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Okay would any of the missile carrying jets of been able to do what the sr-71 did? outside of maybe the stealth aircraft... Even then one of them probably woulda got hit since couldn't outrun the missiles.
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Nope, 100% true. While the Smithsonian has some iconic aircraft, its simply too small (hence the reason for Udvar Hazy) while they are to civil aviation what Wright Pat is to Mil aviation, the start of this thread was the SR-71. UH has one, but the AF museum has an SR-71, an A-12, a D-21, not to mention everything else (like the friggin Valkyrie) I just find it ridiculous how many people are unaware of the US Air Force museum when it is easily the best military air museum in the world. The Smithsonian IS a must see at least once, but you can spend days upon days at the AF museum, and still feel pressed for time.
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No. Fail. No true aircraft enthusiast would ever say that. The USAF Museum compliments the Smithsonian, Udvar Hazy and Pima. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Op, don't tell me you live in Ohio and only just now have made it to the AF Museum at Wright Pat...? For anyone that's never been the AF Museum absolutely DESTROYS the Smithsonian, Udvar Hazy and Pima. If you've not been GO. They're even building another hangar to move all the stuff from the Annex back over to the main museum and off of the base. No. Fail. No true aircraft enthusiast would ever say that. The USAF Museum compliments the Smithsonian, Udvar Hazy and Pima. |
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Also one of my favorites. Just to think about it being developed and created back in that time period is amazing. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Finally went and seen one in person today and damn I love her even more in person. Thinking about buying a model of one too. Don't think they will ever make a cooler jet, the B2 is the closest in my opinion. Also one of my favorites. Just to think about it being developed and created back in that time period is amazing. No CAD was around to design it. No computer modeling. Just drafting tables and slide rules. Freakin' amazing! |
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Quoted: One must be armed in order to make the list of badassery good Sir. View Quote YF-12. 'nuff said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko eta: I have no idea why I can't get vids to embed anymore. |
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YF-12. 'nuff said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko eta: I have no idea why I can't get vids to embed anymore. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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One must be armed in order to make the list of badassery good Sir. YF-12. 'nuff said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko eta: I have no idea why I can't get vids to embed anymore. Get rid of the "s" in the HTTPS part of the URL. |
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Here is an unlisted SR-71 story . My brother was working for the NSA in the late 80's spying on the Nork's from inside a bunker in the south . They were monitoring an SR-71 overflight and picked up the Norks launching a SAM, they informed the SR-71 and he made a course change. they tracked the missile going up and falling short and hitting the ocean , not even close
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Here is an unlisted SR-71 story . My brother was working for the NSA in the late 80's spying on the Nork's from inside a bunker in the south . They were monitoring an SR-71 overflight and picked up the Norks launching a SAM, they informed the SR-71 and he made a course change. they tracked the missile going up and falling short and hitting the ocean , not even close View Quote Usually the best countermeasure was to accelerate away... Which it certainly was good at. |
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View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: One must be armed in order to make the list of badassery good Sir. YF-12. 'nuff said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko eta: I have no idea why I can't get vids to embed anymore. Get rid of the "s" in the HTTPS part of the URL. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko |
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Where those aim 54 phoenix missiles? That's even more badass. Did it have a similar radar to the tomcat? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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One must be armed in order to make the list of badassery good Sir. YF-12. 'nuff said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko . eta: I have no idea why I can't get vids to embed anymore. Get rid of the "s" in the HTTPS part of the URL. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko If memory serves, the Phoenix was designed for the YF-12, the the F14 got it after the YF-12 interceptor was passed on |
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If memory serves, the Phoenix was designed for the YF-12, the the F14 got it after the YF-12 interceptor was passed on View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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One must be armed in order to make the list of badassery good Sir. YF-12. 'nuff said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko . eta: I have no idea why I can't get vids to embed anymore. Get rid of the "s" in the HTTPS part of the URL. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwCX4PRkko If memory serves, the Phoenix was designed for the YF-12, the the F14 got it after the YF-12 interceptor was passed on Methinks they were designed for the F-111. Though the Falcons the YF-12 carried (was going to carry?) are neat in their own right. |
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First post in awhile, but I'm glad I came back to some J58 thread! I grew up listening to my grandfathers stories about how secretive the Pratt & Whitney J58 fabrication was. Him and I planned an entire trip to Washington DC last winter just to see the one in the Udvar Hazy museum. Even after decades of its design, it's still amazing.
