steveno
Member
F-104 with all of the stuff hanging from the wings
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GcfZXqPJf4[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GcfZXqPJf4[/ame]
What Is Your All Time Favorite Fighter Airplane?
- Thread starter Gulfecho
- Start date
Cardboard_killer
Member
I don't think it's a camel as it doesn't have the hump. I think it's a Sopwith Pup.
OP
Gulfecho
Member
Hum...you are probably right on that cmort666.
OP
Gulfecho
Member
Hum...you could also probably be right on that Cardboard killer.
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Old school.........The Corsair!
That's why I can never do...
....one of these 'What's the best' things without filling up a page.
Too many factors, time, theater. adversary, tactics. The P-39 did VERY poorly in Europe but it was loved by pilots in the Pacific.
Even another factor. Chuck Yeager waxed an opponent with clearly superior plane then traded planes and did the same with the inferior plane. Pilot skills matter. A lot.
....one of these 'What's the best' things without filling up a page.
Too many factors, time, theater. adversary, tactics. The P-39 did VERY poorly in Europe but it was loved by pilots in the Pacific.
Even another factor. Chuck Yeager waxed an opponent with clearly superior plane then traded planes and did the same with the inferior plane. Pilot skills matter. A lot.
I wanted to make another thread with cool factor....
I wanted to make another thread with just cool factor so I could point out the Stuka. They are like Lugers, easily recognizable even at distance. They had an auto recovery system in case the pilot blacked out. Just the appearance and those 'Jericho Trunpet' sirens they put on the landing gear shrouds made it a true 'terror weapon'. Something that you would not want to see coming in your direction.
Just like the Germans did with a:
Rudel scored hundreds of Russian tanks with his Stuka: Its hard for me to tell because the image is small but, I think that is Rudel seated:
Hans-Ulrich Rudel. The onl German soldier to earn the: Knights Cross w/ golden oaks, swords and diamonds:
I wanted to make another thread with just cool factor so I could point out the Stuka. They are like Lugers, easily recognizable even at distance. They had an auto recovery system in case the pilot blacked out. Just the appearance and those 'Jericho Trunpet' sirens they put on the landing gear shrouds made it a true 'terror weapon'. Something that you would not want to see coming in your direction.
If I remember correctly Rudel lost at least one leg in combat and continued on. Also add one BB to his record (straight down the funnel in Leningrad Harbor) and he managed to get his mechanics out ot the West at the end of the war in Europe. Dave_n
The F 104 has a new mission....
Again, though it was inherently tricky, misuse was the cause of a large proportion of accidents. The lastest mission for the F 104 is more up its alley. Flying almost straight up, it will deliver small satellites into orbit.
PS Interesting note: The leading edges of the wings had to be covered with guards when on the ground because they were sharp enough to cut like a knife.
Again, though it was inherently tricky, misuse was the cause of a large proportion of accidents. The lastest mission for the F 104 is more up its alley. Flying almost straight up, it will deliver small satellites into orbit.
PS Interesting note: The leading edges of the wings had to be covered with guards when on the ground because they were sharp enough to cut like a knife.
cmort666
Member
I think you're right.
I'll break the mold and take one from "the other side": Su-27 FLANKER family
Where the US went with inherently unstable designs that require computers to fly (F-14, 15, 16, 18), the Soviets/Russians designed an airframe that is nearly perfect aerodynamically.
The US has never engaged in real combat with Russian 4th gen or 4+ aircraft, so it's an open question who would actually come out on top. Exercises against air forces flying FLANKERs has led to some rude lessons for the US Eagle drivers. (see articles on COPE INDIA exercises)
I was at the 1996 Farnborough Air Show when the Su-37 variant "711" demonstrated the backward summersault for the first time in the West. We all thought it was the "Cobra" pop-up maneuver at first, then he just kept going completely over using the vectored thrust and canards.
...and there are so many beautiful camo schemes
Where the US went with inherently unstable designs that require computers to fly (F-14, 15, 16, 18), the Soviets/Russians designed an airframe that is nearly perfect aerodynamically.
The US has never engaged in real combat with Russian 4th gen or 4+ aircraft, so it's an open question who would actually come out on top. Exercises against air forces flying FLANKERs has led to some rude lessons for the US Eagle drivers. (see articles on COPE INDIA exercises)
I was at the 1996 Farnborough Air Show when the Su-37 variant "711" demonstrated the backward summersault for the first time in the West. We all thought it was the "Cobra" pop-up maneuver at first, then he just kept going completely over using the vectored thrust and canards.
...and there are so many beautiful camo schemes
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carpriver
US Veteran
Being Air Force I prefer the Cargo aircraft, for me its the C130. It the one military aircraft that has been in continues production since I think the 1950s. My but was saved once by a A1E.
What is the designation of the two jet fighters in your post?I have always had a fondness for the P-38 Lightning and the Spitfire. Sorry for orientation of the picture.
My dad worked on these at his base in Washington State as they were running patrols during the cold war.
t
Texas Star
US Veteran
From a ME-109?
