The Planespotting/General AV Geek Thread

[FlyboyAl]

Spits, Lightning and a RAAF marked Fury

 

[FlyboyAl]

And then we had the jets, including a dogfight between the Mig and the Sabre. Being an American show, guess who won!!!

 

[FlyboyAl]

 

[FlyboyAl]

A few more of the Fury.

 

[FlyboyAl]

and the last lot for today.

 

[harvyk]

Just spotted a very special plane here in AKL

 

[Boca68]

Just spotted a very special plane here in AKL

View attachment 69042

They got it repaired!

Needed a new engine after a truck (or something?) crashed into it on the tarmac at SCL.

At least, I think it was SCL?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

FlyBoyAl is the GeeBee still floating around? Saw it at the Reno Air Races in Sep 1994.

What was the shindig at Cino about?

 

[JohnM]

Top stuff!

 

[kelvedon]

Amazing photos. Thanks very much for posting them.

 

[FlyboyAl]

FlyBoyAl is the GeeBee still floating around? Saw it at the Reno Air Races in Sep 1994.

What was the shindig at Cino about?

It certainly wasn't here at Chino. All warbirds here - more than you can poke a stick at! Today there were 26 aircraft including 5 Kittyhawks, 16 Mustangs, 2 Spits, a Thunderbolt, Airacobra, FW190 and heaps of others all in the air at the same time. Then they added a B25 and 2 C47's. It actually got hard to keep up with them all!!!
The airshow here is The Plans of Fame Airshow. They have a fantastic museum and even better restoration facilities. One of the Zero's flying over the last 3 days was only finished a week or so ago and is the only original Zero flying with an original japanese Nakajima engine.
Today, I met Steve Hinton (Jnr) who fly's a Yak 9 and various others, while his father, Steve Hinton, was flying the F86 Sabre. Young Steve is a genuine gentleman and a please to talk to about anything to do with aviation.
If you like old wartime avaiation, the museum is at Chino, about 90 mins north east of Los Angeles, and I can heartily recommend it.
And as for the airshow, there aren't any words for being there!!!!!

 

[UP4014]

A shot from yesterday in Sydney with the smoke haze approaching.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/15264656@N02/26792302591/in/photostream/

 

[FlyboyAl]

Here is one from last Friday flying out of Las Vegas on an AA A319, with a reasonably clean window!

 

[FlyboyAl]

Unusual winglets on an Alaskan 737.

 

[juddles]

Unusual winglets on an Alaskan 737.
View attachment 75480

They are called "split scimitar" winglets, and the lower "blade" is IIRC a post-manufacture mod?

 

[UP4014]

The other week in Johannesburg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/15264656@N02/27454402203/in/dateposted/

 

[TomVexille]

They are called "split scimitar" winglets, and the lower "blade" is IIRC a post-manufacture mod?

Correct. They are manufactured by Aviation Partners based in Seattle. IIRC it's a whole new wingtip device from their earlier "blended winglet" as you'll notice the taper on the top end as well.

 

[juddles]

Correct. They are manufactured by Aviation Partners based in Seattle. IIRC it's a whole new wingtip device from their earlier "blended winglet" as you'll notice the taper on the top end as well.

Who know's if they save money, but they look pretty sophisticated!! I just cannot understand why they have to be an after-production mod? surely if they are positive they would be incorporated into the original design? Or are they now?

 

[TomVexille]

Who know's if they save money, but they look pretty sophisticated!! I just cannot understand why they have to be an after-production mod? surely if they are positive they would be incorporated into the original design? Or are they now?

Aviation Partners do have a joint venture with Boeing to develop and build wingtip devices. I think that they would be offered by Boeing on any new build frames, but they can also be bought off the shelf and retrofitted to existing frames.

The Split Scimitars are heavier then the older models, so I think the weight penalty is worth the fuel savings if the average stage length is over a certain distance. I'd have to look up the numbers again.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Saw this AWAC on finals for Hickam AFB HNL while we were at the Eat the Street markets at Ewa Beach on Sat 23 July.

It was an absolute screamer as I don't think the concept of hushkitting is in the AWAC's DNA.

The engines look so tiny compared to those on the 787's.