Hanger Tails(Tales) ~ Flying/Aviation

[Stryder50]

These Movies About Aviation Nailed The Details​

Movies about aviation have been a staple of American cinema for decades. But some of the most iconic aviation films are more accurate than others. These are some of the best movies about aviation of all time, but how accurate are they really? Keep reading to learn more...

MSN

Not all 39 slides are of those that got it right. Many are for those that got it wrong too often. Still interesting listing.
Unfortunately, didn't include one of my favorite aviation films;
"Always"

Always (1989 film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Stryder50]

Bockscar: The Forgotten B-29 That Dropped an Atomic Bomb on Japan​

MSN

The article did garble a detail. The aircraft modified for the 509th had the turrets and gun directors removed except for the tail armament.

 

[BothWings]

My grandfather was a flight engineer during World War II although he spent most of his time at a high security air base right in the US. In addition to fixing B-17's, P-51's and C-47's, he also had to help tear down capture German aircraft to see what made them tick.

One particularly amazing story he told me was how they were flying in a c-47 and something happened with the cable linkage between the cockpit and the tail section. He said two of his comrades actually held on to his legs as he reached under the plane in flight and assisted the pilot in steering it by manipulating the cables through a hatch....under the plane. As a person who gets vertigo just looking off the balcony in the mall, it makes me nauseous just thinking about it.

There was also another interesting story involving a B-17. I was told that my grandfather and several other personnel were ordered to fly a B-17 to one of the estates owned by The Dupont family in Pennsylvania....and LAND there....in the middle of the night...in an adjacent field. As some people will already know, the DuPonts were some of the most prominent military contractors of the time. Although I was never told any more detail than I have just shared here, my uncles and I have surmised that that plane was going to be fitted and tested with some kind of new, then secret technology that the DuPonts were working on.

 

[Stryder50]

This Bonkers Blended-Wing Jetliner Burns 50% Less Fuel and Creates 4 Times Less Noise​

Blended-wing aircraft have a futuristic UFO look, like something out of a 1950s sci-fi flick. While the configuration was tried unsuccessfully by different air forces in the 1960s, at least three aerospace firms are now convinced these aircraft can compete with—and beat—conventional designs, mostly because of the blended-wing’s superior fuel efficiency.


A blended-wing jet, or “flying wing,” as some call the design, is different from other aircraft because it has no definite fuselage, instead blending the wing and fuselage into one construction.
...

MSN

On a similar note ...

The Air Force Is Fast-Tracking a Blended Wing Body Jet to Fly in Just 4 Years​

MSN

 

[Stryder50]

Bockscar: The Forgotten B-29 That Dropped an Atomic Bomb on Japan​

MSN

The article did garble a detail. The aircraft modified for the 509th had the turrets and gun directors removed except for the tail armament.

Here's the Wiki on the Silverplate B-29's and an excerpt;
...
Seventeen production Silverplate aircraft were ordered in August 1944 to allow the 509th Composite Group to train with the type of aircraft they would have to fly in combat, and for the 216th Army Air Forces Base Unit to test bomb configurations. These were followed by 28 more aircraft that were ordered in February 1945 for operational use by the 509th Composite Group. This batch included the aircraft which were used in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Including the Pullman B-29, 46 Silverplate B-29s were produced during and after World War II. An additional 19 Silverplate B-29s were ordered in July 1945, which were delivered between the end of the war and the end of 1947. Thus, 65 Silverplate B-29s were made.

The use of the Silverplate codename was discontinued after the war, but modifications continued under a new codename, Saddletree. Another 80 aircraft were modified under this program. The last group of B-29s was modified in 1953, but never saw further service.
...

Silverplate - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Delivering the Atomic Bombs: The Silverplate B-29​

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's an interesting anecdote of World War Two history;

My family surname is "Bock". It seems there was a Bock involved in key role starting WWII and a Bock involved key role ending WWII.
Probably distant relations though.

