Everything you always wanted to ask...

[GTX]

Son of Damian,

Why do aircraft that aren't carrier capable have tailhooks??? Like F-16, F-104, F-5, F-15 etc.

So that they may use a little thing called the "Airfield Arrester System" - I kid you not!  Used for fast jets in case their brakes fail.

Regards,

Greg

[B777LR]

Why do many aircraft (mainly WW2, but also later aircraft) have a "wire" between a antenna and the tail?
Why do EC-47s have so many wires and antennas?
Why do some C130s have tanks under the wings?
Why does C-130Ks have a glass bubble on top of the fuselage?
Why did boeing not fit winglets to MD10 conversions?
Why did swissair get rid of MD11s?
Why was the MD12 cancelled?
Is the 767 really more fuel ifficient than the A330-200?
Why does james bond never die?
Why did norhtwest buy A330s instead of 777s?
Why did qatar buy A340-600HGWs instead of 777-300ER?
Am i begining to get anoying?

[GTX]

B777LR,

Answers in Italics

Why do many aircraft (mainly WW2, but also later aircraft) have a "wire" between a antenna and the tail?- essentially, the wire is part of the antenna.
Why do EC-47s have so many wires and antennas? It's all in the 'E'
Why do some C130s have tanks under the wings? - some want to go further than others (the J model is the first that really doesn't need them due to more efficient engines/props etc.)
Why does C-130Ks have a glass bubble on top of the fuselage? I believe it is referred to as an Astro-dome and is used by the Nav for sextant sighting (I may be wrong on this one though).

The rest are too annoying to answer

Regards,

Greg

[MerlinJones]

Just what is the point of having to attach your own prop blades to expensive, after-market, resin replacement or "quality" props?

Why are rubber ducks yellow?

Given the plethora of "working features" on old Airfix kits, (for example) and their subsequent demise in order to retain accuracy of scale, why don't we have more positionable undercarriages, so that you can build your model and then display it with gear up, or gear down, and then gear up again, ad infinitum?
Fine Molds did it with the Incom-65, thanks to the use of poly caps.
Large scale F-16's, for example, use poly caps so that you can load and unload your ordnance. So why, in this enlightened day and modelling age, can't we have more "working features" that don't compromise accuracy!?

Who decided that blue was for boys and pink was for girls? Why those particular colours?

[Son of Damian]

Why are rubber ducks yellow?

That way it blends in with the, umm.... 'lemonade' in the bath tub..............        

[GTX]

Speaking of Rubber Ducks, get a load of this cool what-if rubber duck.  Before and after pics shown:





Regards,

Greg

[Joe C-P]

And now for the Question of Ultimate Destruction:

Why do hotdogs come i packs of 10, but hotdog buns come in packs of 8? :dum:

Our butcher will sell us any number of hot dogs, so we never have this problem.  ^_^

It has to do with different standards for how the items are sold. "Standard" hot dogs are 10 to a pound, bakers haven't really figured out why people prefer eight buns to a package, because there are those that come 10 to as well, but they don't sell as well.

[P1127]

And did you know that when replacing certain panels on a RAF Phantom...well, all Phantoms really, the panel came from the manufacturer, then had to be cut to fit, and the necessary holes drilled to match the particular aircraft as they were all different....that's 5000+ all different.

Must be a McDD thing - same thing on AV-8Bs. On Gen 1 (UK built) Harriers panels were generally interchangeable. On IIs, none of the holes line up

[P1127]

Why do people get so hung up on superdetailing cockpits with aftermarket bits? You know, the usual as soon as a kit is out, someone will ask 'Are Black Edge or Cutting Box doing a set for this?'

Why replace 3d plastic with 2d etched brass?

Resin kits - WHY!!!! Vacs for ever!

[Geoff_B]

And did you know that when replacing certain panels on a RAF Phantom...well, all Phantoms really, the panel came from the manufacturer, then had to be cut to fit, and the necessary holes drilled to match the particular aircraft as they were all different....that's 5000+ all different.

Must be a McDD thing - same thing on AV-8Bs. On Gen 1 (UK built) Harriers panels were generally interchangeable. On IIs, none of the holes line up

Dave

Would it be possible that the Harrier was designed in Imperial which was common with the US, but the Harrier II we changed to Metric ? only a guess

G

[MCS]

And did you know that when replacing certain panels on a RAF Phantom...well, all Phantoms really, the panel came from the manufacturer, then had to be cut to fit, and the necessary holes drilled to match the particular aircraft as they were all different....that's 5000+ all different.

I believe this is common for all aircraft. I'd be surprised if it weren't and damned impressed with the manufacturer who could put together two airframes that are identical.

With amount of tolerance stackup found on the airframe, it would be improbable to have even one panel that's interchangeable without some minor rework, even if they came off the line consecutively.

I always shake my head when I see instructions for replacing composite panels with the note "If required, add material as follows..." You'd think they'd at least have it so that all you had to do was remove material to fit as opposed to adding on...lol.

[rallymodeller]

Re STOL takeoffs in the F-35: according to the Nova documentary on the JSF (can't remember the title) Lockheed added a test hop called "Mission 'X'" wherein the X-35 did a 500' rolling takeoff, went supersonic and did a vertical landing. Later that day they tried to do the reverse (VTO, supersonic, short landing) but a bad gust of wind caught the prototype on takeoff and they had to abort. Video of the STO showed both the lift-fan and main nozzle fairing doors open and the main nozzle was pointed down at an angle.

And if they could do STO in the Yak-38, they sure as hell can do it in the F-35...

[NARSES2]

Would it be possible that the Harrier was designed in Imperial which was common with the US, but the Harrier II we changed to Metric ? only a guess

G

As far as I'm aware the Hawk was the first UK Aircraft designed to full metric standards including the fixtures (screws etc). Not certain if that helps or not  

Chris

[gooberliberation]

Why are radomes usually painted a single neutral color that doesnt necissarily match the camoflage?
(i.e black, gray...)

[rallymodeller]

Why are radomes usually painted a single neutral color that doesnt necissarily match the camoflage?
(i.e black, gray...)

This one's easy -- it's dielectric (read EM-transparent) paint. Often the formulations are different than the camo applied to the rest of the aircraft, hence different weathering rates and differences in color. At one time all dielectric paint had a base of carbon black -- hence the black colour.