David Hingtgen

Yeah, that's an F-15. At least, 90% F-15-esque. Definitely NOT a MiG-29 in the slightest way, other than being a twin-engine fighter jet.

Give me a camera and unrestricted access to a plane, and you can be sure of unusual angles showing lots of "secrets" of a plane's design.

3 rights, not 2.

Partly, but they're still there and let a lot of air through. You'll see the entrance is hidden by the splitter plate, which is why it's very hard to see from the sides (and even below). But when the plane's flying straight---the air goes right through. My own pic:

B-2 so doesn't count as a delta for most things. Anyways---the LEXs on an F-18 etc don't even "start to work" until very high alpha, while a delta is generating drag all the time in even moderate turns/alpha. (that's part of the reason for the big slots cut in a Hornet's LEXs---to allow air to flow through under most conditions, bypassing the LEX and reducing drag) And the vortices from a LEX/strake are "stabilizing" vortices, usually to reinforce the flow along the tail to maintain control----not to generate lift like a delta wing LE does. Even airliners have vortex generators and strakes, not for high alpha nor lift-generation, but to make little "reinforcements" to the flow at certain points.

Just went out to get the mail, and it seems to be the start of an ice storm. Odds seem good for thundersnow.

Delta wings always have extreme taper and sweep--that reduces their max lift coefficient. Also, at higher alpha they start generating/relying on vortex lift, which increases induced drag (so now you've got both raw skin drag and induced drag to deal with). They simply produce less lift and more drag overall--they NEED to have a huge area to compensate. Except when flying "flat and fast"----0.5 degrees AOA at M2.0 at 50,000ft. (like a Concorde--does very well because it spends 90% of its time doing that---but fighters don't, they "live" at 30,000ft at M0.9) Delta=speed. It sucks for everything else. Canards are a band-aid for the delta's problems IMHO.

Bumping. Also, found this and don't think I've seen it before: http://risachantag.deviantart.com/art/Comm...-Girl-113515445

Could someone summarize this "darker ending" so I don't have to rifle through hours of podcast?

Coolest looking plane (and it's stealthy): YF-23 Retractable canards---why does everywhere act like this is new? The Tu-144 did it years ago. And the Tu-144's *canards* had double-slotted flaps and slats. They really were little wings.

How is a blue mask KKK? Now if it was a pointy white hat...

On a more light-hearted note, I found and bought these today:

Everything I've read says M1.6 top speed, though one place said "1.8 unofficially". That's Super Hornet slow or worse.

Annoyed at myself for not thinking of that----missiles generally do derive their top speed depending on their launch speed. An ARM launched in supercruise will be pretty fast regardless then. Ok, so what will the slow-as-hell F-35 do?

HARM on main pylon would be fine, HARM has its own launcher which mounts to any pylon. (LAU-88) HARM's way too big for internal anyways. I'm surprised they're even considering a bay-carried ARM for the F-22/35. AMRs have always been inherently large missiles, wonder if the range/speed would be cut severely by making one bay-sized. Interesting note in that earlier article about the bay weapon options for the F-15SE: "The top bay includes a rail launcher suitable for an AIM-9, AIM-120, a single 500-lb. Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) or two Small-Diameter Bombs. The bottom bay could dispatch these or a 1,000-lb. JDAM" Means you could put 6 bombs of various sizes internally----almost a steath-CAS plane.

I'm waiting for a "Grace green" one anyways, so that won't be a problem for me.

Yeah, I've read nothing but bad reports of trying to thermoform standard clear styrene. It may be an option, but I figure it'd just be a waste of money. Anyone know anything about acrylics? I've heard those do decently, possibly buy small sheets at a home improvement store. (I'm not looking for a complex shape, just a super-simple curve in a square sheet---it just has to be the exact right shape and size, and there's nothing I can find that's already the right curvature to cut down to size) Basically making a half-pipe/half-tube. About the size/curvature of a 2-liter bottle, but a bit bigger. If I could find a 3-liter bottle around here, that might be perfect.

Erm, wasn't it Daniel, not David?

Squadron's Thermaform™ is only 8x5 inches, I need a bit bigger than that (at least 6 inches wide). But every online search I get is only for thick industrial thermoform etc, that pretty much require an oven/autoclave. I just need a bigger sheet of what squadron sells--surely someone makes/sells that. (And a bit thicker would be nice too)

Awesome.

The problem is that the only weathering is the sprayed major panel lines. Real planes have the majority of their weathering "streaked from the airflow". Airliners are generally considered amongst the 'cleanest' planes, but it's still obvious that panel lines have nothing on "streaked leaks": Somehow, that VF-1 looks "crisply and cleanly weathered". Almost like it burned at all the panel lines. Previous Yamato weathered valks looked better IMHO. First rule of weathering a plane: "front to back". Unless it's old and spends more time sitting and leaking than flying. Then it's top to bottom.

DA---let us know if your replacement hinge has a smaller-diameter pin in it. PS--do you need to take pics? I thought about it, but there's nowhere to attach them on Overdrive's "Macross parts request form".

I remember one member getting replacements that were cracked when they arrived.

What'd you see? I'd go have another look but I can't remember which ep, and don't want to go through a dozen to find it.

Yup. I'm wondering if I should wait a while before asking for a replacement from Overdrive, so I can hopefully get a "new smaller pin" shoulder. No point replacing it with the original design.