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I would say it's the second most impressive engineering feat of mankind. The Apollo program would be first.
I mean shit.. you would be hard pressed to design an SR-71 from scratch these days.. They did it in the day of the slide rule! It saddens me though... to see how far that we have fallen.
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Quoted: I agree, took the kids a couple of years ago to see the "C" model at Hill Air Force Base Museum. Not my pic. http://www.hill.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/601010-F-0000H-052.jpg View Quote |
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EGLIN AFB. Eggland would be a fucking pasture next to the hen house. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Eggland has one outside on display. Sweet plane! There is a B-58 Hustler 5 miles away from where I live. EGLIN AFB. Eggland would be a fucking pasture next to the hen house. I haven't stopped by in years, but there is a GREAT exhibit at the Alabama in Mobile. Ohio Class Destroyer, Sub, and a shitload of aviation. B-52, F-4 from the road, Blackbird, many others, Helios also. Cobra. |
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I haven't stopped by in years, but there is a GREAT exhibit at the Alabama in Mobile. A South Dakato-class battleship Ohio Class Destroyer, Sub, and a shitload of aviation. B-52, F-4 from the road, Blackbird, many others, Helios also. Cobra. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Eggland has one outside on display. Sweet plane! There is a B-58 Hustler 5 miles away from where I live. EGLIN AFB. Eggland would be a fucking pasture next to the hen house. I haven't stopped by in years, but there is a GREAT exhibit at the Alabama in Mobile. A South Dakato-class battleship Ohio Class Destroyer, Sub, and a shitload of aviation. B-52, F-4 from the road, Blackbird, many others, Helios also. Cobra. FIFY |
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I saw one at the Dayton Airshow years ago. It was watched by armed guards and dogs as it sat there dripping fuel. Pretty neat to see it but I really wanted to see it fly!
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West Coast to the East Coast in under an hour. New York to London in under 2 hours even with slowing to AR with a KC-135 in the middle of it. Over 40 years ago.
Incredible aircraft. |
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First post in awhile, but I'm glad I came back to some J58 thread! I grew up listening to my grandfathers stories about how secretive the Pratt & Whitney J58 fabrication was. Him and I planned an entire trip to Washington DC last winter just to see the one in the Udvar Hazy museum. Even after decades of its design, it's still amazing. View Quote pretty amazing engine, Just the fact that they thought to bypass large amounts of air from the compressor into the afterburner to provide thrust at high mach thus making the engine a quasi-ramjet, They also used the inlet spike to compress the air/ heat it up where it was then for the most part bypassed resulting in large amounts of thrust at high mach, the rest of the air was used to feed the engine. If I remember correctly performance at speed was limited to intake temps and not turbine temps like most jet aircraft. The engine had horrible efficiency at take off but just kept on getting better and better the faster it went, its one of the few aircraft to use less fuel ( in terms of km/Lb) the faster it goes. |
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a jet without weapons cannot be the "baddest of all time" its close but.. im a purest:http://images.military.com/media/equipment/military-aircraft/a-10-thunderbolt-ii/a-10-thunderbolt-ii_008.jpg View Quote That's a gun with a plane attached. A jet without weapons, but with cameras, is more refined speed and finesse as in the case of the SR-71 - and it was a tool that did a lot more to prevent and stop wars than the A-10. The ability to say "I see what you're doing, let's be reasonable and not break things", between non-crazy adversaries allowed things to not go crazy. A jet that doesn't need to break shit is more elegant, and one that allows adversaries to carry on like civilized men rather than resort to war is an eloquently badass thing. If it has to resort to war it will find the weaknesses and allow for the other jets to break shit in the most effective manner. Everyone knows the most badass jet ever as far as breaking shit goes is the "I will devastate your life, your house, your street, your town, your county, and three neighboring counties you've thought about relocating to until your world is a goddam moonscape" B-52 Stratofuckingfortress. It's such a pleasant and unassuming