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One for Aero fans.


Steve P

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I spent a lot of time learning about the “Theory of Flight” and then spent the next 15 years trying to fix aircraft, regardless of what you know, there is nothing more mind blowing than watching a Harrier go backwards and sideways or watch a huge Jumbo or Star Lifter go trundling down a runway then up into the air and disappear into the clouds.

Aircraft of any type or vintage are pieces of mankind’s understanding of maths, physics, design and more than a bit of magic, you cannot do any thing other than marvel at what can be achieved by human beings.

Eric

 

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16 hours ago, Steve P said:

My daughter works in a building that overlooks the runway at Heathrow, she sent me these yesterday, amazing.

Airbus Beluga (Whale) cargo plane.

Steve

 

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That's a bit cheeky!  They used that  ##^&^%ing great aircraft that uses more fuel than a tanker could carry to transport the Chairman's helicopter.   Surely misuse?

John

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12 hours ago, Eric Smith said:

there is nothing more mind blowing than watching a Harrier go backwards and sideways

In the 70s I went to Brands for a F1 race and stood in the infield by Cooper Straight. Suddenly I heard this roar and behind and above was a Harrier. It did the usual impressive dance and then nodded to the crowd. I was really close and an experience I'll never forget. Britain at its best!🇬🇧

Iain

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We had a real heatwave on Saturday, great weather for the first day of the Portrush Air Show, which my daughter watched and said it was brilliant. Consequently I decided to drive 80 miles to it on Sunday only to have heavy rain, low fog, and the show all but cancelled. It's funny the way the weather works as ten miles inland it was brilliant sunshine; I drove all the way up with the hood down, and the same all the way home.

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4 hours ago, JohnD said:

That's a bit cheeky!  They used that  ##^&^%ing great aircraft that uses more fuel than a tanker could carry to transport the Chairman's helicopter.   Surely misuse?

John

Is that what it was used for? Proof please.
Thought it was bringing parts to Heathrow to repair a plane damaged a few weeks ago in an on-ground collision.

Paul

 

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Colin - As a renowned Irishman and a British Citizen you know the ins and outs of the weather of the British Isles, you know it can never be trusted, the Icelandic people say in Iceland they can have all four seasons in one day but a story from Britains finest comedian ever - Mr Billy Connolly Esq told how on a fishing trip when learning to fly fish, he was getting very wet, cold and grumpy, at some point his instructor told him “Billy - there is no such thing as bad weather it’s wearing the wrong clothes” 

Eric

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20 hours ago, Eric Smith said:

nothing more mind blowing than watching a Harrier go backwards and sideways

Back in the 60`s. I had a short spell as a Maintenence Engineer at the (then) Hawker factory at Brough in Yorkshire. "We" where still producing Bucaneers for the South African Government. One day, working outside on a Sewage plant, (all the good job`s😟). The prototype of the Harrier (P-1127) came over low hovered, and did a full 360 turn, backed of and "nodded" to the assembly. Before heading off to other site`s. First time anyone had seen any sort of Aircraft do that.

Pete

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This is a great photograph of the Airbus Beluga but I cannot see the guy controlling the remote control model airliner or is is a trial of a delivery drone taking urgent spares to the Helicopter Crew? (Joke)

To Pete H - the Buccaneer was a fantastic aircraft, it was the only aircraft the Americans could not shoot down with conventional guns, I was at an air display at RAF Wyton years ago when a Buc flew in at almost zero feet between two hangars stirring up road dust with one wing tip and the other one getting sun burn - never seen anything better than that!

To Ian T - There were plans to build a supersonic Harrier, what would have that been like? I believe the American and Spanish still use them - that’s funny when you know the country who designed them thanks to Mr Cameron don’t have any!

Eric

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46 minutes ago, Eric Smith said:

 

To Ian T - There were plans to build a supersonic Harrier, what would have that been like? I believe the American and Spanish still use them - that’s funny when you know the country who designed them thanks to Mr Cameron don’t have any!

Eric

Indeed - the P1154. Cancelled, like so many promising projects of that era.

The USA AV8-B's are due for retirement soon. The Spanish have sent their AV8-B's to RIAT for the past couple of years, so the Harrier can still be seen in UK skies occasionally!

Gully

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Agree the Harrier at RIAT is still very impressive, shame not in service with RAF. We sold all ours to the US and I believe they were then scrapped. Never understand why we seem to take aircraft out of service and not store them like the US do, even if we have to store them in the US.

Very concerning that we seem to scrap planes like the Harrier and the Nimrod then but from the US.

Graham

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15 hours ago, Graham C said:

Agree the Harrier at RIAT is still very impressive, shame not in service with RAF. We sold all ours to the US and I believe they were then scrapped. Never understand why we seem to take aircraft out of service and not store them like the US do, even if we have to store them in the US.

Very concerning that we seem to scrap planes like the Harrier and the Nimrod then but from the US.

Graham

That's a typical British trait - we sell our land, then rent it back, sell our buildings, then rent them back, and scrap our planes, then buy replacements from someone else. We even close our mines and buy coal from abroad. Strange mindset, in many cases it's like paying off the mortgage by selling the house.

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58 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

We even close our mines and buy coal from abroad.

Don't forget close our last blast furnace. All that Chinese steel we'll be importing is good for the environment😂. The optics politicians of all parties should be ashamed!

Iain

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