Favorite (Post-WW2) Aircraft?

The F-104 was a Soviet design intended to kill NATO pilots!


"Yea, as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil...
For I am the biggest, baddest, meanest motherfucker in the whole valley."

​

 

Hello ZaRodinu,

Yes and these US fellows build it and forced us (Big bribes) to purchase it - amazing how mean some people can be.

Well my father flew and loved them - and survived

Regards
Kruska

 

Another one of my favorites would have to be the U2.

 

This one is better Za.....Wild Weasel. Much like the one my father flew out of Tan Son Nuht. The Wild Weasel motto: is YGBSM: "You Gotta Be Shittin' Me".
This appears prominently on the logo patch of some squadrons. As the story goes, this was the response of Jack Donovan, a former B-52 EWO upon learning
what the duties of the Wild Weasel were, specifically his.

 

Ah yes, great aircraft, but no guns was its only drawback.

 

in what capacity Huffle ? geez I remember the F4 all too well with chilling effectiveness back in the early years; just keep your head down we were told

 

* The F-4C was followed in USAF service by the "F-4D", which performed its first flight on 9 December 1965, leading to initial service deliveries in 1966. The F-4D was the USAF's workhorse over Southeast Asia. 825 were built into 1968.
The F-4D airframe was basically the same as that of the F-4C. The primary improvements were in avionics, particularly APQ-109 radar. The APQ-109 was an improved, more reliable version of the APQ-100 with solid-state components in the low-voltage sections. The F-4D also featured new attack and navigation systems, and uprated 30-kilowatt electric power generators.
As combat experience over southeast Asia had shown the need for a gun, a 20-millimeter cannon pod designated the "SUU-16/A" was hastily introduced, to be eventually replaced by the similar but improved "SUU-23/A". The F-4D was wired for carriage of the cannon pod, and had an ASG-22 lead-computing gunsight fitted for aiming it. Apparently some F-4Cs were also retrofitted to carry cannon pods.
The AAA-4 IRST was deleted in most F-4D production, as it had proven ineffective in practice. Confusingly, late production F-4Ds were fitted with the fairing used for the AAA-4, but it contained elements of an APR-25/26 radar warning receiver (RWR), not an infrared sensor.

[1.6] F-4E


* Combat experience led to the definitive "F-4E", which performed its initial flight on 30 June 1967. The F-4E featured:

• Uprated J79-GE-17 engines, with 8,120 kilograms (17,900 pounds) afterburning thrust.
• A General Electric M61A1 six-barreled 20-millimeter Gatling-type cannon on the underside of the nose, with 640 rounds of ammunition. Fit of the cannon required a new and longer nose, a modified version of the nose designed for the RF-4C reconnaissance Phantom, described in the next section.
  The cannon pod had been a big help, but it was "draggy" and tended to become misaligned on its stores pylon, making it inaccurate. The built-in cannon was a much better solution. However, early production F-4Es suffered from engine "flameouts" due to ingestion of gases expelled from the muzzle of the cannon, and to fix this problem GE quickly came up with a longer-barreled cannon, which was fitted into a longer cannon fairing with improved ventilation. This fix was refitted to earlier F-4E production.
• A solid-state AN/APQ-120 radar. The new radar was much more compact than its predecessors, allowing it to fit into the nose along with the cannon.
• Martin-Baker Mark 7 "zero-zero (zero altitude, zero speed)" ejection seats.
• A horizontal tailplane with a fixed inverted slat attached under the leading edge. The slat provided improved control authority at high angles of attack (AOA).
• A seventh fuel cell in the tail above the engine nozzles.
• Manual wing fold, rather than hydraulic fold.

The F-4E became the primary USAF variant, and was also heavily exported, as is discussed later. Including exports, 1,387 were built into 1979.

[1.0] Phantom Variants

 

Not pretty but one of my favorite from the Vietnam era :

 

Definite Favorite:

 

For some reason I always liked the looks of the Hind as well. I guess it´s due to the movies....Also got a PC game of the same name...

 

I am becoming a big fan of Mirage's planes
The Delta wing ones atleast, the Israelis have me in awe when they have used them for war.

 

IM kinda partial too the F-16 and the A-64 Apache...

 

I'm totally appreciating all the love for my Harriers.

 

Ok, ok, is that you. Lippert? On the left?

 

Yeah Bob, all very fine and dandy 'cept for that MY phantom was a NAVY, not USAF, F-4B, not C, and PzJgr pic was of a F-4G Wild Weasel, not an E!

Back to Plane Recognition 101 :lol:

 

"If it looks good, it flies good"

 

Touche, my friend! Touche. We always joke about that movie and it's phenominally unrealistic portrayal of the aircraft.

 

Welcome to Hollywood Remember Top Gun? With the F-5s playing at Migs? When Maverick gets his F-14's cockpit close to the "Mig"'s cockpit? I had to go fetch a spade and a bucket to pick up the bullsh1t

 

Hahaha true enough. And how about "Behind Enemy Lines"...

 

My fave of all time is the F-111 Razorback (Australia's name for the Aardvark)

v.R