How low can you go?

[Spey_Phantom]

Belgian Fouga magister

[PR19_Kit]

Saunders Roe Princess   Imagine the sound from those ten engines!

Actually it was remarkably quiet just then, even for something that large. I was right there at the time, and not so far from where that pic was taken I think.

I reckon it was throttled back on the approach though, as when the Captain opened up to climb away it was WELL impressive!

[Martin H]

Apparently the true max altitude for the Lightning is still on the secret list..althou its also claimed that no one realy knows just how high they could go. (there are stories of Lightnings intercepting over flying U-2's....from above)

My dads told me about that in the past - IIRC the trick was to go all ballistic and follow a parabolic flight path, passing the U-2 on the way down

most likly Nev.

The one i kept hearing was a NATO exercise over your neck of the woods. The U2 was being warned of incomeing fighters by a nearby E-3. The U-2 pilot reported back that he couldnt see anything below him, only for a British voice to break in...."Look up Yank!" A pair of F-6's were comeing down at fair rate of knots.

[kitnut617]

The one i kept hearing was a NATO exercise over your neck of the woods. The U2 was being warned of incomeing fighters by a nearby E-3. The U-2 pilot reported back that he couldnt see anything below him, only for a British voice to break in...."Look up Yank!" A pair of F-6's were comeing down at fair rate of knots.

Seems that the USAF was fair game when they were in-bound to the UK, I was reading my copy of 'The Hornet File' (as in de Havilland) sometime ago and there's a number of tales in the book of the RAF Hornet (and Venom) pilots intercepting B-36's and B-50's at great height, by flying head on at them and only breaking away at the last second.

[GTX]

They've just photoshopped out the wheels, right....?

Yep - here's the original:



Sorry - I only just found out.

Regards,

Greg

[Luis Almeida]

some more videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCue08Z4OQ4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSVstVU_yYs&feature=related

on our national tv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTmLXadqLEI&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxHuTcKLT_s&feature=related

[JJC]

nice flanker:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3c6fMql2uk&feature=related

[GTX]

Speaking of Flankers, how's this for a close call - watch that tail hook:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE6fJMSSl7U



Regards,

Greg

[Mossie]

Hairy!   Trying to work out what happened, wether he was waved off very late (big bollocking for whoever made that call), although he does suddenly seem to loose height very close to the deck.  Testament to the Flanker that it can deal with that angle of attack at that speed too, a lesser aircraft would have pancaked.

[PR19_Kit]

... if the hook HAD caught a wire I hate to think what would have happened! Certainly something would have broke, either on the ship or the aircraft, or both!

[GTX]

... if the hook HAD caught a wire I hate to think what would have happened! Certainly something would have broke, either on the ship or the aircraft, or both!

I imagine one of three options:

1.  Aircraft hooked and slammed onto deck - result bad!
2.  Aircraft hooked and rear half ripped off - result bad!
3.  Aircraft arrestor hook and/or arrestor wire damaged severely - result:  pilot gets a radio message saying something to the effect of "well comrade, how do you propose to land now?!"

Regards,

Greg

[Aircav]

B-52 and a carrier

[Fulcrum]

B-52 and a carrier

I remember a Soviet pilot tried the same thing next to an Essex carrier, only to crash into the Atlantic.

[Aircav]

Heres a low Mirage

[beowulf]