiming systems etc).
Quite often it would be taking off or doing something at home time. I'm surprised no-one ever crashed on the road outside as whenever they could they did the 'gain speed while you're over the runway and then do a vertical climb'. Great to watch as long as you weren't trying to drive!

 

[F70100]

Driving home tonight and coming straight towards me at about a thousand feet or so we're two bright landing lights, no great speed....a B52 lumbered overhead probably headed toward Mildenhall or Lakenheath, we often see military stuff headed that way.
First EVER sighting of a B52.

Didn't the B52 have 8 engines?

Could what you saw have been a mil version of the B707; they have some fitted out as AWACS types (with the radar dish on top), some as tankers and some as ELINT versions. I think the mil 707 had 4 of the engines ( CFM56?) that were fitted to 737 300/400/500 series for civilian use.

 

[Drago]

Watched Lone Survivor last night. Great fillum, although Mark Wahlberg ruins it.

Anyway, you get to see a C130 Spooky going full Rock n Roll. Wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that puppy.

 

[DaveReading]

Didn't the B52 have 8 engines?

Could what you saw have been a mil version of the B707; they have some fitted out as AWACS types (with the radar dish on top), some as tankers and some as ELINT versions. I think the mil 707 had 4 of the engines ( CFM56?) that were fitted to 737 300/400/500 series for civilian use.

There have been C-135s (a cousin of the 707) based at Mildenhall for the last 50-odd years. But they are pretty hard to mistake for a B-52.