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Here's some videos: The Wonder Jet - 1950 Story Behind the Whittle Engine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKxsfE5Na8A Really interesting and pretty entertaining to watch seeing how the 'advances' in 1950 turned out. I went to A&P school a few years back. We got to run an old radial engine. I messed up the timing and made it backfire (technically an afterfire) pretty spectacularly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-SklRbt9bs We also got a jet engine running that was as old as that first video which was the highlight of the program for me. We also had a pt6 test stand that was fun, but not as cool. Only 3 of us got to run this old thing why the rest of the class used the pt6. It ran on avgas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlmIe6H3NMk It was a really fun program. A classmate was a retired dairy farmer with a huge passion for flying. He was building an RV-8 in his basement. It took the whole 2 years we were in school and I got to help him on most of it. On my first ride in it I also got to perform my first aerobatics, if you'll call it that, by doing a couple aileron rolls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgGk5i3ml8Q
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Mar 28, 2011 19:26
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I work for the big B. Outside my office I just got to see this gorgeous machine take off heading from KRNT to KRNO. (not my photo, from here:) http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingaxel/5457848679/sizes/l/in/photostream/ A few days ago it was doing an engine run pretty much next to my car as I was leaving work. It was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. The funny thing is weather is pretty poor here (2SM -RA BR BKN025 OVC030) and one of our brand new 737 didn't depart because of it, but this WWII A/B-26 just did.
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Apr 1, 2011 19:59
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Mr.Peabody posted:That weather is actually nice for a 737, so maybe it was the airport they wanted to land at? Most people who fly vintage aircraft don't give a poo poo, but legally that B-25 would need some kind of modern nav aid to fly with 2SM visibility. The 737 didn't go because it was Boeing test flight. I'll try to find out what the limits are to see if was departure or arrival related. Flightaware at the time showed the A-26 going IFR to Reno(http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7079G). I found this video of it leaving KPAE. Kind of cool seeing the 787s in the background as this 70 yr old plane leaves. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOdNkaQEco0
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Apr 5, 2011 15:39
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I haven't watched that Nova documentary yet, but my manager was talking about it the other day. He said their weather radar showed bad weather, but they thought it was ok behind it only to encounter more severe weather or something like that. As in a lot of crashes, it seems to be a perfect combination of all the wrong things to happen all at once. Side note, I used to do contract maintenance on Virgin America's A320/319s. Last fall they'd bought a whole bunch from some airline in the Middle East. One was departing after being in service some time and the pilots noticed faults in the airspeed. The mechanics worked on it for some time and when they opened up the pitot system they found sand all throughout it. It took some time to get new parts and all those planes went under heavy scrutinizing.
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Apr 7, 2011 15:22
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Psionic Sasquatch posted:That's pretty nuts. What type of AMT are you? I do contract maintenance as well, mostly on A319/320s I'm a A&P in the States. Worked for Panasonic Avionics maintaining IFE systems for a few years. I'm with Boeing now working on 737 weight and balance stuff. I need to dig up the pictures (poor quality from my phone) of the Aluminum Overcast B-17. When in A&P school it came to our field on it's tour. We were invited to come check it out. I wore out my VHS tape of Memphis Belle as a kid and got to tour the inside at Oshkosh, but this time we had free reign to explore it. The trade off was we had to clean it. The cleaning solution was "wing solvent" which meant getting a bucket of avgas out of the sump drain and a rag. I washed down the flaps and the aft fuselage. We weren't alowed in the ball turret, but got to crawl every where else. I also have an information manual for the B-25 that my grandpa got in WWII. In '45 he was a tail gunner in training but the war ended before finishing up. I have his bomber wings attached to my headset flight bag. A quick story, he had two buddies, one named Glen, the other Dale, but they were in a different crew. They had big plans when back home to get a DC-3 or something and fly produce from WA State to Alaska. Sadly, the two friends were killed in a training crash. My grandpa named one of his sons Glendal in their honor. I wonder in some alt-universe how that would have turned out. He pursued his pilot license in the 50s in a Piper Cub, but never finished. On his first solo he ran out of fuel, landed in a farm field with barely any room, got fuel from the farmer, and had to get rolling one direction, make a u-turn, then take off to get out. Nothing else came from the pilot stuff. I guess that's where I got my love for it hearing the stories and seeing pictures when young. I have his log book, too, which is pretty neat.
