Aviation Pictures: Sixth time, Thread of the Intruder

[Daryk]

Anything that moves something that normally doesn't (wings) is automatically more complicated...

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Its such a tough watch, but the best part of that Stealth movie was the F/A-37. A good forward swept concept.

One of my neighbors had a GI Joe plane that looked like that when I was a kid.

[chanman]

Flight Journal has a free pdf of a detailed three-view drawing of an F4F

https://www.flightjournal.com/grumman-wildcat-free-online-artwork/

[chanman]

Swingers: Mirage G - the prototype swing-wing Mirage











Think the French dodged a bullet though, going with the F1 and then the 2000. Have there been any variable-geometry wing aircraft that haven't been maintenance hogs?

[Colt Ward]

Never seen it before . . . but it does make me wonder if some plans might not have made their way into Soviet hands and then onward to the MiG design bureau.

[chanman]

Never seen it before . . . but it does make me wonder if some plans might not have made their way into Soviet hands and then onward to the MiG design bureau.

The first flight for the MiG-23 was a few months before the Mirage. VG wings were just the hot new thing in the 1960s.

More swingers - the MiG-27 ground attack derivative of the MiG-23. Radar-less nose reprofiled for better visibility and with more appropriate sensors (IRST, laser designator, TVs, etc.) Yes, this is the infamous combination with the airframe-smashing GSh-6-30 cannon (the MiG-23 attack variants kept the 23mm GSh-23 instead, which I think some MiG-27s were converted back to. Other than that, lighter fixed air intakes reduce the top speed, but the power-to-weight ratio is still blistering (arguably even more blistering because of the weight shed). Pretty similar compromise to platforms like Jaguar.

Sweet wallpapers/paintings








Sri Lankan jungle camo Flogger. Now retired, originally bought from Ukraine around 2000


Sri Lankan Flogger in a more generic grey




The Indian Air Force was an enthusiastic user and only phased them out over 2017-2019. Kazakhstan is the last remaining operator






Firing the infamous GSh-6-30


Red Star Floggers






New Ukrainian markings on what looks like a makeshift museum (~2013)

[I am Belch II]

The Mig-23 has some of the weirdest main landing gear.

[chanman]

The Mig-23 has some of the weirdest main landing gear.

One of the design requirements was for substantially better rough field performance.

Demand Starfighter-like performance and the ability to operate from rough fields, and...

[chanman]

Swingers continued, this time, the Eurochonk. I mean Panavia Tornado

RAF Tornado F.3

















Various Tornado IDS






Various Tornado ECR

[Failure16]

Baby got back.

Nice images of the Floggers and Tornados, two airframes that you just don't see all that often. Really digging the tan-and-green paint scheme on the RAF Tornados about midway through the pack.


In sadder news, they are a bit closer to finding out what went wrong in Dallas:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/report-no-altitude-advice-before-dallas-air-show-crash/ar-AA14KOWf?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=bb2de37b0bfa43f79ab698bceaea08d4



A horrifying image, to be sure, but important to show in remembrance of the six men who lost their lives doing what they loved. I imagine that this incident and their loss will lead to a positive change,

[chanman]

Baby got back.

Nice images of the Floggers and Tornados, two airframes that you just don't see all that often. Really digging the tan-and-green paint scheme on the RAF Tornados about midway through the pack.


In sadder news, they are a bit closer to finding out what went wrong in Dallas:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/report-no-altitude-advice-before-dallas-air-show-crash/ar-AA14KOWf?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=bb2de37b0bfa43f79ab698bceaea08d4



A horrifying image, to be sure, but important to show in remembrance of the six men who lost their lives doing what they loved. I imagine that this incident and their loss will lead to a positive change,

I mean, from the most literal interpretation, what went wrong is that two separate aircraft tried to occupy the same space at the same time.

But in the lead-up to that, I suspect that maybe a scene that's managed to get by with a light touch on rules and regulations is about to get some new non-negotiable conditions added. As they say, the regs are written in blood.

[chanman]

Stand by for the sexiest of VG aircraft.

