Aviation BS and Photo Thread

Have a few hours in that airframe. Most of my time was in the SH-3D, but I also flew the G and H variants in the RAG. Only a couple years in the H-3 before I transitioned into the SH-60B. Always felt safe in Sikorsky aircraft.

 

Sikorsky for the win! A lot of Crew time in the CH-53 Sea Stallions (A & D models). I've a lot of pax time in the CH-34 Sea Horse. And just a little pax time in the UH-1B Huey & CH-46 Sea Knight.
I liked the Sikorski birds.

 

I was just thinking, it resembles an RV-10.

 

I keep thinking about building an aircraft, and keep going back to Vans. If I lived closer to an airport, probably would be working on an RV-8.

 

Can you give a few more deets about the CH-46? I ask whenever I see it mentioned.

My godfather was a Major in the USMC serving with the Purple Foxes and went down in one in ‘69.

 

Friend of mine is building an RV-8 in his garage I believe starting with the empennage. Sounds like the kits are well set up to build modular-style so you don’t technically need enough space at home to assemble the whole airframe. I’m guessing my buddy’s plan is to trailer all the pieces to the field when they’re ready and plug it all together like a glider..?

I was surprised when he put his deposit down on the kit, as he still has yet to finish his PPL. Not worried about his craftsmanship though, he is about as meticulous as they come!

 

About 10 years ago, I was getting ready to start an RV-8. I went to the RV builders class, and it was a lot of fun. I bought all the tools needed to get going, but my job situation changed and I was not able to pull it off. I built a section of aileron in the class, and I still have it. It came out really nice. I would encourage you to build it. People build them in very small spaces. I know a guy that built the tail and wings in his basement, and he did the fuselage in his garage. There's a guy from Australia that built a RV-4 in his living room I believe. His name is John Johansen I think. He set a bunch of records in his RV-4. IIRC, he flew it to Oshkosh from Australia using ferry tanks for range.

 

Great airplane. I have a few hundred hours in the Tiger. Long ago I got my instrument in the Tiger.

It's a great compromise: good speed, fixed gear, great visibility, elevator trim is by your right hip so you can go a long time without touching the yoke, just reach down and slightly tweak it.

 

Friend of mine did his RV-8 tail and wings in his basement, fuselage in his garage. He knocked the tail out in about a month. I did the RV builders class, and the kits are really well done. It's all pre-drilled so you cleco it together then start riveting.

 

"One of the largest humanitarian aid mission in history"
https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense/status/1540998304775000066?s=20&t=x61e1aqk9yf8GezYMXEgAA

 

Kind of depends on what you're looking for, formatted for the average consumer or detailed for pilots? Weather.com or anything along those lines would be the way to go for local weather, and right now it is hard to beat ForeFlight as a stand alone EFB program. However, ForeFlight doesn't get into things like temperature forecasts "Today's high will be 70, tomorrow is 75, etc." ForeFlight also won't break it own for twenty minute rain showers versus four hour monsoons. Most pilots only concern with rain in terms of runway performance, or the impact it'll have on visibility.

For just the average person looking for temperatures, winds, sky conditions, UV index, and sunrise/sunset - I'd go with What The Forecast. You can turn up, or dial down the profanity to suit your needs.

 

Plus you can slide the canopy open and feel like a real cool guy!

One of my favorite parts of getting to log some time in a Marchetti 260 was getting to taxi back with the canopy up and show those Cessna guys who's boss.

 

There’s something satisfying about pulling off the runway and sliding the canopy right open for a fresh blast of air, and then taxiing past the other singles/trainers trapped in their sweaty cockpits. They stare in awe and inexplicably hear “Danger Zone” playing off in the distance as I eye them down with one fat arm resting on the cockpit sidewall.

 

Slow response. Was away from the computer all weekend.
Not sure what I can provided to you that you couldn't find in greater detail (& better accuracy) on Boeing Vertol's home page.
I can tell you that they were a very busy aircraft at all the bases & ships where I was serving (CH-53 for me though). They were a better choice for air-sea rescue than the -53 because the Sea Stallion's rotorwash would drown the rescuee. They made for a great ship to ship resupply bird. They were not as maneuverable nor as fast as the -53, but most likely less expensive to operate.
HMM-364 Purple Foxes were based at / operated out of Camp Pendleton (I was just north at MCAS(H) Tustin with HMH-361 Flying Tigers). We did a lot of the same deployments and tasks and from a lot of the same ships (USS Tripoli (LPH-10) & USS Okinawa (LPH-3)).
The CH-46 was affectionately called the Phrog because of it's appearance on the ground. It squats like a frog/toad.

 

Having the panels "pre-drilled" is a huge selling point. The more they can do, the easier it is to build it correctly.

 

I remember, in the early/mid 80's, after rumors of that aircraft started circulating, one of the model companies came out with a model of the "Stealth Fighter". The design of the plane was still secret at the time, so the buzz was who leaked the design?

Of course, the model didn't look like the actual plane - their design was a best guess (and maybe some spy photos). But, they sold a lot of models!

 

I was lucky enough to experience the hanging-my-arm-over-the-side-of-the-cockpit feeling once. Instructor friend let me fly his T-34 from the front seat, got about an hour in it. What a blast it was!

 

I'm fortunate enough to have ~500 in the T-34A. It was upgraded to the 300HP IO-550A, it made her an honest airplane. Yes, it was blast to fly.

As someone said, "She never should have been a trainer, she's too easy to fly."

 

You're right on about it being easy to fly. I had a few hours in an A36, and about 40 in a Baron, but the T-34 was probably the nicest handling airplane I had ever flown. No slop in any of the controls, and it was very responsive but not twitchy, and I managed to grease it on the landing. I was nervous about the landing because the owner/pilot of the airplane was a retired Marine fighter pilot, and I didn't want to look like a complete idiot.