Saw plenty of those and also the C-46! The prefilght procedure was very complicated for both aircraft.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVXpGYKH0SY
I have always had a dark sense of humor; and this is my favorite scene from Flight of the Phoenix: https://youtu.be/NEJtJu--hto?t=3
On a sombre note, here is a crash of a jet shortly after takeoff.
From 1 year ago today…
Yes, because they wanted to satisfy their Lobbyist of the MIC. The F-35 is over hyped.
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Impressive. My uncle actually was one of the lead developers of the F-111 terrain following radar. Used to get to see them do some crazy shit on the Melrose bombing range and down at the other end at White sands.
Teaching the pilots to let go and let the plane do the flying was the hardest part and a few of them early on killed themselves when they got scared and tried to takeover for the computers.
Imagine just how much more advanced they are today with modern high speed computing and avionics?.. .
It’s true. It’s also how they tested a lot of aircraft intended for carriers to see just how short a runway was required.
Those guys were nuts!
F 111 truly one of the greatest airplanes ever built.
I lived 20 miles from Cannon, about 75 From Reese and spent a hell of a lot of time at Melrose, Roswell, Capitan, and Alamogordo.
I couldn’t get away from them for 30 years. HA!
They used to get their kicks by going supersonic over a herd of antelope just to see how high the’d jump.
After I got out the first time I also drank tubs of beer with the Pilots in several bars.
Since we knew the base commander he even arranged a “ride” for me once when I was first getting interested in flying.
Never got to get a ride along with the T Bird’s or Blue Angels though which would have been a dream.
Amazing just how prolific they have been both in terms and versatile roles.
They ferried us around a whole lot!
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I have seen one of these Birds at Dayton, Ohio. If you think about it, they make good targets for both AA and SAM`s. I surmise only by sheer numbers would a nuclear strike be successful.
You realize their were 2 diferent models of the B-36 don’t you?
Both a prop and jet version.
There was also a variant with two outboard small jet assists for TO with the prop version.
Hell of a plane.
Yes I do. The actual footage I posted was from a camera used in the movie called “Strategic Air Command” starring Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson.
From what I understand is was nicked-named “The Peacemaker” and was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built, at 230 ft (70.1 m). The B-36 was the first bomber capable of delivering any of the nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal from inside its four bomb bays without aircraft modifications. With a range of 10,000 mi (16,000 km) and a maximum payload of 87,200 lb (39,600 kg), the B-36 was the world’s first manned bomber capable of intercontinental flight without refueling.
"Entering service in 1948, the B-36 was the primary nuclear weapons delivery vehicle of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) until it was replaced by the jet-powered Boeing B-52 Stratofortress from 1955. All but five examples were scrapped in the 1950’s.
The B-36 set the standard for range and payload for subsequent U.S. intercontinental bombers."
Just tossing it out there because i know of your interest and this is probably the most educational thread we’ve ever had here.
That was a great movie by the way. Stewart was actually an AAC and then AF reserve officer and pilot.