plane. It looks like it could be perfectly happy hauling passengers to and fro, or dropping retardant chemicals to save people from forest fires. It could easily transition to civilian life and be perfectly happy, but it chose to serve, and it chose to serve in the most destructive capacity possible. It comes from a long line of worldcrushing asskickers, but it doesn't need to be painted up all garishly or have Dos Gringos sing songs about it. It's not glamorous nor is it amazing on the outside. It's got a copy of "Flight of the Old Dog" setting in its den, but it doesn't have an "I love me wall" like other planes full of Hollywood glamour shots. It's a calmer, quieter plane that's been serving since other planes were just model prototypes or not even dreamt of. It's mellow like that, but when asked to do what must be done - the job it chose - it quietly picks itself up and reminisces on the old days and how some things never change. That's when the zippy cold war kids and xth-gen rebuilds and refits and things with a service life not measured in half-centuries start paying attention, because the old buff is getting up to fuck shit up, and when he fucks shit up, it's the stuff legends are made of, and the young ones know to get out of the way because he's going to make a sequel to the Chicxulub crater somewhere. At night in the hangar sometimes he reminisces on how his family used to have to get together to break shit and he wishes how he could go back just to make his dad and his grandpa proud by leveling Dresden or Tokyo by himself. He thinks of how he doesn't have any kids because he is the last of the earth-shaking giants. His old fast little friends have all retired, one by one, and his slower, smaller bomber buddies have all gone out to pasture. The closest things he has to kin anymore are fast or sneaky, but neither of them makes the sky fall like he does. So he rests, quietly keeping his own company because no one can comprehend what he brings to the fight until he arrives, and that when he arrives, the fight is over and woe betide the foolish, vile land whose deeds require his attention. They will remember his name and they will see the marks he makes for centuries to come in the cavernous abysses he creates and the myriad bloodlines he extinguishes. |
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Quoted: That's a gun with a plane attached. A jet without weapons, but with cameras, is more refined speed and finesse as in the case of the SR-71 - and it was a tool that did a lot more to prevent and stop wars than the A-10. The ability to say "I see what you're doing, let's be reasonable and not break things", between non-crazy adversaries allowed things to not go crazy. A jet that doesn't need to break shit is more elegant, and one that allows adversaries to carry on like civilized men rather than resort to war is an eloquently badass thing. If it has to resort to war it will find the weaknesses and allow for the other jets to break shit in the most effective manner. Everyone knows the most badass jet ever as far as breaking shit goes is the "I will devastate your life, your house, your street, your town, your county, and three neighboring counties you've thought about relocating to until your world is a goddam moonscape" B-52 Stratofuckingfortress. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/B-52H_static_display_arms_06.jpg It's such a pleasant and unassuming plane. It looks like it could be perfectly happy hauling passengers to and fro, or dropping retardant chemicals to save people from forest fires. It could easily transition to civilian life and be perfectly happy, but it chose to serve, and it chose to serve in the most destructive capacity possible. It comes from a long line of worldcrushing asskickers, but it doesn't need to be painted up all garishly or have Dos Gringos sing songs about it. It's not glamorous nor is it amazing on the outside. It's got a copy of "Flight of the Old Dog" setting in its den, but it doesn't have an "I love me wall" like other planes full of Hollywood glamour shots. It's a calmer, quieter plane that's been serving since other planes were just model prototypes or not even dreamt of. It's mellow like that, but when asked to do what must be done - the job it chose - it quietly picks itself up and reminisces on the old days and how some things never change. That's when the zippy cold war kids and xth-gen rebuilds and refits and things with a service life not measured in half-centuries start paying attention, because the old buff is getting up to fuck shit up, and when he fucks shit up, it's the stuff legends are made of, and the young ones know to get out of the way because he's going to make a sequel to the Chicxulub crater somewhere. At