Ah yes... can't post a pic of a SU-27 without a mention of the Cobra (especially not an SU-27 in Russian Knights colours, I suppose). There's apparently and extension of Pugachev's Cobra called the Frolov Chakra, which I have been scouring the web for a few times. It apparently involves going into a cobra, then pulling back further until you finished a full revolution. That would imply flying BACKWARDS and upside down at one point... 0_0 Anyway - the USAF posted a demo of the F-35 the other day that has some really nice vectoring footage as well. I really want to post the Eurofighter here, but there's a special picture I want to post, since it's my brother on the picture (he's an avionics mechanic on those). Just need to get it at home.
I've just seen it now, sorry! I honestly didn't spot it before I still prefer the clean wings of the B1 to the tip pods added on the B2 though. I always make a point of setting some time aside at Duxford just to stand and stare at the Victor. It probably helps that my father was on the design team at Handley Page so I was brought up on a steady diet of aircraft. He'd also hotly disagree with you referring to the Vulcan plane as a "sister" to the Victor - Avro and Handley Page were fairly fierce rivals from what I've heard about the matter, all be it friendly enough to constructively critique each other's designs but neither was in any doubt that theyir aircraft was the better one. Another one that I think is under rated is the Beriev Be-200 - a modern jet that can land on a runway but also on the sea where no airport is available:
Of all the planes I'd love to own, the SR-71 is near the top, the B1 Lancer is pretty beastly, and who can say no to the Spitfire? But above all those, I want one of these; It's crude, brutish, but oh so lovely. KM Ekranoplan or "Caspian Sea Monster" Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIr8bjg_o2U I'm so irritated that there are none left.
Your quite right about the B1, much nicer. I am quite sure Handley Page would not consider them sisters, but seeing them from the perspective of the V Force they were very much a pair, the poor Valiant always got a rough reception! Plus they way the worked together to bomb the Stanley runway must bond them. I would have done anything to see the 2 together, I have been lucky enough to see the Vulcan take of and do a stunning display, if only the accidental "high speed taxi" of the Victor had turned into a flight! Another fascinating thing about both aircraft was the decision regarding ejector seats. Only the pilots had them! The crew had to bail out themselves, impossible at low level and a few incidents of pilots being forced to abandon the crew to certain death. Any love for the MiG 25 Foxbat? A monument to Russian brute force design. Another Russian masterpiece Tu 95 And the stunning suspersoinc "Blackjack"
The MiG 25 was an engineering triumph - practicality over everything else. "Aluminium's too weak, let's try titanium. Nah, it's a pig to work with, how about steel? It'll rust you idiot, besides it's too heavy! Stainless steel and bigger engines? Sorted!" Russian military design philosophy as a whole revolved around what worked, not what looked sexy or had the latest tricks. Ease of use and ease of maintenance were major factors. The cockpit layouts were more or less identical between aircraft so the pilots didn't have to be retrained from one to the next. How do you fasten the rear fuselage to the airframe? Flush fittings like the front which are a swine to work with? Doesn't make much difference top the drag subsonic if you use domed ones and none whatsoever supersonic once the boundary layer has formed so why not make it easier to remove or replace? Pure, simple design over the latest bangs and whizzes, function over form - I love pretty much every Russian aircraft of the cold war era. I always thought it sounded as though something was about to fall off when it made that sort of noise, I preferred the somewhat more dignified whistle-to-roar sound of the Victor to the pained howling of the Vulcan. Besides, the Victor flew faster, further and higher then the Vulcan while carrying a larger payload. It looks better too
It is. The Russians basically tried to make a response to the B-1 and got carried away Well, sort of anyway...
I'm sorry but I have to take exception to the Ekranoplan being in the thread, seeing as it doesn't actually fly. It's about time there was a rotary, so I give you the supercar of choppers the Westland Lynx At least that flys for the most part.
I would contend that they do fly, albeit with a ceiling of a few metres. I've always had a thing for the Saab Draken. It looks like a spaceship from 70s Sci Fi
Googled Frolov Chakra (apparently also called A Kulbit) ant this was the only HD video I could find quickly: Awesome. Ignore the slightly cheesy commentary though.
If it doesn't fly, what's it doing in the air? Sure, it's not as high as most of the aircraft in this thread, but there's no denying that it is in the air
To exercise a technical point - it's not flying, it uses ground effect. I'd say it qualifies on the special merit of being bat-**** insane, but only just.
how that's supposed to work , is the aircraft reaches 100 kts and the power is shut down, the pilot then pops a `wheelie` by rotating the nose below V1... what actually happened is the pilot `flying` called for throttles off and the designated throttle man did not shut them down - V1 was reach and because of the low weight and configuration (had to be set flaps so the aircraft could fast taxi) , that and the crosswind meant the aircraft took off. credit for him (the pilot) getting it back down - he said if it had been further along the runway , then the thought of a full circuit had crossed his mind - but the aircraft isn't fully airworthy and he didn't want to do that.
Well, I guess it depends on you definition "flying". While you could say it is being supported by ground effect and thus the ground, it is travelling through the air without touching the ground in a sustained and controlled manner. I would say WIG is a type of flying, but it's understandable how some peoples mileage may vary. I glad we can all agree that it's bat-**** insane though
