Administrators Eric Posted April 5, 2020 Author Administrators Share Posted April 5, 2020 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted April 5, 2020 Author Administrators Share Posted April 5, 2020 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted April 5, 2020 Author Administrators Share Posted April 5, 2020 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted April 5, 2020 Author Administrators Share Posted April 5, 2020 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted April 5, 2020 Author Administrators Share Posted April 5, 2020 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted April 5, 2020 Author Administrators Share Posted April 5, 2020 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted April 5, 2020 Author Administrators Share Posted April 5, 2020 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 23 minutes ago, Eric said: What’s the big one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted April 5, 2020 Author Administrators Share Posted April 5, 2020 20 minutes ago, railfancwb said: What’s the big one? The Antonov AN-225. The Russians took the then-largest aircraft operating, the AN-124, added two more engines and made it bigger in every direction. It was first built to carry the Soviet version of a space shuttle on its back. Now, it is the largest air transport aircraft in the world. Last I heard, there was only one operating. I’m not sure if that is still the case. I saw it take off once at Sky Harbor, in Phoenix. I thought I was watching an accident in progress. It simply did not seem to be going fast enough to take off. Then it lumbered into the air. It was quite a sight. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Thanks. Had guessed it was Russian built. How did its size compare with the 747 NASA used to haul the USA shuttle? Hiw did the two shuttles compare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted April 5, 2020 Author Administrators Share Posted April 5, 2020 20 minutes ago, railfancwb said: Thanks. Had guessed it was Russian built. How did its size compare with the 747 NASA used to haul the USA shuttle? Hiw did the two shuttles compare? I’ll post a pic below that compares the largest aircraft. I don’t remember much about the Soviet shuttle, the Buran. I know it was crude and heavy and it never went into space. I’m not sure if it ever even did a flight test. The aircraft/spacecraft that the Soviets built were less sophisticated and less efficient than the designs that the West was capable of. The compensated with brute force. If you can’t engineer something, over-engineer it and they did, often with impressive results. The AN-225 is a beast and it can lift loads no other cargo aircraft can lift. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWARREN123 Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Used for when the stuff got tight on the ground! Love these birds! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dric902 Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 3 hours ago, Eric said: That’s a beautiful plane . 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 10 hours ago, Eric said: The autogyro is said to be an inherently safe aircraft since if the engine fails the rotary wing will just free wheel and considerably slow the fall. However that assumes a safe place to fall. I see none in the photograph. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 13 hours ago, Eric said: Notice the apparent square windows. This was probably before planes were pressurized and the constant cycling between being pressurized and not at sea level, produced work hardening in the metal and structural failure caused cracks that radiated our from the square corners of the windows. After some inexplicable place crashes the cause was found, and then all windows on pressurized aircraft were round to get rid of the obvious mechanical fault points. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 What is the current situation with the Stratolaunch? Wasn’t that a project of the Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen before he died? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlocknSpiehl Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 For me this will always be the one that got away. I regret that I never got to fly in one of these!Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pittpa Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, GlocknSpiehl said: For me this will always be the one that got away. I regret that I never got to fly in one of these! Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk My aunt was a stewardess on those and modeled for TWA for publicity. This is her. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited April 12, 2020 by pittpa 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 4 hours ago, GlocknSpiehl said: For me this will always be the one that got away. I regret that I never got to fly in one of these! Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk My first thrill was a Champagne Flight on Western Airlines 1956 non-stop from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. Flight was great, all boozed up, Stews were great! That was an era! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Czervik Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 On 4/5/2020 at 2:39 AM, Eric said: The Staggerwing is the sexiest biplane ever. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadbart Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 On 4/5/2020 at 2:39 AM, Eric said: This beauty looks like something out of DeHavilland's Skunk Works. What is she? I bet that is one fun/scary ride! Regarding the Antonov- seeing the only one of something in the world is cool. the only Russian one of something? cooler. In Phoenix? Wow. Pretty slim chances of that happening! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted April 13, 2020 Author Administrators Share Posted April 13, 2020 19 minutes ago, tadbart said: This beauty looks like something out of DeHavilland's Skunk Works. What is she? I bet that is one fun/scary ride! Regarding the Antonov- seeing the only one of something in the world is cool. the only Russian one of something? cooler. In Phoenix? Wow. Pretty slim chances of that happening! It’s a Beech D17S. It is probably the best looking biplane of that size ever built. The AN-225 was the only one built. A second was under construction, but never completed. Luckily, most of the parts are interchangeable with the smaller AN-124, so parts to keep it flying isn’t a problem. the AN-225 is flown commercially as a heavy-lift cargo plane. It is booked years in advance and it flies all over the globe. Seeing it in Phoenix was pretty cool. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadbart Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 7 minutes ago, Eric said: It’s a Beech D17S. It is probably the best looking biplane of that size ever built. The AN-225 was the only one built. A second was under construction, but never completed. Luckily, most of the parts are interchangeable with the smaller AN-124, so parts to keep it flying isn’t a problem. the AN-225 is flown commercially as a heavy-lift cargo plane. It is booked years in advance and it flies all over the globe. Seeing it in Phoenix was pretty cool. It's gorgeous. The kinda thing that would make me want to learn to fly a tail dragger. That Antonov is insane. I'm assuming it's relatively easy for plane watchers to see where it's gonna be, with its dance card always being full. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Czervik Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 Two Staggerwings were powered by 690 hp Wrights. ? Neither exits today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlocknSpiehl Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 My aunt was a stewardess on those and modeled for TWA for publicity. This is her. Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkCool!Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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