Aviation Pictures: The Fourth Generation

[Sharpnel]

We use 747s to fight forest fires er in the USA.

[Bren]

I was just wondering this week if having the Vickers S-equipped Hurricanes available for the Blitz would have provided measurably better results against the Luftwaffe's bombers. Might slow them down enough to have trouble catching Ju-88s flying light after dropping, but it'd be able to catch the He111s without trouble and punch far larger holes than .303s

Speed and most definitely climb would have been too impacted to make it worthwhile. Rate of fire (100-120 rnds/min) and magazine size (16 with one in the chamber) would have sealed that line of thinking's fate.

Quad Hispanos were a far better development for destroying bombers.

[Feenix74]

We use 747s to fight forest fires er in the USA.

We have had the DC-10s come over here to Aus in the past but have not had the 747.

[PsihoKekec]

As far as I remember there is only one. Long reload time, airfield limitations and a bit of difficulty in low altitude operations due to it's size mean no one is interested in additional ones, firefighting seaplanes from Canadair/Bombardier and Beriev being a better option.

[Feenix74]

Traditionally we have used lots of helicopters. It has only been in the last 5 years that the fixed wing aerial waterbombers have taken a bigger role in our firefighting.

[wantec]

Airbus next generation fighter concept:

Nose & cockpit look like off an F-14, wings and tail look kind of like the YF-32

[ANS Kamas P81]

Europe loves its delta wings, that's for sure.

[Kidd]

What kind of Euro jet is that, without canards...? Looks like F-35 style EO and IRST pods up front.

[Daryk]

That picture looks like it's right out of the '80s...

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

That picture looks like it's right out of the '80s...

Add a few protruding guns and external missiles and it'd look like a GI Joe toy.

[Fat Guy]

Some nice aggressor Vipers:

[I am Belch II]

Nose & cockpit look like off an F-14, wings and tail look kind of like the YF-32

I'm surprised that it don't have canards. Europe likes them a lot.

[ANS Kamas P81]

They're there, it's just that you canardly see them at that angle.

[ANS Kamas P81]

Missed this one.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/11/04/marine-corps-last-prowler-aircraft-return-final-combat-deployment.html

The last of the Prowlers is gone.



VMAQ-2 had a great color scheme.

[Sharpnel]

They're there, it's just that you canardly see them at that angle.

*groan*

[I am Belch II]

It looks like a F22 and a Mirage offspring. We will see how far it goes and what it will look like in the end after 10 years of design and testing before a roll out of the first model.

[grimlock1]

Some nice aggressor Vipers:

That paint job is messing with my sense of scale.  Between that and the high resolution, I felt like I was looking at models for a minute.

It looks like a F22 and a Mirage offspring. We will see how far it goes and what it will look like in the end after 10 years of design and testing before a roll out of the first model.

Current understanding of aerodynamics and stealth will tend to push designs to look similar.

[I am Belch II]

Current understanding of aerodynamics and stealth will tend to push designs to look similar.

That is the problem, all the planes will look alike. Airliners will not have stealth but will mostly be twin engine planes with engines on pods under the wings, not a lot of change in the design also.

[chanman]

Air works the same everywhere...

[wantec]

That is the problem, all the planes will look alike. Airliners will not have stealth but will mostly be twin engine planes with engines on pods under the wings, not a lot of change in the design also.

Until some day a manufacturer finds a way to make a blended body wing design into a passenger/cargo jet. One that meets all the speed/size/efficiency requirements.

[Feenix74]

Current understanding of aerodynamics and stealth will tend to push designs to look similar.

Air works the same everywhere...

Or in the words of an aerospace engineer "Ye cannae change laws of physics"

[ANS Kamas P81]

Until some day a manufacturer finds a way to make a blended body wing design into a passenger/cargo jet. One that meets all the speed/size/efficiency requirements.

From what I understand that's doable for cargo, but there's no way legally to do it as for passengers - the wingstubes arrangement means you get a lot of emergency exits and quick access to them.  Getting everyone out of a lifting body design takes quite a bit longer than 45 seconds.

I mean, unless you seat people in the bomb bay...

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Hmm, where would you put the emergency exits on such a design?  Seems like you'd need ladders that lead to the top of the aircraft or something.

[grimlock1]

I thought there was also some concern about passenger comfort if the cabin gets too wide.  Folks further out would feel more pronounced motion during a bank.

[Feenix74]

Sad to read that another icon of my time in the service is retiring.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-28/adelaide-to-farewell-p-3-orions-after-50-years-of-service/10561686

[ANS Kamas P81]

Bit of a followup to the Hurricane Michael v. F-22 discussion last thread.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a24750155/f-22-hurricane-michael-repaired/

All 17 aircraft have been restored to flight and are back with their squadrons doing what fighter jets do, no Raptors lost at all.
F-22 stronk.

[Kidd]

So all that hullabaloo about losing 10% of the country's best fighters to a hurricane was all just...

...a storm in a teacup?

[I am Belch II]

Nice that the F22s are back in operation.

[beachhead1985]

Bit of a followup to the Hurricane Michael v. F-22 discussion last thread.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a24750155/f-22-hurricane-michael-repaired/

All 17 aircraft have been restored to flight and are back with their squadrons doing what fighter jets do, no Raptors lost at all.
F-22 stronk.

Wow that belly landing could have been WAAAAY worse; I don't even *see* any portajohns at the side of the runway.

[JarheadEd]

The old "Speed enforced by aircraft" 

Roadside operations in Finland back in September.

 https://imgur.com/G5TprMD