I think he maybe flew a FW-190 toward the end of the war? I know he made his rep with a ME and got most of his remarkable 352 kills from them.
Eric Brown had a very favorable opinion of the FW, and praised it. He once was involved in combat with a very skilled German pilot over France. Brown had the horizontal advantage in a Spitfire MK IX, but the German had a vertical advantage. Skill levels were evidently on par, which is saying something, for Brown was a very experienced test pilot for the Royal Navy, and flew many Allied and enemy planes.
Finally, with neither pilot being able to gain an opening on the other, they broke off battle and left the scene. Both were very lucky to survive that day. I don't think Brown ever knew who the other pilot was.
If you can find his book, "Duels in the Sky" buy it. You'll be fascinated.
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Rick_A
Member
This one
And this one
Going to have to be a bit of a traitor with my honorable mention
And this one
Going to have to be a bit of a traitor with my honorable mention
Texas Star
US Veteran
Pardon my intrusion, but I'm here, and the poster isn't, yet. I hope you'll want an early answer.
Top, F-89 Scorpion, lower, F -84 Thunderjet. The pods on the ends of the F-89 wings are for air-to-air rockets. The theory was that they'd intercept Soviet bomber fleets and launch the rockets. I think some F-89's also carried four .50's. The F-84 wing pods are for fuel.
The Thunderbirds flew the later, swept wing F-84F for a time, and one of them let me join him in the cockpit and talk about the plane. I was about 12, and such things could be done back then, I guess. He did caution me not to squeeze the trigger, although the guns were not supposed to be loaded. It carried the then-usual load of six .50 caliber Brownings in the nose.
The F-84 saw combat over Korea, but mainly in a ground attack mode, as it wasn't really too capable against a MiG-15. Sabres had to be sent to Korea to deal with that new threat.
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Thank you, sir, for providing the information. After talking with pop, he also worked on the Sabres as well. If I remember correctly, he spent quite a bit of time welding cracks in afterburners...only after making sure there was no fuel or fumes still present.
Texas Star
US Veteran
This one
And this one
Going to have to be a bit of a traitor with my honorable mention
Okay: another series of unlabeled photos...
Corsair, Hornet, and the Pole is maybe a Mig-29? I'm not as well up on Russian designs as I'd like.
Although I think most members appreciate photo labels, I do thank you for posting these wonderful pictures.
So far, the Polish plane is the only one in this thread that I'm not sure of. Is Poland now part of NATO? Do they still buy Russian planes? I think I've seen pics of Polish F-16's.
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I grew up living near and being around a couple TAC bases so I saw and heard my fair share of hot jets, they just don't do it for me like the sound of a big unmuffled internal combustion engine, especially a rotary or better a big radial like in the Boeing P-12, that would really have me walking out of the shop to look at what was flying over. Probably a good thing I never got into flying, the world has plenty of old broke pilots without me adding to the number.
I will admit that seeing F-4s flying in and out of the Danang area while stationed in Sunny Southeast Asia was always a heart warming sight.
I will never know the truth about who buzzed our LCU while we were on a mission to a small island offshore helping the Seabees set up a landing strip for a South Vietnamese base. We heard the high speed run of an engine driven aircraft but could not see it until he came out of his dive and levelled off flying away from us. He came out of the sun, and after levelling off gave us a friendly wag of his wings flying off to parts unknown. It was unmistakably a P51 and one of the guys on the boat speculated that it could be Prime Minister Ki as he was an airforce pilot with a ton of money and influence. Its possible that we were one of the last military boats in a war zone to be buzzed by a P-51.
I will admit that seeing F-4s flying in and out of the Danang area while stationed in Sunny Southeast Asia was always a heart warming sight.
I will never know the truth about who buzzed our LCU while we were on a mission to a small island offshore helping the Seabees set up a landing strip for a South Vietnamese base. We heard the high speed run of an engine driven aircraft but could not see it until he came out of his dive and levelled off flying away from us. He came out of the sun, and after levelling off gave us a friendly wag of his wings flying off to parts unknown. It was unmistakably a P51 and one of the guys on the boat speculated that it could be Prime Minister Ki as he was an airforce pilot with a ton of money and influence. Its possible that we were one of the last military boats in a war zone to be buzzed by a P-51.
Texas Star
US Veteran
For those not in the know, the A-1E was the Skyraider attack plane. It often covered downed pilots until helicopters could rescue them. It was used by both USAF and USN.
I'd be interested to know how that one saved you.
We have had some members with interesting experiences. One told how a Colt .45 auto saved him from a VC with an AK-47 as he tried to rescue a wounded Marine officer in a swamp. He killed the enemy and still has that gun. I think it probably caused a lot of his interest in collecting military .45 autos.
In Iraq, A-10's probably saved my son a couple of times when his Army unit was being heavily attacked by Saddam's troops and things were very tight. I think the A-10 has replaced the A-1E for such ground support missions.
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