night in the hangar sometimes he reminisces on how his family used to have to get together to break shit and he wishes how he could go back just to make his dad and his grandpa proud by leveling Dresden or Tokyo by himself. He thinks of how he doesn't have any kids because he is the last of the earth-shaking giants. His old fast little friends have all retired, one by one, and his slower, smaller bomber buddies have all gone out to pasture. The closest things he has to kin anymore are fast or sneaky, but neither of them makes the sky fall like he does. So he rests, quietly keeping his own company because no one can comprehend what he brings to the fight until he arrives, and that when he arrives, the fight is over and woe betide the foolish, vile land whose deeds require his attention. They will remember his name and they will see the marks he makes for centuries to come in the cavernous abysses he creates and the myriad bloodlines he extinguishes. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: a jet without weapons cannot be the "baddest of all time" its close but.. im a purest:http://images.military.com/media/equipment/military-aircraft/a-10-thunderbolt-ii/a-10-thunderbolt-ii_008.jpg That's a gun with a plane attached. A jet without weapons, but with cameras, is more refined speed and finesse as in the case of the SR-71 - and it was a tool that did a lot more to prevent and stop wars than the A-10. The ability to say "I see what you're doing, let's be reasonable and not break things", between non-crazy adversaries allowed things to not go crazy. A jet that doesn't need to break shit is more elegant, and one that allows adversaries to carry on like civilized men rather than resort to war is an eloquently badass thing. If it has to resort to war it will find the weaknesses and allow for the other jets to break shit in the most effective manner. Everyone knows the most badass jet ever as far as breaking shit goes is the "I will devastate your life, your house, your street, your town, your county, and three neighboring counties you've thought about relocating to until your world is a goddam moonscape" B-52 Stratofuckingfortress. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/B-52H_static_display_arms_06.jpg It's such a pleasant and unassuming plane. It looks like it could be perfectly happy hauling passengers to and fro, or dropping retardant chemicals to save people from forest fires. It could easily transition to civilian life and be perfectly happy, but it chose to serve, and it chose to serve in the most destructive capacity possible. It comes from a long line of worldcrushing asskickers, but it doesn't need to be painted up all garishly or have Dos Gringos sing songs about it. It's not glamorous nor is it amazing on the outside. It's got a copy of "Flight of the Old Dog" setting in its den, but it doesn't have an "I love me wall" like other planes full of Hollywood glamour shots. It's a calmer, quieter plane that's been serving since other planes were just model prototypes or not even dreamt of. It's mellow like that, but when asked to do what must be done - the job it chose - it quietly picks itself up and reminisces on the old days and how some things never change. That's when the zippy cold war kids and xth-gen rebuilds and refits and things with a service life not measured in half-centuries start paying attention, because the old buff is getting up to fuck shit up, and when he fucks shit up, it's the stuff legends are made of, and the young ones know to get out of the way because he's going to make a sequel to the Chicxulub crater somewhere. At night in the hangar sometimes he reminisces on how his family used to have to get together to break shit and he wishes how he could go back just to make his dad and his grandpa proud by leveling Dresden or Tokyo by himself. He thinks of how he doesn't have any kids because he is the last of the earth-shaking giants. His old fast little friends have all retired, one by one, and his slower, smaller bomber buddies have all gone out to pasture. The closest things he has to kin anymore are fast or sneaky, but neither of them makes the sky fall like he does. So he rests, quietly keeping his own company because no one can comprehend what he brings to the fight until he arrives, and that when he arrives, the fight is over and woe betide the foolish, vile land whose deeds require his attention. They will remember his name and they will see the marks he makes for centuries to come in the cavernous abysses he creates and the myriad bloodlines he extinguishes. |
