Aviation BS and Photo Thread

Time to bring back the A-1 Skyraider. Rotary muscle FTMFW!

 

Those things make some freakin noise!

 

...^^^... About 3 years ago, I went to a luncheon where a A1 Skyraider pilot told his experiences in RVN.

Every once in a while I go to these local luncheons where you can get a box lunch and hear a cool speaker for 15 bucks.

FWIW ... I was fortunate enough to see a Skyriader aka Sandy in action in RVN and they scream like crazy and their ordinance payload is incredible.
.

 

Forgive my ignorance, but is that the same "Sandy" that was referenced in Flight of the Intruder? Love the movie but never knew what equipment Sandy was.

 

The video build series on this thing is cool as well. Lots of good fiberglass tech as well.

 

...^^^... I am not sure of that ??

I just remember the guys (mainly the infantry RTO's) calling the A-1 Skyraider's .... a "Sandy" .... when requesting CAS.

 

Yes it is. It did FAC and CAS work.

 

Gonna have to watch it again now, I'll pay more attention. Willem Dafoe plays the cheesiest role, but awesomely...hes calls in close air support but will be overwhelmed. He asks Sandy to take him out...

"Do it for me Sandy, I'd do it for you."

 

The "Proud American" used to be based out of my local airport (KBLI) at the Heritage Flight museum. It's an easy one to identify because it actually has a small compartment with two seats in it (you can see the window and door aft of the wing on the fuselage).

One of my most memorable experiences was going to the Heritage Flight museum. It's a small mom and pop type of place but they have the Skyraider and a Mustang along with some others. Unfortunately, both were out flying when we arrived. My wife and I walked around for a bit checking out their other aircraft when we heard a godawful roar. The Skyraider was back and did several low passes down the runway WOT. It circled back to land and once it was on the ground one of the museum docents invited us out of the hangar that the museum was in. The Skyraider taxied under its own power right up to us as it folded its wings. You could feel every blade passing through the air. I was about ten feet from its left wing when it finally stopped and shut down. The pilot climbed down after his shutdown sequence, I helped the pilot and docent hook up the tow bar and was told "Hollar if it looks like we're going to hit anything" as they backed it into the hangar. Once the tug disconnected the pilot told me to go ahead and climb up to take a look inside. Sucker was slippery from all of the oil on the fuselage. The engine was still ticking when I finally climbed down. They opened up the back compartment and I was able to check that out as well. There were two seats side by side with a bunch of radar or EW type of stuff in back. Felt kinda bad for the guys who had to ride in back. No chance to bail out if need be and their only view of the world was through that tiny little window.

Yep. It also played a big role in Bat 21 with the rescue of a downed USAF pilot. If you enjoyed reading Flight of the Intruder, you'll love Bat*21. I think they made a movie of it, I can't imagine it's better than the book. They way they figured out how to tell him where to go with the enemy listening to every broadcast was ingenious. They basically played a game of golf using holes from golf courses that he knew. They'd tell him the hole and he'd head the distance and direction. It only worked because he was a golf nut.

 

They did make Bat21 a movie, with Gene Hackman and Danny Glover. Great flick.

 

Yup, another great movie.

 

I was following that deployment as best I can. Tyler over at The WarZone likes the Bronco almost as much as I do. I think the USAF is likely to go with the AT6 just because it's already got them in inventory. Of course, that makes too much sense, so they'll probably go with the SuperTucano. IMO though, the Bronco would have been a shoe-in. Not only could it do the COIN job, but also insert troops, loiter longer, take off and land from carriers and amphib assault ships without need of a CATOBAR system and have two engines. Restarting production wouldn't have been rocket science. It's a simple construction. Even if they wanted to get fancy, Burt Rutan used the OV10 tailboom/rudder/elevator system on several of his designs but made out of composites, I think it was the X55A that was the big one. It's basically a fat Bronco with an extra wing:



I guess that was a bit of a tangent. What can I say, like airplanes

 

Found the scene...

 

Omg..we quote this so much at work

 

The ATTT. Air Force even examined it as a transport testbed.

Yeah, Gen. McChrystal wanted the Super Tucano SOOOO bad for a COIN role, but DoD wouldn't sign off on it. If I were the acquisition authority, the OV-10 would have been my choice for the points you listed, but honestly the T-6 is what SHOULD be bought because we already have all the supply lines for parts, training, etc. Hell, EVERY USAF and USN pilot in the last X number of years has time in that aircraft, so the transition would be amazingly quick. Not to mention there is already an AT variant, the Wolverine.

 

The entire movie is quotable!

 

“Somewhere along the way there was a wop in the woodpile.”

“We got a phantom shitter.”

“Say goodbye, asshole. Eject! Eject! Eject!”

“I think we’re gonna lose this one, but I so love the work.”

 

Awesome.

I'm currently trying to find a LSA that fits how I want to fly and budget. Northwest Arkansas with about 50 grass strips in my reach.

I just want my own plane, without my wife knowing what it really costs. Nothing new of course on my budget. I'm looking at American Legend, CubCrafters, Aerotrek, Savage, KitFox, plus a few more, all used, and of course vintage Pipers.

Desire vs. budget. Man, is it tough trying to find something I really want verses what I can really afford. It's hard to buy a carbon cub on an ercoupe budget.

 

Are you in the Arkansas thread?

 

Sometimes I check in to see what's up but rarely join in.