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Apr 11, 2011 17:10
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san_dingo posted:Nope, this was at Felts Field in Spokane, WA. They're taking people up in the B-17 tomorrow, but I didn't have $485.00 sitting around. I have almost those same pictures! I went to A&P school there at Felts. She came in and the crew asked our class to come check it out in exchange for washing it down. I cleaned the flaps and aft right fuselage. I met some of the guys who do the Stearman restorations, too. A classmate has a hanger on the East end he built a RV-8 I helped with so we got to know a few folks there at that field.
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Jun 6, 2011 16:37
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a few more pictures here: http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/2011/06/photo-of-note-a380s-too-close.html
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Jun 21, 2011 17:36
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BonzoESC posted:Trip report: MD-90s are quite quiet up front. The only time I ever got airsick was a 2+ hour flight last row, middle seat in the Spring going to KLAS. Them are torture seats I tell ya!
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Jul 19, 2011 18:33
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How is the C-5 advantageous over something like a 747-400? Just curious why a 747 isn't reworked for military ops like the P-8/737-800 is as it seems cheaper than developing a whole new airframe (like the 707/kc-135 and 767 tanker in the works). The C-5 is sure neat, though. I was amazed when I got to go in one at an airshow as a kid. I know some of the capabilities of the c-17 regarding it's landing/short take off stuff wouldn't be found on any commercial airframes.
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Jul 21, 2011 15:36
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F-35C test catapult launch: http://youtu.be/NkNZfu3EdvA Progress?
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Jul 28, 2011 21:12
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Those are inbound to where I work! Sometimes they show up with holes in them presumably from shotguns which seems funny to me.
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Aug 15, 2011 21:33
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Yeah, pretty common actually. Today we couldn't do our job because an engine cowl was damaged during painting. There was a fuselage that went through a pretty bad hailstorm/tornado awhile back and it will be in tip top shape again. I think it is for a KLM plane, actually.
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Aug 15, 2011 22:18
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Here's a SU-35S doing some nifty flying: http://youtu.be/ZRV-c4s5vMo 1:49 is amazing.
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Aug 22, 2011 15:27
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Alaska Airlines had a few -200 combis until about 5 years ago. They were cargo planes that could carry cargo containers or pallets with seats. You could have up to 6 containers, full seats, or a combination of both. They were interesting to load. http://www.airliners.net/photo/Alaska-Airlines/Boeing-737-210C-Adv/0104386/L/&sid=b1ed2bf9ddb6eff8639279f84de86908  The tube thing on the front-bottom of the engine and the thing behind the nose wheel are anti-FOD equipment. The engine tubes blast air to push dirt and rocks out of the intake path and the nose wheel attachment abates stuff from getting kicked up by the wheel since it often was operated on dirt and low quality runways. I loaded horses in one once which was a really crazy experience. edit: just found this: http://www.tomsnome.com/akjets.html AzureSkys fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Aug 25, 2011 |
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Aug 25, 2011 19:04
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Previa_fun posted:Thank you for this photo. I read a description of a similar device years ago in a book about gas turbine engines and never really could visualize it and never saw one as far as I knew. http://www.b737.org.uk/737original.htm#737-200%20Convertible quote:This was an option available for the 737-200 from Feb 1969 and included:
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Aug 25, 2011 19:16
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Wish I could take pictures for you guys. I was on this one a few days ago: India's own P8. It'll be interesting to see where the new 737 MAX will be built. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_kKD6g53AA
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Sep 1, 2011 15:27
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When I was a kid I wanted a PBY to convert into a Mobile Home of sorts. It would be the best ever since you go by air, sea or land (on land). If ever I am a super millionaire it's what I will do. i need to dig up some pics I took of the one in Eastern Washington that's a fire bomber now. I got to change it's spark plugs once. I lived next to Lake Union for a while and never got sick of watching the float planes land. I had a great view from my desk. I'm a total plane nerd, though, and have to stop to look at every one I hear.
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Sep 1, 2011 21:30
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That's so sad. My sister and her husband were good friends with Brad Morehouse who crashed his L-39 back in '07. On the selfish side, I was going to get a ride with him later that year after the races were through which would have been a dream come true. His wife kept saying although it's super tragic, he at least was doing exactly what he loved. However, in this case where spectators are involved, it's even more tragic.
