Aircraft Super Thread Mk.VII

[David Hingtgen]

I posted the pic I did, because a brief search didn't bring up any "true" configuration A-7F pics--with a fully-feathered nozzle. A longer search still doesn't bring up any. Was every single pic of the A-7F in that configuration scrubbed from the 'net? I may have to take a pic of a photo from a book...

::edit:: Finally--the OTHER A-7F:

[spanner]

that never happened did it? a A-7 with feathered engine nozzle!? that photo kinda looks photoshopped anyways! hehe!

[David Hingtgen]

It's not. Unless books from the 80's are full of shopped pics and false info...

Production A-7F's were to have F-16-style F100-220 engines, with full nozzles. But the protypes only got to fly like that a few times. Most of the time they still had "normal" A-7 rear fuselages.

A-7F's would have rocked.

[spanner]

it could be that im so not use to seeing a Corsair without a variable exhaust like that which makes it look strange.. but that photo still doesn't look quite right.

and you're right, there isn't a single photo of a A-7F with that exhaust on the net anywhere! Upon further investigation, as far as I can tell even if a Corsair was fitted with an F100 engine, it never got the nozzle.

In a way it kinda makes sense as those nozzles (for that size engines anyway) are usually only fitted to aircraft of much higher mach capability. I think the A-7F only able to do not much more than mach 1.2 so maybe the nozzle wasn't necessary?? probably didn't have an after burner perhaps?

of course im guessing out of my arse.. but it does seem to be the trend.

Edited October 14, 2016 by spanner

[Shadow]

I doubt the top speed of the A-7F was as important as the difference in acceleration it would have had over the A-7D and E.

Back in the early 90s, I lived outside Rickenbacker Airbase and there was a Guard unit of A-7s there. I remember always seeing them fly over the house as a kid. Kind of miss those birds.

And I agree, the A-6 was a good looking bird and carried a ridiculous bomb load to boot. Great in bad weather and night. Would have been interesting to see one with a modern loadout of SDBs and JDAMs.

[Vifam7]

it could be that im so not use to seeing a Corsair without a variable exhaust like that which makes it look strange.. but that photo still doesn't look quite right.

and you're right, there isn't a single photo of a A-7F with that exhaust on the net anywhere! Upon further investigation, as far as I can tell even if a Corsair was fitted with an F100 engine, it never got the nozzle.

In a way it kinda makes sense as those nozzles (for that size engines anyway) are usually only fitted to aircraft of much higher mach capability. I think the A-7F only able to do not much more than mach 1.2 so maybe the nozzle wasn't necessary?? probably didn't have an after burner perhaps?

of course im guessing out of my arse.. but it does seem to be the trend.

Looks like the nozzles were simply covered over for aerodynamics reasons?

I agree with David that the A-7F would have been awesome.

[F-ZeroOne]

A-7F still wouldn't have been chosen over the A-10 because as we know it didn't have a big enough gun, 3,000 rounds of ammunition, actually had avionics and was far, far too fast. If it also had RCS reduction features than that would have been the absolutely final nail in the coffin.

[Shadow]

Doubt the A-7F would have been in direct competition with the A-10. It would have been competing with the F-16 and Legacy Hornet.

[spanner]

Looks like the nozzles were simply covered over for aerodynamics reasons?

I agree with David that the A-7F would have been awesome.

oh! so they do have a variable exhaust nozzle! I never noticed or looked close enough at the business end of a Corsair.. it makes me wonder what the benefits of having the nozzle covered over at the end like that then?

[F-ZeroOne]

Doubt the A-7F would have been in direct competition with the A-10. It would have been competing with the F-16 and Legacy Hornet.

A previous poster wondered if A-10s would still have been in service if the A-7F had gone ahead; I took the opportunity to make an allusion to a certain other aircraft which has also been compared to the A-10 recently...

[David Hingtgen]

oh! so they do have a variable exhaust nozzle! I never noticed or looked close enough at the business end of a Corsair.. it makes me wonder what the benefits of having the nozzle covered over at the end like that then?

Only the A-7F does. All in-service versions are fixed.

