Kick Ass Aircraft

Another aircraft I like is the CT-114 Tutor. It's flown by an aerial acrobatics group known as the snowbirds. Seen them a bunch of times at different airshows. Pretty cool!!
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I worked security at an airshow a couple of times. I once was assinged to the flight line...it sucked for the most part (imagine standing on asphalt for eight hours with no shade), but I got to meet the pilots and crew. Snowbirds were there that year...nice guys, especially the crew.
 
A10 baby. Anything that has a gun powerful enough to slow the plane down when firing is a winner!!!

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Love the sexy fighters, but I've always had a soft spot for these guys. Now, I love me some Spooky!
 
The Smithsonian Air & Space Museum is not too far from the factory. If you guys have some time to kill before or after the experience, you should check it out. They have the Wright Bro's first plane, Charles Linberg's "Spirit of St. Louis", the plane that made the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight ever. (Now the Airbus A380 does it all the time). They also have Apollo 11 Capsule and much more. Best part is that the museum is free. There is also the Udvar-Hazy Center which is supposed to be another amazing museum which now houses one of the Space Shuttles, among other things. I've never been to the U-D Center, but I plan on taking my son this summer.

http://airandspace.si.edu/udvarhazy/
 
The Smithsonian Air & Space Museum is not too far from the factory. If you guys have some time to kill before or after the experience, you should check it out. They have the Wright Bro's first plane, Charles Linberg's "Spirit of St. Louis", the plane that made the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight ever. (Now the Airbus A380 does it all the time). They also have Apollo 11 Capsule and much more. Best part is that the museum is free. There is also the Udvar-Hazy Center which is supposed to be another amazing museum which now houses one of the Space Shuttles, among other things. I've never been to the U-D Center, but I plan on taking my son this summer.

http://airandspace.si.edu/udvarhazy/

When I visit Washington that is my favorite museum to see. There are many museums along the mall, but that is the must see for me. Oh, and the Wright Bro's plane was not the first...
 
I live four miles from Udvar Hazy. I love it so much.

My grandfather was a test pilot for the Navy from '43 to '66. He transitioned from props to jets. Flew everything from Coursairs to Phantoms.
 
I've gotta go with the SR-71. One of my instructors in the AF got to work with them when a few of them were recommissioned in the mid 90s, and he had some absolutely amazing stories about those planes. 60 years, and no other aircraft has been able to break the Habu's records for speed or altitude. That's just mind-boggling to me. What I wouldn't give for a window into Skunkworks...

And Shawn - the Udvar-Hazy museum is WAY better than the Air & Space in downtown DC. It's a bit of a PITA to get to (having to take the toll road and what not), but it's well worth the trek if you're a fan of aircraft. You'll be greeted by a Blackbird as you walk in the front door, and they've replaced the space shuttle trainer with Discovery. The trainer was cool, but man...Discovery is a friggin' sight to behold.

I think I've done enough geek-gushing for the day... :biggrin:
 
The BlackBird for me. It's amazing even by todays standards. If I were to pick a new'ish one, probably F22. Actually if I listed off all of the planes I liked over the years we would be here a long time.
 
I've gotta go with the SR-71. One of my instructors in the AF got to work with them when a few of them were recommissioned in the mid 90s, and he had some absolutely amazing stories about those planes. 60 years, and no other aircraft has been able to break the Habu's records for speed or altitude. That's just mind-boggling to me. What I wouldn't give for a window into Skunkworks...

And Shawn - the Udvar-Hazy museum is WAY better than the Air & Space in downtown DC. It's a bit of a PITA to get to (having to take the toll road and what not), but it's well worth the trek if you're a fan of aircraft. You'll be greeted by a Blackbird as you walk in the front door, and they've replaced the space shuttle trainer with Discovery. The trainer was cool, but man...Discovery is a friggin' sight to behold.

I think I've done enough geek-gushing for the day... :biggrin:

Thanks for the recommendation, it's on my to do list this summer.
 
BD-5J is my dream jet. When I was a kid I knew Corky Fornoff; the guy who flew one through a hanger in a James Bond film. I've wanted one ever since. I read an article recently that suggests BD-Micro might start making reengineered kits and supporting the guys who have old kits they never managed to build.

http://www.bd-micro.com/

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I grew up an Air Force Brat and lived on air bases my entire childhood. In fact we moved to Sacramento when my dad retired because of the many air bases in the area; McClellan AFB (now closed but Coast Guard is still there), Mather AFB where B-52 flew out of (now closed but the Army still flies Blackhawks out of there as well as UPS flights), Beale AFB where the SR-71 and U-2 flew. Still active with U2 and drone pilots. Travis AFB where the C-17 & C-5 flies. I go to every air show in the area!

I remember sometime in the seventies I saw a jet make several fly-bys at an air base we lived at and it was just screaming across the sky. I had never seen it before and I was amazed by it. Just when it looked like it was coming in for a landing it stopped mid-flight in the air over the tarmac - hovered - turned around and flew off. That was my first experience of the Harrier Jump Jet. Freaking Awesome!

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My latest "in awe' aircraft is the F22 Raptor. It seems to defy physics!
 
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how about the Canadian Arrow? Build in the 50's, this plane had spec's to rival an F-15. The Engineers from this project went on to work at NASA and put the men on the moon. Truly one of Canada's best achievements.......that and our beer!

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