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Sep 17, 2011 03:13
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The APU is a small turbine engine run on the ground to provide electricity and bleed air to air conditioning/heaters and to start the engines. If it's in-op, power and air can come from ground units. Once the engines start, they provide those things and the APU is shut off. It's not essential for flight so a plane can get around with out it with proper ground support. If wanting more detail, the bleed air goes into the engine to give it air to start with and get things turning. A whole lot of air is needed so without an APU or Air Truck it would be like starting your car with a plug over the air intake. AzureSkys fucked around with this message at 22:06 on Sep 22, 2011 |
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Sep 22, 2011 22:04
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:
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Nov 17, 2011 17:11
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I worked for a few years doing IFE service/repairs. Only got shocked once, but man, were some of those systems a pain. Most notably, the genius who thought to install components that frequently need replacement under the floor boards requiring an hour of work for a 5 minute remove and replace job deserves a night spent changing a whole bunch of them. He also deserves to grab the wrong LOPA and pull up the wrong floorboard whilst breaking a screwdriver bit on a stripped special Airbus screw followed by angry flight attendants/gate agents unhappy that a few rows will not work for the day. What was really crazy was the old systems that use Windows 3.0 with a little mix of Linux on a token ring network. Summer time was fun, too, due to the heat issues mentioned above and a system left on for hours with all the A/C doors closed.
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Nov 28, 2011 19:21
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Cygni posted:Virgin America's got sat TV in every seat, plus games, radio, chat, all that... for free. Check in is a breeze, planes are clean and nice. AND it's cheap? Seriously, best airline in the US as far as I'm concerned. I was referring to them in my previous post but didn't want to name names. Most of those channels live Sat TV, but some are pre-loaded. One thing I thought surprising was the premium TV content they had. Shows like Hung and Dexter were available whole, no editing. There's a little disclaimer saying to be aware of your surroundings and content, but still weird to see those available in a public place. They're clean and nice at a price, too. One of the ground crew leads I was friends with got severely yelled at because a fingerprint was found on seat belt latch. They spent hours cleaning one VRD plane. Guess it's better than Air Tran, though, where mice were frequently seen. For aviation nerds and IFE, this lady has a nice blog about the latest and greatest: http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/runway-girl/
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Nov 29, 2011 19:24
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Just weighed the 7000th 737 which is getting delivered to Air Dubai. Similarly, if not heard yet there's a tentative agreement for the 737 MAX to remain and be built in Renton. It's a complicated matter, though, so who knows.
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Dec 1, 2011 21:33
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I talked to a United mechanic who was called down to Hawaii after Flight 811's explosive decompression to help inspect the plane and engines. While looking through the engine that ingested stuff, organic materials were found, meaning one or some of the ejected passengers went into it. They decided to just scrap it instead of rebuilding.
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Dec 5, 2011 15:17
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Here's a video with a little more to look at than the previous stills http://youtu.be/vorWHmk38yE
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Dec 9, 2011 16:47
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niggerstink420 posted:In at least three incidents in the last two weeks, pilots of the $143 million-a-pop stealth F-22 Raptors at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson reported the "hypoxia-like" symptoms, leading the base to ground their F-22s for a day for "review," Air Force spokesperson Lt. Col. Regina Winchester told ABC News. I'd like to think that the Raptor is actually becoming self-aware and beginning the steps for machines to overtake mankind for our Terminator/Matrix future my 80s childhood wanted me to look forward to.
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Feb 29, 2012 15:40
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Now you can own a ME-163! http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=276309655 quote:Mon, Mar 12, 2012 
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Mar 16, 2012 18:13
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It seems helicopters have been meeting the ground faster than usual lately: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX2NhYstv3c&feature=player_embedded http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/as-the-croft-flies/2012/03/corvette-gets-the-best-of-huey-cobra-in-top-gear-stunt.html quote:"The pilot stated that the next filming sequence, when the accident occurred, was to consist of a racing sequence with a Corvette," the NTSB says. "At 1205, they began a practice run/filming sequence that terminated at the start/finish line. The pilot initiated a right 150 to 180 degree turn reaching about 200 feet above the ground."