I would like a perfectly end-on view of an A-7F like that. Regular A-7's don't even have what I would consider a nozzle--it's a pipe! But the fuselage itself is slightly oval. I wonder if the A-7F's was reprofiled to be circular, or if the movement of the petals is so relatively small that there are no clearance or heat issues.

Took this pic myself, because every model gets it wrong and so few people believe me:

Oval fuselage, round exhaust. (this is the A-7 at the Tico Warbird museum---highly recommended, as they have A-4/A-6/A-7/F-4/F-8/F-14/F-16/F-18/F-101/F-105, and are only like 1 mile from Kennedy Space Center)

[F-ZeroOne]

Hello, Sailor!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37725327

[F-ZeroOne]

Time for a pet peeve about the "Civilisation VI" introduction; as its only been released this morning (and I haven't even played it myself yet), and I know how super-sensitive spoilers can be, just as a precaution aircraft nerdiness follows behind spoiler tags:

In the intro, at about 01:45 in, theres a scene that appears to be set during "The Battle of Britain", where a Spitfire flies past the camera. And its the thing everyone gets wrong; its the wrong Mark of Spitfire because it has cannon barrels on the wings. Though there were a few cannon armed Spitfires used during the Battle, there were only about thirty of them, and the cannon didn't work very well at that stage so they were later replaced with machine-gun armed models.

Oh, and its always Spitfires too. Never Hurricanes...

Haven't checked to see if the in-cockpit view is correct though...

Edited October 21, 2016 by F-ZeroOne

[Knight26]

A-7s are probably the second loudest plane I have ever encountered. That round pipe and oval exhaust are a big reason for that. I would bet money at the A-7 would have been quieter. The loudest plane, frigging F-35. Everyone on EAFB new when that plane spun up, it was super loud, even louder than the C-17s on the ramp next to our building.

[NZEOD]

If you like jets and carriers, heres what REALLY goes on during a 7hr combat patrol...

Hello, Sailor!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37725327

Could it pump out any more position marking smoke? That's a shonky engine setup for a modern ship!

[NZEOD]

I posted the pic I did, because a brief search didn't bring up any "true" configuration A-7F pics--with a fully-feathered nozzle. A longer search still doesn't bring up any. Was every single pic of the A-7F in that configuration scrubbed from the 'net? I may have to take a pic of a photo from a book...

::edit:: Finally--the OTHER A-7F:

its photoshopped.

this is the same airframe

Full code 71-0344 - currently on display at the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards AFB, California

Edited October 21, 2016 by NZEOD

[ErikElvis]

Could it pump out any more position marking smoke? That's a shonky engine setup for a modern ship!

I know right. That's the first thing that I thought.

[spanner]

apologies in advance as im not sure if this has been posted in here previously but its still a very cool bit of footage!

[spanner]

various ww2 aircraft engine startups..

[spanner]

[spanner]

beautiful footage of a F-4 Phantom startup and take off!

[electric indigo]

Apparently, the new Tamiya 1/48 Tomcat kit comes with markings for the Iranian Air Force

[spanner]

Apparently, the new Tamiya 1/48 Tomcat kit comes with markings for the Iranian Air Force

that looks fantastic!

I'd love to have one on display in Iranian markings.

[NZEOD]

Amazing they are still flying 40 of them and have even upgraded them! Clever buggers!

[spanner]

Amazing they are still flying 40 of them and have even upgraded them! Clever buggers!

Its very cool than Iran still has them going but from my understanding.. of those claimed 40 or so that are still flying, not all are actually mission capable.. and of those which are will only become fewer and fewer before long.

[Shadow]

The F-14 is used more as an AWACS in the IRIAF from what I've read in the past. It's also uncertain if the AIM-54As Iran has have been refurbished and are still functional as extended storage wasn't kind to US inventory Phoenix's.

[miles316]

What is wrong with the nozzles on the F-14 model?

The F-14 is used more as an AWACS in the IRIAF from what I've read in the past. It's also uncertain if the AIM-54As Iran has have been refurbished and are still functional as extended storage wasn't kind to US inventory Phoenix's.

