The other day I was asked by Mrs Westie who my favourite Scottish comedian was. I replied that I didn't really have any favourites of anything (although, on reflection, I might choose Kevin Bridges), that "having favourites" was something someone in their teens or twenties might indulge in and no, not someone as mature and wise as I ......
Sccrreeeeechhhhhhh!!!! (sound of squealing brakes and tyres). Whoa! Wait! What was I saying? The truth is, I do have favourites - but in a geeky wargaming / military history kind of way. :-[
I am fascinated with the promotional videos released by defence firms or produced by YouTubers - cool machines, awesome action and often, cool music. Now and again, I find myself infatuated with a particular vehicle or aircraft. Focusing on aircraft only (I'll start another post on vehicles), I find I am currently in love with the Saab Gripen jet fighter. 8->
I don't fully know why (I'm sure I will get over it) but here is one of these videos.
Here is a link to another one I like .....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeizk30axdU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeizk30axdU)
So, what's everyone else's favourite military aircraft (and if you can explain, why)?
[remember, you have the whole of the history of flight to draw from]
Hard choice
Probably DH 2 or the Hurricane
=P~ =P~ =P~ =P~ =P~ =P~ =P~ =P~ =P~ =P~ =P~ =P~ =P~
And if we are talking about fighters or bombers (or both), i'll have to say the de havilland mosquito.
I'm afraid this says it all about me - the Leonardo da Vinci gyrocopter.
The F Mk6 BAC Lightening - what else is there ?
IanS
The Leonardo da Vinci gyrocopter.
Quote from: ianrs54 on 04 September 2016, 12:46:46 PM
The F Mk6 BAC Lightening - what else is there ?
My father worked on Lightnings. Very fond memories of the roar as they took off on an intercept.
I have a number of aircraft I am quite attached to ...
Sopwith Camel - probably because of the Biggles stories
Bolton Paul Defiant - because it was just so silly
Bv141 - asymmetric and ugly
Fairey Swordfish - I read somewhere that it was too slow for German AA to track. Probably wrong.
Bristol Beaufighter - "Whispering Death"
MiG 15 - So ugly and so deadly ... but only because of a British engine!
McDonnel Douglas Phantom - What can I say? - Child of the '70's
SAAB Drakken - I went through a very pro-Swedish period in the 1980s. My 1:300 S-tanks were supported by Drakkens.
Quote from: Westmarcher on 04 September 2016, 11:45:59 AM
The other day I was asked by Mrs Westie who my favourite Scottish comedian was.
The Big Yin, surely?
Oooh! I forgot the Spad A2, where the prop was between the pilot and the gunner.
(http://www.ajp-maquettes.com/aAJP%20-%20Collection%20grande%20guerre%20base/photos%20d%E9tails%20avions/photo%20SPAD%20A2/SPAD%20A2%20photo%203.jpg)
Any
The JU-87 Stuka dive bomber and the F-4 Phantom
But also I think I've mentioned this before:
(http://atomictoasters.com/wp-content/gallery/mccall/mccall-3.jpg?w=300)
Also second Leman's choice
The Lightning
The JU87 "Kanonenvogel" - because strapping a pair of antitank guns onto a Stuka is simultaneously bonkers and brilliant.
(http://www.donhollway.com/hans-ulrichrudel/waistuka.jpg)
Quote from: Ithoriel on 04 September 2016, 06:03:36 PM
The JU87 "Kanonenvogel" - because strapping a pair of antitank guns onto a Stuka is simultaneously bonkers and brilliant.
Probably worked better then dive breaks!
Only one built and it didn't see any action. The magnificent Martin Baker MB5
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin-Baker_MB_5#/media/File:Martin-Baker_M.B.5_prototype.jpg)
Quote from: Ithoriel on 04 September 2016, 06:03:36 PM
The JU87 "Kanonenvogel" - because strapping a pair of antitank guns onto a Stuka is simultaneously bonkers and brilliant.
We can do better!!!
me 410 a1/u4 armed with 50mm anti tank gun!
(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs5KF1HtrfINO5IDP7vghDpNIWGIpc8XuOQAaLWsRdpRn_T7sywg)
(http://www.luftarchiv.de/bordgerate/bk5_on_flight.jpg)
(http://www.deutscheluftwaffe.de/archiv/Dokumente/ABC/m/MK%20214/Bilder/005.jpg)
Quote from: Ithoriel on 04 September 2016, 06:03:36 PM
The JU87 "Kanonenvogel" - because strapping a pair of antitank guns onto a Stuka is simultaneously bonkers and brilliant.
(http://www.donhollway.com/hans-ulrichrudel/waistuka.jpg)
Some 'bonkerousness' will now follow .... (skip to to minute 7 if you don't wish to watch the full 19 minutes) ... :)
Hercules Transport
Or
Short Sunderland Flying Boat
SPAD XIII - real beauty, that one.
Quote from: RoyWilliamson on 05 September 2016, 01:28:51 PM
Hercules Transport
Ryan Air for the RAF - never on time and delivers you to a destination somewhere remotely within 300 miles of civilisation
(https://theaviationist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/F-117.jpg)
This thing.
Cheers - Phil
Yes. Good plane (in fact, there are a lot of great planes mentioned above). Used to play F-117 Stealth Fighter on my old Commodore Amiga. Lots of tense missions and exciting incidents deep in 'enemy territory' plus learned a lot from the nifty Manual supplied with the game on doppler and pulse radars, guided weapon systems and even some dogfighting. The real plane has now been retired. It has also been said that some RAF pilots flew them .... James Bond stuff, indeed.
