Russia claims HYPERSONIC fighter

a reply to: BASSPLYR

The altered nose, and weights of the radar and missiles changed the airflow over the aft fuselage.

a reply to: Zaphod58

So the aft fuselage in the 71 was actual fuselage and not to hold rear radar components.

Interesting how they eliminated it on the the A12 too.

a reply to: cavtrooper7

the inlets on some of the American drones are very MHD looking to be made for high speed with a turbofan. any one else notice that.

a reply to: gpols

No, it was just fuselage. They didn't have a rear radar, in fact I'm pretty sure the only radar it had was the radar used to image targets on the ground. It didn't even have a weather radar, since weather wasn't the issue it was for other aircraft.

a reply to: Zaphod58

IIRC all A2A refueling was done visually, sounds squirelly

a reply to: Bfirez

It was squirrely because she was a stone cold bitch at low speeds. She was slow on the controls, and really twitchy heavy.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Hey zaph on landing and the deployment of the parachute for breaking. Were the engines completely turned off and the bird coasted in or were they idled down very low but ready to fire up if she needed to abort landing. Basically wondering how the parachute didn't catch on fire. I know those J58's were hot enough at full afterburner to boil the water in the air a mile behind the aircraft. Apparently, two of those beast had the same horsepower as the combined engines (all four) of the queen mary.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Imagine if she had a flame out at those low a speed. I read in Rich's book one of the 71's had a flame out over salt lake city and she fell like a stone. When they got her engine back up and running she boomed a little low Salt Lake City and scared the hell out of the Mormon Tabernacle during rehearsal and they bitched about it.

Really? X-51A Waverider demonstrator and theoretical SR-72 = Mach 6, hypothetical MIG-41 = Mach 4.

Yes a demonstrator that wont hold together after 8 min vs a Mach 4 Interceptor..Aerial or a lot of runways dotted along Siberia into China is only way to keep fuel up to intercept US bombers..Thats a big IF they see them coming

a reply to: Zaphod58

Must have been fast enough to out run the rain!

In actuality it probably had more to do with the altitude it flew at. Did the U2's have weather radars?

These aircraft seem like the drag cars of the sky.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

They were normal jet engines when they weren't in afterburner. Not much more heat than other engines.

a reply to: gpols

The U-2 doesn't even have hydraulics, trying to keep the weight as low as possible.

originally posted by: penroc3
a reply to: cavtrooper7

the inlets on some of the American drones are very MHD looking to be made for high speed with a turbofan. any one else notice that.

What do you mean? The intakes Look like MHD. How can you tell.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Hey Zaph, Didn't you used to as a kid help the U2's, once they touched down, by riding up in the trucks to get the wing landing gear attached or something?

a reply to: BASSPLYR

Attaching and recovering them after take off.

a reply to: Zaphod58

that's pretty bad ass. I had important jobs too in high school. like making sure the cactus section was watered at the local nursery. that's in the same league right?

a reply to: BASSPLYR

That's closer to the really slow days when the guys would mow the lawn at the Transient Alert shack.

a reply to: Zaphod58

did you guys ever make fun of the transient alert guys. go up to one and say what are you doing at Hickman the delta terminal is over there on the Honolulu side and snicker running off.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

I was a Transient Alert guy. We had the best job on base. All those aircraft not assigned to the base? Those were ours to deal with if they didn't have crew chiefs with them, or if the crew chiefs were behind them on another aircraft.

a reply to: Zaphod58

so you helped the cargo planes unload supplies for the base PX.




I'm just kidding. you'd be the kinda guy who'd have to handle the incoming bombers, fighters, and other more secret stuff that were laying over at Hickman while eroute to guam.

what's the most number of bombers you've had to deal with in one day, or night?

also, how rad is that being a teenager. most guys try and impress chicks by showing them their new car or by taking them to some drive in theatre to make out. ever impress the girls by taking them on base to show them what you were doing. id try and sneak em in and make out in one of the bombers.