From what I understand the Iranians ran out of usable AIM-54s during the Iran/Iraq war, and supposedly Jerry-rigged Hawk missiles to launch from the F-14s.

[MechTech]

Due to time constraints, I usually stick to the modelling threads, but thought of you guys this weekend at the Patuxent River Naval Base Air Expo. The Decepticons are getting bolder! Same emblem on the nose too. Its a test and evaluation Osprey.

On a side note, if any of you guys needs specific photos of the following aircraft on display at the Patuxent Naval Air Museum where I volunteer, just PM me. They are not operational of course, so they're missing engines and the main components. This is a quick paste from Wikipedia (not mine).

NA-4M Skyhawk McDonnell Douglas

RA-5C Vigilante North American

NA-6E Intruder Grumman

NA-7A Corsair II Ling-Temco-Vought

F-4J Phantom II McDonnell Douglas

NF-6A(F4D) Skyray Douglas

F9F-8B Cougar Grumman

F-14A Tomcat Grumman

NF/A-18A Hornet McDonnell Douglas

E-2B Hawkeye Grumman

AH-1J Seacobra Bell

TH-1L Iroquois Bell

SH-2G Seasprite Kaman

CH-53A Sea Stallion Sikorsky

S-2D (S2F-3) Tracker Grumman

S-3B Viking Lockheed

T-34B Turbo Mentor Raytheon

T-39D Sabreliner North American Rockwell

X-32B JSF STOVL Demonstrator Boeing

X-35C JSF Carrier Demonstrator Lockheed Martin

Recent additions:

T-2 Buckeye

T-38 Talon

H-3 Sea King

MiG-21 Cockpit and nose section

Have a good day! - MT

Edited November 1, 2016 by MechTech

[mickyg]

MechTech, that's awesome!

Miles316: the Tomcat has two engines but when landing, only one is needed to maintain hydraulic pressure so the other is usually shut down. It's always only the same specific one, from what I can recall. I think it has to do with which systems that engine runs.

Anyway, with the other engine shut down, the nozzle "relaxes" if you will, and (I think) opens fully, while the other one stays puckered like you see.

Any twin engine jet probably does the same, it's just the earlier Tomcat engines, as depicted here in the Tamiya kit, have a much more extreme look to them when fully opened or fully closed. Check out Wikipedia for some general info on the Tomcat - it's a great read and might just get you hooked on the old 'cat.

The newer engined Tomcats have a much more silver nozzle and whilst they too exhibit this half open, half closed look on the ground, it's nowhere near as extreme to look at.

In other news, pre-ordered that kit from HLJ today!

Build the 2 Hasegawa kits that I've semi started or sell them along with all the extras and just build the Tamiya...?

Edited November 1, 2016 by mickyg

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

Paint job is looking better.

[Smiley424]

So a NASA WB57 has been hanging out on Guam the past couple weeks, chasing storms in the area. It's a modified B57 Bomber that NASA uses for high altitude atmospheric research. I was able to check out the aircraft up close, though no pictures. It's an impressive aircraft, the wings are huge as well as the engines. It came in so high up, at 60000 feet, where I've only seen RQ-4 Global Hawks fly. The pictures are from when they were doing some engine testing/maintenance, and they were spooling the engine. It also has a slow approach speed, between 120 - 150 kts on final. Took me be surprise and I had to bend out a following 737 so it wouldn't eat up the WB57 on final.

[F-ZeroOne]

I had to look up B-57; forgot it was the US version of the Canberra. For a moment I read it as "B-58", which would have been all kinds of even more awesome.

Edited November 2, 2016 by F-ZeroOne

[Knight26]

Sorry it's so low Res David, but at least it's both of them.

[spanner]

Im very curious to see how the Chinese stealth fighter compares to the US & Russian equivalents..

[Shadow]

To me, it comes off as more of an interceptor/anti-AWACS craft than a fighter. That's atleast what I'm wagering it was designed for. To aid in area-denial efforts, particularly to support aircraft. It's a Mig-31 with stealth features.

Edited November 3, 2016 by Shadow