Fighter Jets both old and new - A picture thread...

F4F Wildcat

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/55/F4F-3_new_pitot_tube_of_later_model.jpg

I love the old-style AAC insignia.

Blohm und Voss wins the WWII WTF contest. Here's the BV-141. Yes the cockpit is on the wing

http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/database/aircraft/showimage.php?id=7108

OK what?

BV-142

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/images/bv142-2.jpg

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/Aircraft/Attack/Ov10From2oClock.jpg

OK what?

The idea was that the asymmetrical layout would give better visibility (and it did) and that the added drag on one side would be offset by the torque from the motor (it was). However the initial engine wasn't powerful enough and by the time a better engine was outfitted, the FW-189 was on the scene.

Here's a FW-189

http://www.afwing.com/combat/Normandie%20Nieman/fw189.jpg

F-107

http://www.globalaircraft.org/photos/planephotos/f-107_1.jpg

I see Ned was right!

The B58 is hands down the best-looking warplane the US has ever designed.

I used to have the Monogram 1/72 scale B36, I never did finish building & painting it, it was too big!

That Junkers 390 IIRC did a one-off test flight and got pretty close to the US coast. The other "Amerika-Bomber", the ME-264 was a sinister looking machine:

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/images/lrg0067.jpg

XP-67 Bat. Looked great, but not much of a performer

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/061024-F-1234P-031.jpg

Weird and fucked-up looking the old bv141 might have been, I'd still put the JU287 up at the top of the luftwaffe WTF league:

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/images/ju287-1.jpg

http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/images/021230.jpg

The Jets are gonna win...TONIGHT!

Vultee XP-54 "Swoose Goose" (yes, that was the official nickname)

http://www.personal.kent.edu/~ccarey/pages/images/p54-5.jpg

I think the idea was for a pusher-prop/canard airframe that could handle a pile of guns in the front.

Curtiss' version: The XP-55

http://www.daveswarbirds.com/usplanes/photos/xp-55_2.jpg

I'd still put the JU287 up at the top of the luftwaffe WTF league

Yeah, the only way to beat that is with the Luftwaffe's Antarctic Saucer Squadron or that Horten bomber that never made it off the drawing boards.

Sukhoi Su-100/T-4

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/SU-100_T4.JPG/800px-SU-100_T4.JPG

http://fotodj.com/wallpaper/images/B-17G%20Flying%20Fortress%20-%20Willow%20Run%202004.jpg

B-17

XF-85 Goblin. Designed to be carried inside a B-36

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/McDonnell_XF-85_Goblin_USAF.jpg/800px-McDonnell_XF-85_Goblin_USAF.jpg

Ha, luftwaffe saucer squadron, wthe rubbish you have to sift through in order to find the actual real Luftwaffe flying disc, the Sack AS6:

http://www.luft46.com/misc/as6-1.jpg
http://www.luft46.com/misc/as6-6.jpg

I don't think it actually got off the ground. Unlike the American equivalent:

http://home.cinci.rr.com/estople/weirdair/v-173.jpg!!!

Heinkel He-111Z "Zwilling" Two He-111s put together to tow gliders.

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/images/he111z-2.jpg

http://www.globalaircraft.org/photos/planephotos/x-15_3.jpg

x-15. not so much a plane as a manned missile.

Convair Sea Dart. Supersonic sea plane

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/performance/speed-record/sea-dart1.jpg

You used to be able to get a 1/72 model of that!

USAAF wtf equivalent of the JU287, the Cornelius XFG1:

http://www.aerofiles.com/corn-xfg1.jpg

What was that weird-looking delta-winged US navy carrier fighter from the '50's? Google is not helping.

Not the skyray

The Republic XF-84H "Thunderscreech"

Potentially the fastest propeller-driven plane, but quite possibly the loudest airplane ever built. On engine warm up, the propeller blades traveled at supersonic speed creating a complex spiral of rapidfire shock waves that were, er, detrimental to ground crews. Normal ear protection made no difference and an unprotected person even at a distance was subjected to a battery of shock waves that caused spasms, vomiting, and spontaneous bowel loosening.

The Edwards guys demanded that Republic test the plane on the opposite side of the lake bed and no USAF pilot ever flew it. Two were built, but only one flew (and that was for only ten hours.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/XF-84H.jpg/800px-XF-84H.jpg

woah

What was that weird-looking delta-winged US navy carrier fighter from the '50's? Google is not helping.