B-1A - looks like it had a spine that the B-1B doesn't






Boneyard shot. Must be the VG lot. I see F-111s and F-14s as well as the F-4s and B-52s


Classic Hornets and B-1Bs


A B-1B clearly being used as a parts hulk


The first batch of B-1Bs to arrive at the boneyard way back in 2002

[Fat Guy]

On November 7th, 40% of the B-2 bomber fleet took part in an elephant walk at Whiteman AFB.

[chanman]

More photos of the B-1B, probably the sexiest of all swing-wing aircraft. The paint job honestly doesn't hurt either.

[chanman]

Baby got back.

Nice images of the Floggers and Tornados, two airframes that you just don't see all that often. Really digging the tan-and-green paint scheme on the RAF Tornados about midway through the pack.


In sadder news, they are a bit closer to finding out what went wrong in Dallas:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/report-no-altitude-advice-before-dallas-air-show-crash/ar-AA14KOWf?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=bb2de37b0bfa43f79ab698bceaea08d4

A horrifying image, to be sure, but important to show in remembrance of the six men who lost their lives doing what they loved. I imagine that this incident and their loss will lead to a positive change,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRVqg-pCb6o

The diagram in the video shows what the story doesn't mention - the fighters and bombers had initially been in different lanes (bombers close to the crowd and fighters further away). The air boss instructed the two formations to trade places (cross-cross) in the turn, and with no altitude separation briefed...

Also of note is that the formation change ordered for the fighters from echelon to trail might have put the P-63 further back than it might have been otherwise.

[Daryk]

Very nice B1-B shots, but I'm pretty sure the F-14 wins any "sexy" arguments... 

[I am Belch II]

BONE or B-1 is the only swing wing left in the US Military 

I would of been neat to see the B-1, F14 and the F111 flying together.

[chanman]

Very nice B1-B shots, but I'm pretty sure the F-14 wins any "sexy" arguments... 

Naw, the F-14 is pretty chunky from all that carrier aviating. I'd put it even behind the F-111 for US swingers

[Failure16]

Naw, the F-14 is pretty chunky from all that carrier aviating. I'd put it even behind the F-111 for US swingers

You know, I love you, man.

But now we fightin'.

[Cannonshop]

You know, I love you, man.

But now we fightin'.

I remember seeing that image somewhere..what comic's it from?

[Xan]

That image is from Calvin and Hobbs unless I am greatly mistaken. 

[Failure16]

Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Waterson. Still one of the greatest strips to this day, in my gently considered opinion.


And just because:

[Daryk]

+1 for Calvin and Hobbes! 

[chanman]

I mean, the F-14 Tomcat is a bit of a chunky monkey. It's also at a weird aerodynamic transition point. Not as crude as an F-4, but it lacks the aerodynamic cleanness of the other 4th gen fighters. The Tomcat is kind of a 3.5 gen aircraft in many respects (systems, aerodynamics...)

You can see it in things like the HUD design and windshield framing. That said swingers...

The 'Turkey'




F-14 tail art


The need for speed!



The best part of both Top Gun movies is the opening montage. The rest of the films... alright at best


At full sweep, the F-14 looks like an extremely chonky delta, almost a bit like a mash-up of the Gloster Javelin and the de Havilland Sea Vixen




Wings out

[Colt Ward]

Ah, that makes my heart flutter . . . then sad knowing they were wrecked.

[I am Belch II]

I think Top Gun made the F14 into much more of a awesome plane than not. The plane was a beast, but it was also really good, and was even better for Iran believe it or not. It is the only 4th Gen fighter that isnt actively flying for the US and that is kinda sad.

[Colt Ward]

Well, Red Storm Rising also makes them outstanding for the capabilities they bring to the battlespace.

[ANS Kamas P81]

https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1598747951915991046/photo/1

"Chances are high that an upgraded version of the 4.5 generation South Korean fighter jet KF-21 will be jointly produced in Poland as KF-21PL

"The statement was made at a @Republikanie conference today by the Member of Parliament & Major of Poland’s Armed Forces Michał Jach"

Poland is really buying heavily into the SK market and getting some serious upgrades to their combat power.

[Failure16]

The best part of both Top Gun movies is the opening montage. The rest of the films... alright at best

You guys are forgetting that time they splashed a couple A6Ms:

[Daryk]

I had a liberty buddy who started out in F-14s and retired after commanding an F-18 squadron.  He was the first one to show me a "Fighter Fling" video.  I still miss that guy...