Safe Speed Forums

Mach 5.92 for the original design, Mach 6.7 for the modified X15A-2

_________________
Chris

Armstrong flew the X-15 a few times.. he likes to talk about that part of his career more than his time with the Apollo program. Though of course most people like to talk to him about Apollo 11 !!

The X-15 was an amazing aircraft, and data obtained from these high speed, high altitude flights was used in some of the calculations and design of the space shuttle I understand ...

Andy

http://andrewcarson.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

I thought that too, especially with the PR9 being photo recon, as you righlty state.

With regards to the Buccaneer, another fantastic aircraft of which there are a few still flying thanks to the South African Government

http://www.incredible-adventures.com/capetown2.html

HAHA, fantastic and thanks for the link, just purchased it, not that I'll have any real use for it.

Regarding the X-15, I wonder if anyone has heard anything of the aurora,which was/is, a regular visitor to the UK and over Cumbria.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_aircraft

" Seismologists estimate that the aircraft were flying at speeds between Mach 5 and 6 (3,300-4,000 mph) and at altitudes of 8-10 km (26,200-32,800 ft).

If it exists, I'll eat my hat

_________________
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

And for those of you that don't know ---there's a Vulcan at Coventry Aviation Museum , close to Coventry Airport. It apparently landed using all the runway, so as far as I'm led to believe it could never take off.Have also noticed several times that clubs ( think it was the one at Wellsebourne near Quinton) taxi one at full and half power a few times a year - anyone interested (PM me )I'll keep my eyes peeled in our local supermart where I've seen this before.

_________________
lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

You dont mean that do you..

Aurora allegedly seen overflying the North Sea

Many reports of sightings of Aurora... did the US government ever admit the existence of stealth aircraft or that stealth technology even existed ??

Well no not till they had too


Denied evertything.. but people claimed to have seen the craft we now call the F117 , B2 etc... around Area 51 .

Wouldnt offer to eat my hat just yet

Andy

http://andrewcarson.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

Oh I'm pretty sure the hat is safe

_________________
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

I have fond memories of a back seat trip in a buccaneer, although they were almost always called pirates by those who flew them on a regular basis.

I remember being able to look up at some trees which on later inspection turned out to be not very big at all.

Who were in turn known as 'cowboys' by those who fixed them

_________________
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

Crikey, what i'd give for a ride in a Buccaneer! bet it took you a while for the smile to wear off?

Closest I got to a ride in a fast jet was at an ATC camp at wittering, had flu so was deemed unfit to fly *&@K %*^& $%(%^* etc. The chap who did get the trip emptied the contents of his stomach within the Harrier and so was not a popular bunny. To say I was gutted would be an understatement, still! ce la vie!

I would have thought that many people would feel a bit queasy in one of the planes under discussion (Vulcan / Lightning / Buccaneer / Harrier / etc.). How is it for the aircrew? Is it just that some people genetically don't experience motion sickness, or is it something you "get used to"... or is there some training you can do to "learn" not to throw up?
Just wondering.

Excellent thread, a real "boys" topic, jet planes, space travel etc!

_________________
p.s. I am still absolutely floored by Paul's death. May 2008 be the greatest ever for SafeSpeed. His spirit lives on.

Dont some people make you sick!

Did you know the Canberra was to replace the DH Mosquito? With the pedigree of THAT aircraft, it's small wonder it was able to fulfill so many roles in so many countries.

For those of you who enjoy this sort of thing.... linky

Use the links at the side to find other aircraft, missiles, and lots of other goodies!

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Just seen 2 Buccaneers, Canberras, Mosquito, Victor, ...............a bouncing bomb! And Lot's of info on WW2 UK airfields (existing) and those (long gone).

Where? Elvington Air Museum. No doubt you know it Ernest They seem to be a very informed friendly and enthusiastic group. I can't recommend them enough. For those who DON'T know, Elvington is about 8.5 miles S.E. of York. Please support them by paying them a visit, I know that "I'll be back".

What truly AMAZED me was Barnes-Wallis's Design for: "The Swallow". Conceived when he was an elderly man, in his 80's I believe, it makes Concorde look like a antique!

Yet another British inventor and Engineer NEVER fully recognised by his own Country (likewise Frank Whittle)....

Sorry..... I'm drifting!.......

Oh! Ernest..... Isn't there another (grounded but working) "Lanc" somewhere nearby on a farm near there (a former airfield) owned by two brothers? If anyone knows, you will.....

It's not so grounded any more!

I'll try and find the details of it's whereabouts. It was owned by two brothers (farmers) and they kept/restored it as a memorial to their brother who was killed in the war.

In 1998, I was asked to copy an old photograph featuring several of 617 squadron, including Guy Gibson.
"Johnny" Johnstone's son has a unit in the yard where I work, and I do engraving work for him. This weekend, while hunting out some old pictures, I found the copy I had made of the one of 617 squadron, and so was able to give him a copy too.
HE has a fuse/timer from one of the bouncing bombs! I hope to get a look at it some time - and hope it's inert!

Have I posted this already....? http://www.flyingboatsonline.org
They had a 2 day exhibition in Windermere this weekend, and it was PACKED! They are now looking for a room in our local library to extend the time!
I used to have a live .300 claw eject round fished up out of the lake at White Cross Bay - and several of the pictures on the site are ones I copied for a relative some years ago - the main one being the picture of the hangar with a boat and three kids - left to right, my Aunty Margaret, and Uncles David and Mike. I got a real shock when I saw it online!

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Ahhh, a backie in a Harrier T4, I remember it well
Across the peak district, going DOWN the side of valleys. Return to Wittering for a few hovers and VTOs, fantastic.
And NO vomit either

_________________
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

I was always envious of the buccaneer crews, they were slow but it didn't feel slow at low level. In faster aircraft you are always at much greater altitude with little or no impression of speed.

Naval aviators don't usually have much trouble with motion sickness. When the bunk you sleep in is always rolling or pitching, and often both, the inner ear gets lots of stimulation. In any event there is little time for crew to think about feeling ill, its passengers on familiarisation trips that usually suffer.

The aviation medcine facility at farnborough had a desensitisation device. I never saw it, but believe it was a chair that moved back and forth a few feet on rails. The surrounding walls, marked with stripes, went up and down or oscillated. The idea being to get the inner ear used to receiving different signals than the eyes were. The range of motion being increased a little on every use. The one person I know who used it was able to complete basic training afterwards, which would not have been possible without it.

As Draco says, Elvington is an excellent day out and the Barnes-Wallis section would be an excellent exhibit even on its own. I so want that massive Lancaster model at the far end of the hut.

That fits most of the buccaneer crews I knew.

Any mosquitos still flying? The last one I saw airborne was in about 1965 or so. They were target towing across Lyme Bay to give the navy some live firing practice. I seem to remember they were based at Exeter in a CAACU.

Don't know if you have seen this before, lots of info about old airfields.
http://www.homepages.mcb.net/bones/06ai ... ukmenu.htm


Have you seen the memorial at J20 of the M1? For those who haven't its a half size stainless steel replica of the Gloster Whittle E38 at a 45 degree angle as if taking off. There is also a bronze bust of Whittle in the town centre.