Aviation Geeks unite?! Anybody else care about planes here?

[Marc]

But on the news they said that they could easily last a year or so without any problems, they're being properly sealed up and mothballed.

Read an article a few weeks back that detailed what's involved with mothballing an aircraft. Was many hundreds of hours of for an A330 but I can't find the thing now.

Probably a bit more for a jumbo because of their size

Storing things in hot dry climate probably makes the task a bit easier (a lot of aircraft are being stored at an airfield in Spain).

However it does look like it is the end of the road for the aircraft you've seen.

https://simpleflying.com/lufthansa-retired-boeing-747-fate/

At the time the article was written, the oldest and newest of the 747s were there for dismantling. Normally you'd expect the oldest first but if the youngest is up for a big check (C check iirc) it's not worth the money so straight off to the scrappers.

 

[Mysterion]

Say what you want about WW2 but the Me-262 was a beautiful piece of engineering:

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It's got this almost organic flow to its lines that have always reminded me of a shark.

 

[StarCruiser]

Except that the Jumo engine didn't last very long - required lots of heavy work after even a few hours. Sometimes, had to be replaced completely after just one or two flights...

That's what you get when your engineering is ahead of your resource base (nickle? chromium? fft...who needs that stuff?).

 

[Mysterion]

Yeah, yeah, sure. But it looks really good, don't it?

 

[Marc]

Except that the Jumo engine didn't last very long - required lots of heavy work after even a few hours. Sometimes, had to be replaced completely after just one or two flights...

That's what you get when your engineering is ahead of your resource base (nickle? chromium? fft...who needs that stuff?).

then again some of the later engines from British and American manufacturers weren't much better

reading some the wiki entries on some of the aircraft mentioned in this thread you have to wonder how the engines made it into production.

and like the 262 there were some good designs let down by the engines.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Say what you want about WW2 but the Me-262 was a beautiful piece of engineering:

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It's got this almost organic flow to its lines that have always reminded me of a shark.

That sure is a beautiful aircraft

 

[John Clark]

Yeah, yeah, sure. But it looks really good, don't it?

Agreed

 

[Mysterion]

Another plane I've always liked the look of is the somewhat obscure Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, a light ground-attack jet from the Viet Nam era:

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_A-37_Dragonfly

 

[Santaman]

I never thought that the Dragonfly was considered obscure, but it is a nice little aircraft.

 

[Marc]

I never thought that the Dragonfly was considered obscure, but it is a nice little aircraft.

Can't say I'd ever heard of it before (Phantom IIs, Crusaders, Thuds, Skyraiders yep but not the Dragonfly).

Looks to have had a pretty good record too - 160,000 combat missions in Vietnam and only 22 USAF losses. Especially when you consider they'd be in low and comparatively slow.

 

[Santaman]

For some reason I've known about it since the late 80's LOL Maybe you do know the trainer version?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_T-37_Tweet
It has been used from 1957 until 2009 so it seems which is a pretty long time.

 

[StarCruiser]

That sure is a beautiful aircraft

Yep - really pretty but...you do NOT want to be on the wrong end of it!

 

[XCV330]

Yeah, yeah, sure. But it looks really good, don't it?

I honestly think most first generation jet fighters look like kludges with the exception of the Vampire and the P-80

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Yep - really pretty but...you do NOT want to be on the wrong end of it!

Oh for sure....... Did any of the 262s see any combat?

 

[Marc]

Oh for sure....... Did any of the 262s see any combat?

google is your friend as is wikipedia.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

google is your friend as is wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_262

Yep............ 542 claimed allied planes taken down

 

[publiusr]

Would image the approach would have to be planned careful to avoid the wake turbulence from the carrier 747.

I think there are smaller fighter drones that could fit more easily.

In terms of looks, I always liked the Voodoo

 

[Marc]

Guess it's a sign of the times.

For his new film it was cheaper for Christopher Nolan to buy and crash a 747 for his latest film than to do it in SFX.

https://www.gamesradar.com/tenet-christopher-nolan-747-plane-crash-interview/

At least it's not like a a 60's film called 619 Squadron where they made a crap Dam Busters rip of and destroyed some of the last air worthy De Haviland Mosquitoes.

 

[Marc]

Airbus complete some major autonomous tests using an A350.

the only thing that pilots did during the taxi, take-off and landing was line the plane up on the runway.

https://www.businessinsider.com/air...ke-off-and-landing-project-or-attol-in-2018-1

Don't think I can wrap my head around fully autonomous aircraft. Still like some-one skilled in the cockpit at all times and there are probably three great examples of why the computer will never beat the man.

a) the Qantas A380 that suffered an uncontained engine failure.
b) Sullenberger's A320 in the Hudson
c) the United DC-10 at Sioux City in 1989

 

[BK613]

Airbus complete some major autonomous tests using an A350.

the only thing that pilots did during the taxi, take-off and landing was line the plane up on the runway.

https://www.businessinsider.com/air...ke-off-and-landing-project-or-attol-in-2018-1

Don't think I can wrap my head around fully autonomous aircraft. Still like some-one skilled in the cockpit at all times and there are probably three great examples of why the computer will never beat the man.

a) the Qantas A380 that suffered an uncontained engine failure.
b) Sullenberger's A320 in the Hudson
c) the United DC-10 at Sioux City in 1989

d) TACA flight 110 from Belize to New Orleans 1988