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Mar 26, 2012 18:16
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Understeer posted:What's the opposite of Aeronautical Insanity, Aeronautical Mundane? I'm posting some pictures of my work, an airliner production facility. That was really cool info, thanks man. I work for the big B at the 737 factory. It's interesting to see how similar but different things are. I'm involved mostly in weight engineering stuff (balancing control surfaced, weighing, weight and balance for production flights). Do you know where in the process they usually weigh the planes? We typically do so just after they're painted in the paint hanger which gets interesting sometimes. I've ruined, I mean customized lots of my clothes with wet aircraft paint. I see CFM reps driving around frequently so I imagine they do something similar to you.
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May 10, 2012 01:15
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When I was a kid I saw the Wings show about the Cobra. It said something about it being only 3 feet wide and therefore hard to spot when head on. So I promptly got out the model I had of it, put it in the trees, and had my little brother try to find it. We then made a game out of taking turns setting it on various branches and seeing if the other could see it. I miss being a kid, watching Wings, and making models.
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May 16, 2012 14:47
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Preoptopus posted:I see how paint weight can affect fuel economy but never thought it would be drastic enough to determine the paint job! I love learning fun facts like this. A typical 737 takes about 250 lbs of paint. The rudder usually has to be rebalanced due the weight change depending on the livery. You'll notice that all other control surfaces are the standard gray color to avoid this.
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May 22, 2012 14:53
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SeaTac to be more precise.  Past the South Terminal just West of the Alaska Maintenance hanger. Iceland sits there every night and has it's maintenance checks done by Delta mechanics.
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May 25, 2012 14:07
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iyaayas01 posted:Cool, didn't realize Icelandair had a daily flight there.
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May 25, 2012 15:57
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There's some P-51-Like kit planes out there. I saw a few at the local airfield once. They're a bit small, though, and therefore smaller in performance. http://www.thundermustang.com/ http://www.titanaircraft.com/t-51d.php http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/kitspages/mustang.php
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Jul 11, 2012 15:27
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Speaking of Boeing contractors, my brother was recently interviewed to work for Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind. They have a machine shop setup that is usable by those who are blind and/or deaf to make A/C parts. He's been unable to get work for many years due to his disability and related issues so this has been a big inspiration for him. They're a pretty impressive organization and I hope they get more attention for the positive effort they've done for many people who've struggled (and are often shunned) in modern society. He's really excited to participate in something that makes airplane parts, especially as someone who is blind. Machining Capabilities - The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. http://youtu.be/WdGtXZ26QBs Programs, Products, and Services — The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. http://youtu.be/f-mlD9wPYc8 http://seattlelighthouse.org/
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Nov 1, 2012 18:33
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I wonder if it's anything similar to this: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=185_1352686353
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Nov 16, 2012 20:39
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Phanatic posted:Not looking good for the Spitfire search: So much sadness in those two points. Wonder how much it is to fix that Mustang engine after the prop strike.
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Jan 25, 2013 16:07
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There are a few more pictures here: http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2013/02/irans-new-qaher-313-stealth-fi.html I can't rehost them at the moment.
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Feb 4, 2013 15:57
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I work at the Renton plant and it's always fun taking new people into the factory Not many see buildings like these. I'd like to see their eyes when going to the Everett factory for the first time. Regarding part numbers in my job, we just had a slight change for one and all that denotes it is a dash number at the end. It went from, for example, 1A1234B56-01 to 1A1234B56-03. Not sure what the paperwork side is as it just showed up and we noticed. The rate change for 737 goes to 38 a month in March. It's amazing how much is constantly changing and being constructed. And, for a fun factoids, the paint for a typical 737-800 weighs about 250 lbs, takes about 3 days to paint, and the whole 737 is assembled in about 7 days. This has been posted before, but in case some have missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKnsyYbfC60
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Feb 21, 2013 19:22
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I finally uploaded my pictures from Omaha's Strategic Air and Space Museum full album here: http://imgur.com/a/xwY5N I have a cheap $30 camera but it did OK in the situation I think. I sort of had to hurry through to then catch my flight home but took as much as I could. I was so excited to see the B-58 and B-36. I couldn't take photos to adequately convey how massive that thing is. It was awe inspiring to walk around. Really awesome museum.      and who could shoot at an F-4 with this looking back at you: 
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Mar 11, 2013 21:34
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