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

[davieb]

If we are talking about large aircraft you can't beat this wee beastie


Antonov An-225 Mriya from Antonov at Ringway/Manchester Intl Airport by Simon Lowe

dave 

[IanUK]

If we are talking about large aircraft you can't beat this wee beastie

Correct me if I am wrong can that beastie lift a train?

[Pete @ EGLM]

I read recently in an aircraft comic recently that Boeing have built more than 6000 737s, ( the 6000th was at Gatwick on Friday, its Norwegian and has 6000 on the fin!) The same magazine also announced that Airbus had just completed their 6000th aircraft, guess  they've got some catching up to do.
Personally I prefer light aircraft as they provide the bread and butter, with a little bit of jam to sponsor the railway hobby!

Regards to all
Pete @ EGLM

[scotsoft]

You can get an n gauge Antonov should you wish one somewhere on your layout 

cheers John.

[Pete Mc]

Speaking of great sounding aero engines,one saturday last summer,or rain season as it was,I was up at my aunt and uncles.They live in a village outside Doncaster called Bawtry.Their house is under the flightpath either coming in to land or taking off,depending on the wind direction,of Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport or to us that live in Doncaster,the former RAF base at Finningley.

Anyway,on this day I was visiting them and having a look at the baseboards he has had built in his garage when something rather noisy was in the skies.As I am quite familiar with some of the stuff that flies out of Finningley,this was something altogether different.When we popped out of the garage to have a look at what was makong the noise,we were met with the sight of the last remaining Vulcan bomber in flying condition,Vulcan XH558,turning to head for an air display somewhere in Scotland.The sound of these engines was something else,absolutely fantastic.They were properly noisy and sounded very purposeful and the sight of such an iconic and majestic plane in the sky,flying in such an elegant way,not belying at all the menace that this plane was capable of during its operational days turning with its full delta wing design in evidence was just absolutely breathtaking.

I'm not really all that bothered about planes,neither military or commercial aircraft bothers me much,although I sometimes wonder with awe how something that weighs upto over 100 tons manages to climb into the skies and stay there,on takeoff from Robin Hood/Finningley airport,even though they are doing something like 200mph,they don't look like they're doing anything like that.But on this day,I was stuck to the spot until the Vulcan was out of sight and sound.I could still hear the engines even when the thing had disappeared.At that point,I checked out when it was returning and then stayed until about 30 minutes before its return to Finningley,where it is kept in one if the old aircraft hangers still remaining from the days of it being an airbase.

I wasn't the only one who had the same idea either.There were probably around 90-100 people who had gathered to see XH558 return and sew it/her touchdown,again,a wonderful sight,something that will no longer be possible after this years display season due to certain parts being out of their operating times,such as engines and other parts that I know nothing about.Apparently,wing spars and the main airframe need rebuilding in order for it to remain in a flightworthy condition after this year,although the charity that operate the plane says the engines will be out of hours as well and the skillsets that are required to maintain and run this magnificent plane are dying out rapidly so making the plane devastatingly expensive to keep in a flightworthy condition.

This,as well as Concorde,are the only planes that I would like to see remain in flight,Concorde obviously went from our skies a few years ago.I remember Concorde visiting Finningley when the airbase was an RAF base in the early 80's,such a noisy beast it was,and you were able to stand a mere yards away from the sides of the taxiway when it came in to stand so the guests who had boarded at Heathrow,had a champagne breakfast on board,then a full day at the RAF Finningley Battle or Britain air display before reboarding the Concorde for its return to Heathrow in the evening.

Them were the days.

Long may Vulcan XH558 grace our skies.

Pete

[StufromEGDL]

Hi Gang,

Was a stude at Finningley in 89 and stewarded the airshow...got my parents in the VIP tent and Concorde taxied past with the wingtip above the enclosure...my Dad's face was a picture.

These days it's the '4 fans of freedom' as our American colleagues like to call the mighty C130J....

VC10 departures from EGVN are still quite impressive...not for much longer though!!!

Later,
Stu from EGDL.

[OwL]

Thats airliners to everyone else. I try to get out an about to get some photos during the summer months but with last summer having been so poor i dont think i got virtually anything.


Anyway here some suitably noisy metal! Sadly gone from our skies!


Richard

Top tip my Mate: Dont go Jet spotting in Greece, you may get nicked for 'Spying'  and spend 6 months in an Athens jail! LoL
Funny for an airforce (Greek) that probably still use Phantom F4's as frontline interceprors!!! Hahaha

[kaiwhara]

Nah, Im a plane man as well 

[kaiwhara]

Thats airliners to everyone else. I try to get out an about to get some photos during the summer months but with last summer having been so poor i dont think i got virtually anything.


Anyway here some suitably noisy metal! Sadly gone from our skies!
Richard

We still have one piece of Noisy Metal over here, but not carrying passengers. It does the nightly postal rounds and since the below image gained Courierpost titles.

[Fratton]

My usual preference is military metal but when i saw this fly for the first time at it's farnborough airshow debut i was amazed



got a nice pic from my working position within the US air force compound where i worked that weekend and got shown around a c130 j and the c17 globe master

(and sheltered from a thunderstorm in the c130)

the first time i saw her flying i missed the takeoff and saw it burst through the cloud layer and just stood in awe!

I'm in a few of the videos of it leaving the show on the sunday and it's impressive take off,,,,

[Pengi]

Terrific picture Fratton

[dr deltic]

Nothing noisier than a Trident 3, they nearly put the Lightning in the shade for noise! Happy days at Ringway with my nan in the early 70's, she was an avid aero enthusiast and saw a great period in aviation history. It s all very tame now. Took my daughter to see the A380 at Ringway and it hardly made a sound. RIAT was far more her thing even at 4!

Have amassed a number of 144 scale aircraft over the years, both Corgi aviation archive and just about every plastic kit you can get for that rainy day! My wife got me a Globe master the other week, fantastic kit!

[daedalus]

I am now retired - well almost, but have been involved in aviation all my life since leaving university, flying Ligntnings in the RAF, and subsquently B767F. There is nothing to compare to the sound of a pair of F6 taking off on QRA.

Thanks for the pics.

Geoff
EGNJ

[jonclox]

 Still my favourite airliiner

http://www.airliners.net/photo/0154927/

[Agrippa]

Terrible livery ! Looks like the trades section in B&Q.

Doors to manual !