Am i the only person here interested in Heavy Aviation Metal?

[steve836]

I was stood at the school where I work (Barnardiston Nr. Haverhill in Suffolk) and looked up to see a Vulcan flying low ( I should guess about 200ft) overhead heading towards Bury St. Eds.  Why oh why do they have to do it when I havn't got my camera?

Could it have been the Vulcan that's being retired very shortly after the Clacton show (http://www.vulcantothesky.org/)?

Dave G

Could well have been. We are not that far from Clacton as the crow (or Vulcan) flies.

[Buzzard]

Saw a DC10 yesterday over the capital, a Brussels to Toronto flight.  It appears to be a Sunday and Wednesday flight and the code if anyone's interested is KFA203.  Departure from Brussels is around 16.30 CEST.

It's been many a year since I've seen one of these old ladies and wondered how many are left in service.  If you discount FedEx (they don't fly their DC10s to Europe), the USAF and a US based airborne fire fighting outfit there are only 10.

Of the 10 two are in Bolivia and one in Venezula so that's only 7 that could be seen in European skies.  Catch them whilst you can.

And on the subject of large trijets there is a squeak of a possibility that a Tristar might still be airworthy, although currently at Victorville so the rumour mill might be wrong.  Anyone know where the RAF ones ended up?

Nigel

[47475]

There is only one L1011 TriStar still active. It flies in the US for Orbital Sciences.

The only other L1011s with any chance of flying again are the handful of retired RAF ones at Bruntingthorpe. They were supposed to have been sold to a private airborne tanker company in Florian, but still remain parked at Brunty.

[MikeDunn]

Not exactly heavy ... but I hear a Spitfire had a crash-landing today in a field   Pilot seems to be unhurt (or minor), as he got himself out before rescue turned up ...

[5944]

Not exactly heavy ... but I hear a Spitfire had a crash-landing today in a field   Pilot seems to be unhurt (or minor), as he got himself out before rescue turned up ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-34174822

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/COTNdzlWcAAh4L3.jpg

Oh bums!

[scottishlocos]

All

Not sure if this is correct place to post but I was at Scottish Airshow on Saturday and Sunday as well as an emotional farewell to Vulcan XH558 and the Seaking Helicopters from HMS Gannet there was a guy there with a model of the Terminal Building and apron I think the were using planes from the Corgi range and some cars buses and fire engines from the Oxford die cast range.

Tried to Google it but couldn't find anything but it was exact replica in N scale

[Oldun]

Not an airliner I know but, some airliners were born from bomber design.

I give you the B-36:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V9CWQNZRF8&feature=player_embedded

Now that's 'big metal' 

Roger

[DJM Dave]

Ah the good old B-36....... 6 turning and 4 burning.

I've been lucky enough to see all preserved B-36's bar 1 and i'm seeing that next May.
Delightful aircraft you dont realise the size until your in the bomb bay.

Have a look at my Zenfolio site for pics of 3 of them.......  in the military aircraft section............

Castle Airbase, Pima in Tucson, USAF museum Dayton.

davejonesphotography/zenfolio

Lots of heavy metal in there along with a civilian section too.

cheers
Dave

[pape_timmo]

Ok it's big, but 1700 tons???

Cheers, Timmo

[Agrippa]

B36 was the daddy, a mix of jet engines and props. I always liked the TU95
and the B52, old cold warriors, I think when the buff is retired the design
will have been in service for about 70 years.

[javlinfaw7]

A machine with such a long range a fighter was developed to be carried in it,XF85

[Jimmy77]

B36 was the daddy, a mix of jet engines and props. I always liked the TU95
and the B52, old cold warriors, I think when the buff is retired the design
will have been in service for about 70 years.

If you like B-52's then you should enjoy this 

! No longer available

After the latest upgrade program it looks like they'll be operating until 2040, almost 90 years of service!

Cheers,

Jimmy

[Agrippa]

Smokin' !  When the Leuchars air show was on I'd go the day before it started
to see the B52  arrive, as  it was on the static display. You couldn't board the buff
but you could visit the cockpit and boom operating station of the adjacent KC135.

[Trainfish]

Looks like the engines were supplied by VW

[javlinfaw7]

There were proposed guppy transport versions of both b52 and b36 fortunately neither were built
T