Moritz Albrecht Franz Friedrich Fedor von Bock (3 December 1880 – 4 May 1945) was a German Generalfeldmarschall who served in the German Army during the Second World War. Bock served as the commander of Army Group North during the Invasion of Poland in 1939, commander of Army Group B during the Invasion of France in 1940, and later as the commander of Army Group Center during the attack on the Soviet Union in 1941; his final command was that of Army Group South in 1942.

Fedor von Bock - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

....
The B-29 nicknamed "Bockscar" was because of the usual commander/pilot, Fred Bock. I did have an uncle also know as Fred Bock (father's brother) but he served in the CBI, mostly in China, as an officer in charge of a unit that rebuilt Allison engines such as used in P-40, early P-51, and P-38.

 

[Stryder50]

A short slide show, but a reminder that this was one of the most versatile, iconic, and best performing/flying twin engine bombers of WWII.

North American B-25 Mitchell: The Most Produced American Medium Bomber of World War II​

MSN

 

[Stryder50]

Just to refresh, here are some other threads focused on aviation;
Greatest aircrat of WWII?
Most successful fighter in WWII
What was the best Cargo Plane in WWII
P-47 Thunderbolt of WWll fame was a tough plane

 

[Stryder50]

Not tilt-wing, but tilt engine; and definitely the "Next Generation";
Bell's V-280 Valor

Bell V-280 Valor - Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)

The Bell V-280 is a Future Long Range Assault (FLRAA) aircraft purpose-built to revolutionize the U.S. Army's reach and effectiveness of each mission while offering unmatched maneuverability, reduced downtime and elevated mission safety.

www.bellflight.com

 

[Stryder50]

Interesting short article on a lesser known WWII jet.

With Speed and Agility, Germany’s Ar 234 Bomber Was a Success That Ultimately Failed​

Only one is known to survive today and it is in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

With Speed and Agility, Germanyâs Ar 234 Bomber Was a Success That Ultimately Failed

Only one is known to survive today and it is in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

getpocket.com

Arado Ar 234 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Stryder50]

Why Do Window Shades Have to Be Open for Takeoff and Landing?​

There’s a good reason for keeping airplane window shades open when a flight takes off and lands. But not every airline requires it. Here’s why.​

...

What is the reason for keeping window shades open for takeoff and landing?​

There’s a logical reason for keeping window shades open during takeoff and landing, which are considered the most critical phases of a flight: safety. In the event of an emergency, flight attendants are trained to look for debris, fire, or smoke outside before initiating an evacuation.

Keeping all the window shades open makes that faster and easier to do, and it’s why most airlines make sure exit-row windows have the shades open during takeoff and landing, regardless of their policy for regular rows.
...

Why Do Window Shades Have to Be Open for Takeoff and Landing?

There's a good reason for keeping airplane window shades open when a flight takes off and lands. But not every airline requires it. Here's why.

www.afar.com

 

[Stryder50]

Something many might enjoy and find informative. Monthly issues with about two dozen pages.
Commemorative Air Force's

The CAF Digital Dispatch​

The CAF Digital Dispatch

Read the latest and past issues of the CAF's monthly "the Dispatch" magazine.

commemorativeairforce.org

 

[Stryder50]

So something worth consideration when it comes to innovation and alternate solutions~methods of air travel and related devices;
AirLander

MSN

...

HAV

Airlander 10 is a multi-function aircraft offering solutions for Logistics, Luxury Travel, Private Clients, Defence & Security and Maritime & Coast Guard. Find out more.

www.hybridairvehicles.com

...

HAV

At Hybrid Air Vehicles we are redefining what aircraft can do. Airlander connects the unconnected and solves modern day aviation challenges. Explore the technology here.

www.hybridairvehicles.com

...
Hybrid of lighter-than-air with powered and new tech ....

 

[westwall]

So something worth consideration when it comes to innovation and alternate solutions~methods of air travel and related devices;
AirLander

MSN

...

HAV

Airlander 10 is a multi-function aircraft offering solutions for Logistics, Luxury Travel, Private Clients, Defence & Security and Maritime & Coast Guard. Find out more.

www.hybridairvehicles.com

...