Quote from: RoyWilliamson on 05 September 2016, 01:28:51 PM
Short Sunderland Flying Boat
Quote from: fsn on 05 September 2016, 05:29:58 PM
Oh yes, Sir! Excellent choice.
Thirded
My son recently made up a large scale Sunderland model tied to its buoy as a presentation to a fellow volunteer guide at the Air Force Museum.
He had worked on them during the war and the presentation marked his 90
th birthday
He is pretty active for 90, he had let his pilot license lapse but decided he wanted to fly again so relearned and soloed on his birthday :o =D> =D> =D>
I like the Sunderland. I painted up a H&R 1/300 model.
(http://www.slugbalancer.co.uk/gallery/6mm_air/hr/Thumb_HR_Sunderland.jpg)
Nice Flying Porcupine, slugbalancer!
Hurricane...with Harrier very close second.
Nice sunderland!!
Russian Sturmovik 2
German FW 190
British - Mosquito
Two pages and NO ONE has mentioned the TSR.2?!
(http://www.sitopromo.it/public/554/upload/image/TSR-2%20219%20transit%20flight%20lo.jpg)
Like the Lightnings sexier cousin. Although I do like the Lightning. Must have been like riding a rocket!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAC_TSR-2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAC_TSR-2)
Go to Cosford if you want to one in the, errr, flesh. She's lovely up close.
No Lightening - so ugly it's beautiful, and with an exhaust flame longer that the airframe on a burner QRA.
IanS
Has to be the Vulcan. Watched one lazily fly over my back garden at not very much height a couple years ago. Friggin' awesome.
Also second Cosford to see some great cold war kit - also it's free entry, and they have a centurion :D
Fieseler Storch at Cosford also, I seem to recall. Having seen it featured in the odd Commando comic, it was quite exciting to see it for real (I know .... I'm a geek :-B )
The Vulcan is awesome, too. Basically any early to mid Cold War UK aircraft are awesome :D
Except the Javelin - completely out of proportion, and effectively never finished. Ugly beast.
IanS
Out of proportion, yeah, barely ever actually finished, considerably incapable of its role and outclassed by only marginally newer aircraft, but ugly? I dunno, I rather like the Thunderbirds look!
The Vulcan is certainly my favourite aircraft to LISTEN to... The Vulcan Howl is unique as far as I've heard.
Wulf
.... and so we get back to the Gripen! :D How's this for a great sound?
Sounds like a jet powered kazoo :D
But you can hear the Lightening from inside an airbourne Wessex, and Wessi are effing noisy.
IanS
Quote from: toxicpixie on 06 September 2016, 03:51:08 PM
Sounds like a jet powered kazoo :D
;D Naw! This is a kazoo ....
https://youtu.be/H_ARSE8jEHQ
Just okay it LOUD!
The Lightning is loud enough you could probably hear it in a helicopter from another county, never mind Wessex :D
I remember an old TV show where various military pilots got to fly one another's aircraft types. A Harrier pilot was in a 2-seat Lightning. It took off, pointed the nose into the air and the commentry said "And now he experiences a different form of vertical takeoff..."
I also remember a fast flypast at RAF Leuchars. Commentry: "That was a fast flypast at Mach 0.97. I know it was Mach 0.97, because that's the fastest he's allowed to fly..."
My favourite of the V Bombers was the Victor, classic 1950's design, looks like it came straight off the pages of the Eagle comic.
Vulcan, every time.
A1E Skyraider. It had a two hour loiter time on target. Your best friend in viet nam.
I have a few.
WW2:
Spitfire
Mosquito
Ju 52
Post War:
VULCAN :D :D :D :D
Harrier
F4 Phantom
C5 Galaxy................mainly because size does matter ;D ;D ;D
Comment at Fairford many years ago - "In the event of foul weather the Moroccan air force will perform inside the C5" - they were flying small prop aerobatic machines.
IanS
A10 - warthog
F4 Phantom in SE Asia livery of USN, white/grey, and Bristol Fighter as a neighbour when I was a kid had been an Ace in WW1
Anything with Muttley on board!
(http://v013o.popscreen.com/YVNjTVhIT0dYVjAx_o_hanna-barbera---dastardly-and-muttley-in-their-flying-.jpg)
Quote from: RoyWilliamson on 22 October 2016, 02:25:32 PM
Anything with Muttley on board!
(http://v013o.popscreen.com/YVNjTVhIT0dYVjAx_o_hanna-barbera---dastardly-and-muttley-in-their-flying-.jpg)
It'll NEVER fly.....
It is also very hard not to like the many aircraft of Hayao Miyazaki
(http://otakuhouse.com/images/2014/03/Zero-Fighter-Plane.jpg)
The Goblin, a parasite fighter designed to be carried in a B36 bomber.
(http://pop.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/05/54cb28075aa0c_-_bizarre-aircraft-12-0114-de.jpg)
Explanation?
The B36 was a long range bomber. The Goblin was designed to fit in the B36 and offer fighter support. It was swung out and in on a descending arm.
The project was killed off basically by in-flight refuelling of conventional aircraft, but they did manage to launch and retrieve aircraft from a B36.
Those were the days when science meant science.
No WW I fans? When it was Biggles and Algy and Snoopy, not all this quadratic equations and afterburners?
I think I've already tipped my hat into the ring with The Camel (mostly 'cos of Biggles), but the SE5a was a better 'plane.
I'm also enamoured of the big WWI bombers like the Gotha and the O400.
I'm rather fond of the Russian "Ilya Muromets" WW1 heavy bomber. It's such a delightfully inelegant craft.
(http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/uploads/monthly_08_2014/post-822-0-96842100-1407070053.jpg)
For WWI I'd go with the SE5A, and Brisfit.
IanS