Aviation trivia quiz.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Stngray

It was called "Big Tail". It was testing ECM equipment that didn't work.

Correct. Lasted 11 minutes.
Edit: My question, not the plane. The tail worked well, but the benefit was negligible.

a reply to: Stngray

That tail boom stands out among a bunch of odd attempts at defenses made at the time.

originally posted by: Stngray
What was unique about the Bell X-2's nose gear door?

More info:
The main gear were skids, and the nose gear had two wheels. The nose gear door did something that most if not all other aircraft do.

What unusual method did the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) use to dispose of it's last remaining F1-11s that didn't end up preserved in museums etc?

a reply to: Imagewerx

They chucked them into a landfill.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Imagewerx

They chucked them into a landfill.

They certainly did,not a very dignified end to such an awesome machine.

a reply to: Imagewerx

There was a huge WTF at the time. A lot of people were hoping they'd come back to AMARG, and they could get pictures of them.

What's the story behind these photos? It was given a name that was always said to be inappropriate,why is this? It created a new world record,can you name what it is? And what impossible to predict and recreate set of circumstances caused this all to happen?

a reply to: Imagewerx

He ejected after having multiple problems on takeoff, and the aircraft recovered, flew on without him, and made a safe landing in the cornfield. It was something like the cornfield glider. It was the longest flight without a pilot IIRC. And it was the airflow over the cockpit after the canopy and seat were gone I think that allowed it to happen.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Imagewerx

He ejected after having multiple problems on takeoff, and the aircraft recovered, flew on without him, and made a safe landing in the cornfield. It was something like the cornfield glider. It was the longest flight without a pilot IIRC. And it was the airflow over the cockpit after the canopy and seat were gone I think that allowed it to happen.

Not too far out.It was the 'cornfield bomber' which was inappropriate because it wasn't a cornfield (it was wheat) and a Delta Dart is a fighter and not a bomber.
He was in manouvers with a couple of other 106s that caused it to go into a flat spin that the pilot couldn't recover from.He ejected and as above a lot of factors including the downward force from the rockets that fire the ejector seat brought it out of the spin and back to level flight again.It sat in the field for almost two hours with the engine still running until it ran out of fuel while being guarded by the local Sheriff.
Oh and yes it was the longest flight without a pilot at the controls.It was repaired and carried on in service and ended up on display at the museum at Dayton.

a reply to: Imagewerx

I did a thread about it within the last couple years, so I knew the story, I just couldn't remember the fine details.

I'd seen the photo years ago but never heard the story attached to it until I randomly saw the photo earlier on Facebook of all places.

This photo taken in 1994 shows a crashed French registered A310 Airbus flown by Aeroflot.......



What VERY unusual set of circumstances caused the crash?

a reply to: Imagewerx

The captain's son was at the controls. He moved the control column and partially disconnected the autopilot, putting them into a bank. The crew saw the flight path indicator start showing a turn and thought they had gone into a holding pattern and didn't recognize the situation until it was too late.

The Master Caution didn't activate because it was only the attitude hold that disconnected IIRC. It was recommended that the software be changed so that it sounded if any portion of the autopilot disconnected, as well as better training for the crew to recognize the problem sooner.

This was the aftermath of a KC-135 crash after a mid air collision in the 80s. All onboard both aircraft perished. RIP. Because of where it crashed it is believed much wreckage remains undiscovered.

originally posted by: Stngray

originally posted by: Stngray
What was unique about the Bell X-2's nose gear door?

More info:
The main gear were skids, and the nose gear had two wheels. The nose gear door did something that most if not all other aircraft do.

Just realized I messed up on this post with my wording. It should have been "most if not all other aircraft do not do".

a reply to: Stngray

The only 80s midair that I remember with a -135 was in Arizona near Phoenix. There was a Grumman Yankee flying the pattern, and they hit, and the -135 impacted mostly intact, minus the tail.

a reply to: Zaphod58

That is the one. It crashed inverted. If you look at the pictures, it explains why everything is backwards. Crashed into the grounds of a prison southwest of Luke AFB. After the investigation was done, they wouldn't let anyone out there. It's the land around the prison that they constantly till, I assume to see footprints. Drive by it everyday on my way to work.

a reply to: Stngray

I'll go out there anyway. I can be in and out in no time.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Imagewerx

The captain's son was at the controls.

Which is of course perfectly normal in Russia.