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There is something sexy about having to leak fuel on the ground since the pressure @ flight will seal the joints. For those that hate for lack of weapons - GI JOE solved it for you http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9L_XiaZ88o8/TIlGFmSkkjI/AAAAAAAAACw/tu5y_Cvcfoo/s1600/nightraven.jpg View Quote It's the heat not the pressure. The jet grows a few(don't remember exact number) inches from the heat at high Mach. They had to make it leaky so there would be room for things to expand when hot. |
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That's a gun with a plane attached. A jet without weapons, but with cameras, is more refined speed and finesse as in the case of the SR-71 - and it was a tool that did a lot more to prevent and stop wars than the A-10. The ability to say "I see what you're doing, let's be reasonable and not break things", between non-crazy adversaries allowed things to not go crazy. A jet that doesn't need to break shit is more elegant, and one that allows adversaries to carry on like civilized men rather than resort to war is an eloquently badass thing. If it has to resort to war it will find the weaknesses and allow for the other jets to break shit in the most effective manner. Everyone knows the most badass jet ever as far as breaking shit goes is the "I will devastate your life, your house, your street, your town, your county, and three neighboring counties you've thought about relocating to until your world is a goddam moonscape" B-52 Stratofuckingfortress. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/B-52H_static_display_arms_06.jpg It's such a pleasant and unassuming plane. It looks like it could be perfectly happy hauling passengers to and fro, or dropping retardant chemicals to save people from forest fires. It could easily transition to civilian life and be perfectly happy, but it chose to serve, and it chose to serve in the most destructive capacity possible. It comes from a long line of worldcrushing asskickers, but it doesn't need to be painted up all garishly or have Dos Gringos sing songs about it. It's not glamorous nor is it amazing on the outside. It's got a copy of "Flight of the Old Dog" setting in its den, but it doesn't have an "I love me wall" like other planes full of Hollywood glamour shots. It's a calmer, quieter plane that's been serving since other planes were just model prototypes or not even dreamt of. It's mellow like that, but when asked to do what must be done - the job it chose - it quietly picks itself up and reminisces on the old days and how some things never change. That's when the zippy cold war kids and xth-gen rebuilds and refits and things with a service life not measured in half-centuries start paying attention, because the old buff is getting up to fuck shit up, and when he fucks shit up, it's the stuff legends are made of, and the young ones know to get out of the way because he's going to make a sequel to the Chicxulub crater somewhere. At night in the hangar sometimes he reminisces on how his family used to have to get together to break shit and he wishes how he could go back just to make his dad and his grandpa proud by leveling Dresden or Tokyo by himself. He thinks of how he doesn't have any kids because he is the last of the earth-shaking giants. His old fast little friends have all retired, one by one, and his slower, smaller bomber buddies have all gone out to pasture. The closest things he has to kin anymore are fast or sneaky, but neither of them makes the sky fall like he does. So he rests, quietly keeping his own company because no one can comprehend what he brings to the fight until he arrives, and that when he arrives, the fight is over and woe betide the foolish, vile land whose deeds require his attention. They will remember his name and they will see the marks he makes for centuries to come in the cavernous abysses he creates and the myriad bloodlines he extinguishes. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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a jet without weapons cannot be the "baddest of all time" its close but.. im a purest:http://images.military.com/media/equipment/military-aircraft/a-10-thunderbolt-ii/a-10-thunderbolt-ii_008.jpg That's a gun with a plane attached. A jet without weapons, but with cameras, is more refined speed and finesse as in the case of the SR-71 - and it was a tool that did a lot more to prevent and stop wars than the A-10. The ability to say "I see what you're doing, let's be reasonable and not break things", between non-crazy adversaries allowed things to not go crazy. A jet that doesn't need to break shit is more elegant, and one that allows adversaries to carry on like civilized men rather than resort to war is an eloquently badass thing. If it has to resort to war it will find the weaknesses and allow for the other jets to break shit in the most effective manner. Everyone knows the most badass jet ever as far as breaking shit goes is the "I will devastate your life, your house, your street, your town, your county, and three neighboring counties you've thought about relocating to until your world is a goddam moonscape" B-52 Stratofuckingfortress. