Aviation BS and Photo Thread

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.

 

That’s amazing! I’ve had a few rides in a T-34A, incredible airplane. Was a shame to hear about the accidents that led to all the mandatory wing spar replacements.

 

The planes that were lost came from for-hire "combat" companies. People off the street jumped into the front seat, violently yanked & banked, while fighting another aircraft similar to a video game. The lost airplanes had thousands of hours of this abuse from these knuckleheads. Looking from a metallurgical point of view one 6G event is equal to hundreds of 3G events. So cumulative stupid won in the end and tragically people died from it.

Several AMOCs were developed to rework the main spar center section and only one them actually replaces the spar.

 

In a previous line of work I used to do those spar inspections. The Achilles' heel of that airplane is that spar issue and exaggerated by years of service with students landings in the military beating the snot out of the trunnions and then the combat companies yanking and banking.

It is my understanding that all affected airframes have had the AMOC performed and flying.

 

For anyone who may have an interest, below is a succinct version of the T-34 AD story.

Many people worked a long time to get the T-34 back into the air, the article just touches on the highlights.

https://www.t-34.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=436461&module_id=387257

 

This is all great info, thank you. I remember hearing about how these mock-dogfighting ”experience” outfits were pulling the wings off, so tragic. The one I had the privilege to ride in was a fine specimen but did eventually need the main spar replaced and didn’t fly for a couple years. Owner couldn’t justify holding on to it and ended up selling right after they had the work done to comply with the AD.

 

Spotted this in Independence last Friday

 

Crossed my news feed today...found it really interesting.

As a Canadian who's done alot of travel of your Interstates, I've heard there where specifications applied when building the Interstate system that stated there needed to be an allotment for aircraft landing every X miles if shit ever hits the fan....

And I'm a Warthog fan...and we used to have a TW member here that flew Warthogs outta Selfridge...quick read

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/07...-rearmed-for-the-first-time-on-a-u-s-highway/

 

They are pretty cool.

 

Yes. KVBT. For such a small little airport, you can see something new almost every week.

 

Just saw a Starship in St Louis - def cool to see. Have to find the few pictures I grabbed.

 

The guy that owns the one left flying supposedly got some special permission from Beechcraft to keep operating it. Burt Rutan had a hand in the design of it. I read somewhere that Beechcraft was over-conservative with the building of it, and it didn't perform like they hoped due to it being heavier than planned. I saw one on the ramp at Meigs Field in Chicago long ago, and saw one land at Lansing, IL. It looks like its doing 500 mph when it's parked.

 

https://wgme.com/news/local/private-plane-crashes-portland-jetport-2-hospitalized-crash-maine
One of the two planes I use and my former CFI involved in a crash a couple hours ago. Texted but he isnt responsing. Almost a year to the day of my husband’s crash. Sigh.

 

Hope they come out ok, article said neither suffered life threatening injuries..?