Ok Model Airplane Buffs, Drool over this one.!!
SR-71, Blackbird, Blog by Major Brian Shul:
"I
Loved that Airplane"
More on the Blackbird, info
Ok Model Airplane Buffs, Drool over this one.!!
I had to share this one!
Be sure to check out the link. Incredible. Let me know
if you like it! Actually has 8 "real turbines" at about $1500 each!
Took over
2 years to build. It has a wing span of about 22 feet. Takes multiple pilots,
as
there are so many things to control. Think they are nervous during the maiden
flight? Unbelievable that someone would make this - all real turbines! Check
out the movie link below to see the first flight. Could be a UAV contender?
http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Giant_B52/B52_flight2.wmv
F-18 Durability & Pilot Skills
Hard to believe that these pilots were able to bring these planes in to a safe landing. It attests to their determination and skill, plus the survivability of these planes.
Over stressed machines. Good photos of a pair of F-18 Hornets at Top Gun which had a mid-air collision and then the pilots "John Wayne-ed" them back to base. Anyone has got to be NUTS to be a Naval Aviator. Hook down -hydraulics gone - incredible...
This truly is a miracle; two heavily damaged aircraft. The pilots would have been justified in "punching out" but instead,
they chose to bring the jets home. This endangered their lives but saved
the taxpayers about 80 million dollars. What is
especially intriguing is in picture 03 notice the radome, radar and all of
the avionics equipment, everything, in front is gone.
This created several problems for the pilot: aerodynamics, eventual loss
of hydraulics due to loss of fluid, navigation, and
probably the most amazing, as the pieces fell away, some debris had to be
ingested by the engines (F.O.D.) and he still
was able to bring it home! The story behind them is:
Two F/A-18 Hornets from Top Gun were Dogfighting and made a head on pass,
just a bit too close. One got home with part of the left wing and left
vertical fin and rudder missing, while the other jet is missing everything
forward of the cockpit pressure bulkhead and is a flying convertible because
the canopy is shattered too.
These guys are lucky. It shows how rugged these aircraft are...Also shows
how good the pilots are!