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/B-52H_static_display_arms_06.jpg It's such a pleasant and unassuming plane. It looks like it could be perfectly happy hauling passengers to and fro, or dropping retardant chemicals to save people from forest fires. It could easily transition to civilian life and be perfectly happy, but it chose to serve, and it chose to serve in the most destructive capacity possible. It comes from a long line of worldcrushing asskickers, but it doesn't need to be painted up all garishly or have Dos Gringos sing songs about it. It's not glamorous nor is it amazing on the outside. It's got a copy of "Flight of the Old Dog" setting in its den, but it doesn't have an "I love me wall" like other planes full of Hollywood glamour shots. It's a calmer, quieter plane that's been serving since other planes were just model prototypes or not even dreamt of. It's mellow like that, but when asked to do what must be done - the job it chose - it quietly picks itself up and reminisces on the old days and how some things never change. That's when the zippy cold war kids and xth-gen rebuilds and refits and things with a service life not measured in half-centuries start paying attention, because the old buff is getting up to fuck shit up, and when he fucks shit up, it's the stuff legends are made of, and the young ones know to get out of the way because he's going to make a sequel to the Chicxulub crater somewhere. At night in the hangar sometimes he reminisces on how his family used to have to get together to break shit and he wishes how he could go back just to make his dad and his grandpa proud by leveling Dresden or Tokyo by himself. He thinks of how he doesn't have any kids because he is the last of the earth-shaking giants. His old fast little friends have all retired, one by one, and his slower, smaller bomber buddies have all gone out to pasture. The closest things he has to kin anymore are fast or sneaky, but neither of them makes the sky fall like he does. So he rests, quietly keeping his own company because no one can comprehend what he brings to the fight until he arrives, and that when he arrives, the fight is over and woe betide the foolish, vile land whose deeds require his attention. They will remember his name and they will see the marks he makes for centuries to come in the cavernous abysses he creates and the myriad bloodlines he extinguishes. Bravo! |
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One must be armed in order to make the list of badassery good Sir. View Quote The SR-71 is credited with stopping a war in progress, without firing a single shot. That's pretty damn badass in any book. SR-71 images of the battle field situation were given to both the Egyptians and the Israelis during one of the wars and as a result, both sides backed down. |
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I'm pretty sure it technically is a space ship. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Going through the air at 3,100 fps is just awesome. I actually think I'd rather fly in this then be in a spaceship . I'm pretty sure it technically is a space ship. nope, it is an air breather... |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: a jet without weapons cannot be the "baddest of all time" its close but.. im a purest:http://images.military.com/media/equipment/military-aircraft/a-10-thunderbolt-ii/a-10-thunderbolt-ii_008.jpg That's a gun with a plane attached. A jet without weapons, but with cameras, is more refined speed and finesse as in the case of the SR-71 - and it was a tool that did a lot more to prevent and stop wars than the A-10. The ability to say "I see what you're doing, let's be reasonable and not break things", between non-crazy adversaries allowed things to not go crazy. A jet that doesn't need to break shit is more elegant, and one that allows adversaries to carry on like civilized men rather than resort to war is an eloquently badass thing. If it has to resort to war it will find the weaknesses and allow for the other jets to break shit in the most effective manner. Everyone knows the most badass jet ever as far as breaking shit goes is the "I will devastate your life, your house, your street, your town, your county, and three neighboring counties you've thought about relocating to until your world is a goddam moonscape" B-52 Stratofuckingfortress. