spitfire the greatest plane ever

[Dryce]

The comet transformed passenger travel, it was the first passenger jet airline that flew transatlantic and was invented by the British (we dominated the skies in those days and Boeing copied). The 747 was the world's largest passenger jet until the European A380 with Rolls Royce Trent engines trounced it.

Does first or biggest automatically mean best. (As opposed to say ... 'major achievement')

Perhaps the 727, 737 and A320 are the aircraft that made air travel more like a mass transit system?

 

[E53AMG]

Does first or biggest automatically mean best. (As opposed to say ... 'major achievement')

Perhaps the 727, 737 and A320 are the aircraft that made air travel more like a mass transit system?

Well I think the inventor deserves a little more credit than those who simply copied someone else's idea. I agree though biggest does not mean best.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[WDB124066]

Something to watch instead of TV...

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And the one we all tend to forget, the one and all its "attachments" that took humanity to its highest level yet; Saturn V.

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[WDB124066]

Then there's this...

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..and of course this! It is very hard to choose "the best".

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[grober]

But unproven.

The RAF got the Buccanneer in part because of the TSR2 debacle - I think it worked out quite well for them.

Ah ---the Blackburn Buccaneer- great aircraft after they souped it up with Rolls Royce Spey engines. First strike aircraft to feature the first operational HUD display for low level flight. Wings virtually solid from the engine nacelles outwards, not the prettiest aircraft , like many carrier jets they had a rep for being a very tough aircraft. A friend who was an naval aviator [ Sea Kings- he's partially deaf now natch] tells a story of a colleage who was a navigator on a Buccaneer who had [ how can I put this delicately] to be "assisted from the cockpit" after his plane on a low level training flight had flown through some 33,000 volt overhead power lines !
Here's one guy living the dream!

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[Chrishazle]

My cousin used to fly Buccaneers from Lossiemouth, they'd go out over the sea low level training, if the cockpit glass was not covered in salt when they got back they got a rollocking for flying too high! There was also the occasion a Buc flew past Brent C platform below helideck level when a helicopter was landing - HLO was not amused!

 

[wu56Shoozz]

For Fans of the DAK:

Launch of D-Day Squadron to Bring American C-47s Back Over Beaches of Normandy in Epic Flyover Event

 

[st13phil]

Well that's obviously why they made it look pretty ......

So it can be appreciated by a wider audience.

Concorde certainly attracted appreciative attention.

I remember being in one of the BA lounges at LHR in the 1990's waiting for a (subsonic) transatlantic flight. Concorde started to taxi and pretty much everyone, including the jaded seen-it-all-before regular business travellers went to the windows to watch it make its take-off. It was also the only aircraft that you could hear taking off from within the lounge

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Concorde certainly attracted appreciative attention.

I remember being in one of the BA lounges at LHR in the 1990's waiting for a (subsonic) transatlantic flight. Concorde started to taxi and pretty much everyone, including the jaded seen-it-all-before regular business travellers went to the windows to watch it make its take-off. It was also the only aircraft that you could hear taking off from within the lounge

It used to have to wait until it was offshore before breaking the sound barrier, as a child I used to hear the boom regularly.

 

[Dryce]

It was also the only aircraft that you could hear taking off from within the lounge

You could feel it if you were a passenger in a plane waiting in the queue for the runway.

I think though that the by the early 90s the noise seemed even more distinctive because the really loud subsonic aircraft from the 60s and 70s with turbojets had been retired (or moved on to other parts of the world) or their use had been restricted.

I think the skies are quieter than when I was younger. There are fewer military jets stonking about (fewer to stonk about) and the passenger aircraft are quieter. I think this has changed the way we hear aircraft at low level setting up for approach - the proportion of noise noise that is aerodynamic rather than from the engines has increased.

 

[GeeJayW]

The US tried their best to kill off Concorde whilst at the same time they were trying to develop their own supersonic airliner (Boeing 2707 being one such project), but ultimately failed. They were also desperate for the 747 to be successful. Massive investment and effort made to bring that to fruition. Even now Concorde is a stunning looking aircraft and some of it's features still cutting edge e.g. supersonic super cruise capability.

 

[BTB 500]

The comet transformed passenger travel, it was the first passenger jet airline that flew transatlantic and was invented by the British (we dominated the skies in those days and Boeing copied).

The Comet paid the heavy price of being a pioneer though, and was never really that successful in its own right (unlike the Boeing 707, for example). I saw an old Dan-Air Comet being cut up for scrap at Blackbushe in the 80s ... very sad.

 

[grober]

Crucial design feature of the Concorde was the intake design for the engines. No commercial jet engine could perform with an inlet speed of MACH2 so the intake airspeed had to be reduced to around mach 0.5 for the Olympus engines by variable inlets for different aircraft speeds. all explained here.
https://www.heritageconcorde.com/air-in-take-system

 

[Scott_F]

Which Mark of Spitfire ?

There were many versions produced which reflected the rapid technological developments of the time as well as the need to develop versions for specific roles.

The Spitfires produced in 1945 were very different aircraft to those produced in 1939 and many later examples had dispensed with the Merlin engine.

 

[Dryce]

The Comet paid the heavy price of being a pioneer though,

Just a bit too early. The engine technology was changing as it was being developed (first Comets flew with cenrifigual turbojets).

And the lead time on development means you make decisions ahead of a changing market.

The Viscount perhaps sits as a more successful (in numbers) 'first' using turboprops. It's often overlooked now.

We also maybe forget that in the US there were aircraft that didn't manage to compete with the 707 such as the Convair 880 and 990 - so it wasn't simple US vs UK competition.

 

[D-18]

Ah ---the Blackburn Buccaneer- great aircraft after they souped it up with Rolls Royce Spey engines. First strike aircraft to feature the first operational HUD display for low level flight. Wings virtually solid from the engine nacelles outwards, not the prettiest aircraft , like many carrier jets they had a rep for being a very tough aircraft. A friend who was an naval aviator [ Sea Kings- he's partially deaf now natch] tells a story of a colleage who was a navigator on a Buccaneer who had [ how can I put this delicately] to be "assisted from the cockpit" after his plane on a low level training flight had flown through some 33,000 volt overhead power lines !

I was cycling along the Pass of Killiecrankie just prior to the start of the first Gulf war. Low flying restrictions had been temporarily removed to allow the RAF to get in some practice at proper low level prior to doing it for real. A Buccaneer streaked past (below) me in the gorge and scared the hell out of me. The noise of military jets is pretty loud when you are not expecting it! A great sight and sound.

 

[WDB124066]

MB Club field trip?

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[GeeJayW]

The Mach Loop is a great place to see low flying jets, if something turns up.

 

[Flyinspanner]

I may be a tad biased.... Concorde and the 747 are probably the aircraft I love most.... but the Spitfire is in a special class all of its own, and that sound is glorious, it can make me rush out in the garden when I only hear a faint thrum. (BoB pops into RAF Northolt, and they sometimes fly overhead )

 

[WDB124066]

And just in case you find something in the swamp or the lake after it has been drained for winter these guys will help you sort it.

Avspecs - Current Projects

Try also Warbirds over Wanaka if you like seeing them fly - next one 2020.

Warbirds Over Wanaka Int. Airshow - 30th Mar - 1st Apr 2018 » Warbirds Over Wanaka