HAV

At Hybrid Air Vehicles we are redefining what aircraft can do. Airlander connects the unconnected and solves modern day aviation challenges. Explore the technology here.

www.hybridairvehicles.com

...
Hybrid of lighter-than-air with powered and new tech ....

Been working on it for literally decades.

Read John McPhee's, The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed.

 

[odanny]

1987, I was deployed to Korat Thailand for a month, I was there to work on about a dozen UH-1H's (Hueys) that we sent over and I talked my way onto a flight of a DC-3, I saw the name plate on the entry door frame when I stepped in, and still remember it, it was of a picture that had a DC-3 shown circling the globe and the date of manufacture was 1943. It was one of the more memorable flights I ever went on, although flying over the rice paddies of Thailand in a Huey with the doors wide open was even better.

 

[Stryder50]

An often forgotten part of WWII. Also an expensive way to keep China in the war against Japan. One serendipity was the incentive for weather forecasting, air traffic control, and radio/radar navigation - especially over hazardous terrain. Also a boon towards global airline industry post war.

When 600 US planes crashed in Himalayas in audacious WW2 mission​

MSN

Often known as the aluminum trail.

This was an essential part of the CBI = China Burma India Theater of Operations; most of this airlift portion was to support U.S. Army Air Forces operations inside China. With Japan holding all the coastal seaports of China and having sealed one end of the 'Burma Road', airlift was the only way to get supplies to the interior of China to sustain the Nationalist Forces as well as the USAAF's 14th Air Force. The 14th AF was the follow on to the AVG - American Volunteer Group more commonly known as the Flying Tigers. The AVG started out as part of China's military, but by Summer of 1942 it was transferred to USA control and would eventually be seed to the 14th Air Force.

 

[Stryder50]

Another one on the upcoming blended wing trend;

'Revolutionary' New Commercial Plane With Theater-Like Seats May Be Ready by 2030​

MSN

 

[Stryder50]

Up coming aviation/war movie focused on the USAAF and the strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany in WWII. Specifically the 100th Bombardment Group of the Eight Air Force.

Actually :"Masters of the Air is an upcoming American war drama streaming television miniseries created ..."

Masters of the Air​

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_the_Air

 

[odanny]

Up coming aviation/war movie focused on the USAAF and the strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany in WWII. Specifically the 100th Bombardment Group of the Eight Air Force.

Actually :"Masters of the Air is an upcoming American war drama streaming television miniseries created ..."

Masters of the Air​

Masters of the Air - Wikipedia

Looking forward to this, the final leg in the trilogy after the excellent Band of Brothers and The Pacific, I also have the book by Donald Miller, it is considered the book for an examination of U.S. air operations in WWII. I have not read it, it is a pretty deep and scholarly work.

 

[Stryder50]

In the Executive (wealthy only) category and dozen or less persons on board. Still ...

6 Dynamic New Aircraft That Are Hitting the Skies Soon​

MSN

 

[Stryder50]

The SR-72 "Son of Blackbird": The Unmanned Hypersonic Jet Poised to Redefine Aerial Reconnaissance in 2025​

...
While conventional turbojet and turbofan engines can provide sufficient power for takeoff and landing at subsonic speeds, they fall short in sustaining hypersonic velocities. Although there are jet engines capable of powering aircraft at hypersonic speeds, they are impractical for use during takeoff and landing. Consequently, the SR-72 necessitates an engine that can seamlessly handle both phases of flight.

Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs, famously known as “Skunk Works,” is the birthplace of the SR-72. This hypersonic demonstrator aircraft is part of an ambitious effort to dominate future warfare skies. The aircraft’s design foregoes the need for a human pilot, a revolutionary step that could fundamentally transform military aviation operations.

But the SR-72 is not merely about speed; its ability to carry and deploy hypersonic weapons at an unprecedented rate offers a formidable offensive capability. This platform, if it lives up to its potential, could reach targets or gather crucial intelligence across continents in mere hours. The SR-72 could travel from the US to Europe in around 90 minutes, creating new paradigms for rapid response and global surveillance.
...

MSN

www.msn.com