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/B-52H_static_display_arms_06.jpg It's such a pleasant and unassuming plane. It looks like it could be perfectly happy hauling passengers to and fro, or dropping retardant chemicals to save people from forest fires. It could easily transition to civilian life and be perfectly happy, but it chose to serve, and it chose to serve in the most destructive capacity possible. It comes from a long line of worldcrushing asskickers, but it doesn't need to be painted up all garishly or have Dos Gringos sing songs about it. It's not glamorous nor is it amazing on the outside. It's got a copy of "Flight of the Old Dog" setting in its den, but it doesn't have an "I love me wall" like other planes full of Hollywood glamour shots. It's a calmer, quieter plane that's been serving since other planes were just model prototypes or not even dreamt of. It's mellow like that, but when asked to do what must be done - the job it chose - it quietly picks itself up and reminisces on the old days and how some things never change. That's when the zippy cold war kids and xth-gen rebuilds and refits and things with a service life not measured in half-centuries start paying attention, because the old buff is getting up to fuck shit up, and when he fucks shit up, it's the stuff legends are made of, and the young ones know to get out of the way because he's going to make a sequel to the Chicxulub crater somewhere. At night in the hangar sometimes he reminisces on how his family used to have to get together to break shit and he wishes how he could go back just to make his dad and his grandpa proud by leveling Dresden or Tokyo by himself. He thinks of how he doesn't have any kids because he is the last of the earth-shaking giants. His old fast little friends have all retired, one by one, and his slower, smaller bomber buddies have all gone out to pasture. The closest things he has to kin anymore are fast or sneaky, but neither of them makes the sky fall like he does. So he rests, quietly keeping his own company because no one can comprehend what he brings to the fight until he arrives, and that when he arrives, the fight is over and woe betide the foolish, vile land whose deeds require his attention. They will remember his name and they will see the marks he makes for centuries to come in the cavernous abysses he creates and the myriad bloodlines he extinguishes. |
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I've seen two, one at Duxford here in England at the American Air Museum and one at Pinal Air Museum in Tucson
Awesome machines |
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I was lucky enough to grow up near the air base’s Even then it was rare to see one flying ... The first time I was in third or fourth grade one flew over the school breaking the sound barrier....I spotted it before the sound and boom. The other three times were near the local air base’s .... they sound like nothing else Here's a link to the most amazing SR story .... link View Quote Holy crap what a story. "I didn't think ejecting at Mack 3+ would be a good idea". Yup. |
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Going through the air at 3,100 fps is just awesome. I actually think I'd rather fly in this then be in a spaceship . I'm pretty sure it technically is a space ship. nope, it is an air breather... Hes thinking of the x-15, another badass peice of machinery. |
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I guess I need to read my copy of Sled Driver again, and then put it in the safe deposit box.
Sled Driver book on Amazon |
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Speed check ... that's the one ... epic View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Lots of good Blackbird stories. Inlet Unstart - already linked above Slow flyby - already linked above Speed Check Missle Launch and others Speed check ... that's the one ... epic OMG... epic indeed!! |
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Quoted: I'm pretty sure it technically is a space ship. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Going through the air at 3,100 fps is just awesome. I actually think I'd rather fly in this then be in a spaceship . I'm pretty sure it technically is a space ship. X-15 flew much higher and faster. The SR-71 was pure airplane. If you get a chance to read Col. Graham's books he dispels a lot of the myths surrounding the SR-71. It did not go nearly as high as people think it did. |
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Yeah I always liked the B-52... Watched thing on youtube about it one of the crews took 2 direct SAM hits before having to eject, one tough son of a bitch. The thought of being that high and getting hit by one missile seems like you would instantly go down.
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