The F7U Cutlass?

http://avia.russian.ee/pictures/usa/chance_cutlass.jpg

The F7 "cutlass"!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b3/F7UCutlass.jpg/741px-F7UCutlass.jpg

Wikipedia is good for something....

I really like all these '50's and '60's planes, there's a real sense of anything-goes about the designs.

haha, xpost.

The Sea Dart makes me think of the EKRANOPLAN

http://www.intrepidearth.com/tour/07/01/24/images/antishipping.jpeg

Ye old PB-Y

http://www.uscg.mil/History/WEBAIRCRAFT/AC_PBY_V189overSanDiego_300.jpg

I really like all these '50's and '60's planes, there's a real sense of anything-goes about the designs.

I heart the little Korean War-era jets. There's such a great simplicity to them and the WWII-era dogfighting tactics when nothing was bogged down with missiles, anti-missile systems, etc. etc.

F9F Cougar

http://www.lemoore.navy.mil/vfa-146/Images/F9F-8.jpg

Mig-15

http://www.globalaircraft.org/photos/planephotos/mig-15_1.jpg

P-80

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/e/eb/250px-P80.600pix.jpg

Bell P-39. American pilots didn't really go for it (they didn't like the car-style doors, the mid-engine, and it's squirrelly behavior) so they gave them away cheap to the Soviet Air Force who loved it and used them with great effect as a tank buster.

http://www.globalaircraft.org/photos/planephotos/p-39_1.jpg

http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/imgs/a6.jpg

There was a film about these things starring Willem Dafoe. I was somewhat obssesed with it as an eight year old.

xpost-What is that? A De Havallend or sommat? Time to step it up with this bad boy:

Okay this thread took off (v bad pun. Sorry)

I love the Tunnan!

I've got a recording of a B-36 flyby - it's wonderful

YSI?

I see Ned was right!

Re. Elvis Telecom? OTM. Seriously Elvis, loving it!

I think that this is a pretty cool pic:

F18

http://www.grahamowen.com/images8/C-F18-sonic.jpg

LOLZ @ Accidental misfire:

http://www.grahamowen.com/images8/D-wrongbutton1-2.jpg

http://www.grahamowen.com/images8/D-wrongbutton2-2.jpg

Tu-22 Blinder. One of the first Soviet supersonic bombers, it was a pain to fly, maintain, and use operationally. The Soviet Union ended up selling them to Iraq and Libya.

http://www.enemyforces.com/aircraft/tu22_2.jpg

<img src="http://www.heritageflight.org/images/Aircraft%20Photos/A_10_burning_tank.jpg";>

NEED MOAR WARTHOGS

http://www.heritageflight.org/images/Aircraft%20Photos/A_10_burning_tank.jpg

NEED MOAR WARTHOGS

AGREED

http://jetpix.com/wingsoffreedom/A-10_800.jpg

The Jaguar

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20031207/spectrum/flight3.jpg

F5E (Swiss Airforce)

http://www.airshowaction.com/axalp/axalp159.jpg

I can just see the accidental misfire pilot being dressed down by a bald headed squadron captain. And then him buzzing the tower after his next successful mission.

Cheating a bit but the Bristol 'Fighter'

http://www.carpages.co.uk/bristol/bristol_images/bristol_fighter_t_08_11_06.jpg

To make up for it the F16

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:sQkK6WAzzlMWgM:http://www.usu.edu/afrotc/images/f16%2520loaded.jpg

Hope this is bigger:

http://www.usu.edu/afrotc/images/f16%20loaded.jpg

Blohm und Voss wins the WWII WTF contest. Here's the BV-141. Yes the cockpit is on the wing

http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/database/aircraft/showimage.php?id=7108

― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 6 September 2007 20:34 (1 year ago) Bookmark

Footage of the weird thing actually flying:

wow millenium falcon plane

Yeah, the Germans (Blohm und Voss in particular) worked on some really crazy asymmetrical designs during the war.

Personal faves:

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/6741/ta152h138wx.jpg
Focke-Wulf Ta 152H, WW2's premiere high-altitude fighter

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y6/akadaver/AIR_MiG_144_Display_Top_lg.jpg
MiG 1.44 flight test prototype from the now-abandoned MFI program

OK, I somehow seriously messed that one up.

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/6741/ta152h138wx.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y6/akadaver/AIR_MiG_144_Display_Top_lg.jpg