Plane / Planes / Aircraft / Aeroplane / Airplane appreciation

Sort of duck faced.

#Datshape

Sort of chined.

ftfy

There's something about the su-34... I like the nose. It's as if someone put the cabin of a b1 lancer on an F15. It's a bit of a platypus but it works.

Feel a bit gutted that I have never, and now will never be able to, see a Vulcan fly.

There will be at least one more / flights this month. You would prob need to make a trip up to Doncaster tho. Follow the twitter feed.

Northrop Gruman have won the contract to make the next long-range bomber. The USAF hasn't revealed the actual value of the deal but it's estimated to be somewhere in the region of $55bn. That seems a bit on the low side when you see the cost of the F35 program and the B2 unit cost.

The Air Force plans to buy 80 to 100 Long Range Strike-Bombers to replace its aging B-52s and B-1s, which the service plans to retire in the mid-2040s. The new aircraft will be significantly stealthier than the B-2

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/2015/10/27/northrop-grumman-wins-usaf-bomber-contract/74661394/

Good series on British display pilots available on iplayer. Watched chinook episode last night. Vulcan made an appearance to.

Lol government contract inflation destiny...

I'm sure it will run in to the trillions in no time.

Typhoon through Wales and the Lakes. With pilots commentary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT7qrYi8R_M

how, in today's pinpoint surveillance rich mil-tech world can there be any justification for manned heavy munitions delivery?

edited cos I'm a sandal wearing pacifist at heart

Pretty much everybody still believes in having a man in the loop when launching deadly force. Having him on board the delivery vehicle allows rapid response for dynamic mission flexibility in a highly contested battle space where opponents are deploying C3 denial techniques.

Is that enough DoD jargon for you? :-)

:P

Hmmm,
'80-100' for $55Bn?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_B-2_Spirit

21 @ $2Bn+ each.

I'm watching it now.
Lovely pictures, but Jesus Fucking Christ the narration is awful.

Trying to think of a plane prog narrative that isn't...

The pixels, I see them.

The story/programme which might lead somebody to fake up an unmanned A10 is more prosaic; PCAS ground/air coordination is using an A10 as a mule, the system has the potential to be ported to UAVs later.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfdGQ98Srwc

Was looking up SU-24 in light of today's news...

Found this instead. Must be shopped?

Don't think so. The one on the left is considerably further away than the one on the right. Not as close as it looks.

Raptor is a bit shorter yes... Wonder if bigger or smaller in length?

Guy Martin: Last Flight of the Vulcan Bomber is on Channel 4 in just under half and hour.

ta!

Happy New Year...

#WhenMangaGotRealised