When wars were colder, planes were cooler!

Yup, that’s a KA-50 Hokum! Classic single seat Russian attack helicopter. Interestingly, it was designed to fly in a “wolfpack” of about 8 helicopters, with one of these:

The KA-52 Alligator has, apparently, many interchangeable parts and custoemrs can choose one, the other, or a combination/hybrid of both.

I Always like the Kamov bureau’s way of solving the problem of torque in a helicopter. No need for a gearbox or tail rotor of any sort, just cancel out the main rotor with _another_ rotor.

If you’re going to post a picture of a plane with a dish, at least post a picture of one of our planes with a dish!

Not sure how ‘Cold War, but how about:

PA48 Enforcer (Turbo-prop Mustang):
http://www.military-aircraft.org.uk/bombers/piper-pa-48-enforcer.htm

and Twin Mustang:
http://www.strategic-air-command.com/aircraft/fighter/f82_twin_mustang.htm

and you can get a radio controlled model!
http://www.nitroplanes.com/ptwmu4070nig1.html

Another great workhorse (my wife’s uncle flew these in WWII, and we have a friend whose uncle flew them too): Catalina:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67307569@N00/1469304580/

Oh, yes: loved the F5, too! Beautiful thing. Had an Airfix model of one of those.

Anyone remember the Dinky aircraft: I have a Harrier and a Jaguar, still boxed, somewhere. <Goes to look for them>

Not to mention the highly collectable Matchbox aircraft: little silver things with red props. Anyone got a complete Mayo Composite? Look after it: it’s rare as anything!

there really is some loooooverly hardware in this thread.

Nom nom nom

I think just about everyone that had Airfix model planes as a kid made an F5 (or an F20) at some point. You know, I think I have some of my old airfix models in a box somewhere in my garage. I think a search is in order.

Oh yes, for all those A-10 fans, the Tamiya 1:48 scale kit is apparently _the_ best kit you can get for the marque. They even do decals for the 81st TFW (based at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge).

I would highly recommend this link (http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=TA61028) as a place to get it from (it’s where I got my kit from) and http://www.hannants.co.uk as a place to spend some time browsing.

Somerset (saw lots of radars and comms equipment),

Willard – That’ll be RAF Locking (RIP) then, my first posting on joining the RAF.

Speaking of Locking, they used to have one of these on the gate.

Still my favorites though,

Yup. That would be the place. It’s always a shame to hear of stations closing. The First plane would be a Gnat yes? Precursor to the Hawk (as far as the Red Arroms are concerned)?

Interestingly, I’ve stayed at Laarbruch as well (Easter 1990) and saw a lot of 15 & 16 Sqdns (GR1’s) and 2 Sqdn (GR1.a’s). There was a fourth squadron, but for the life of me I can’t remember what it was. As it happens, I found a picture of me and the rest of the cadets standing in front of a 16 Sqdn Tornado the other day. Happy days.

*ducks*

Originaly designed in the 70’s, so it qualifys:

Taken by me flying over baghdad. Better than any rollercoaster.

Did you bash your head getting out TM?

The doors on the Blackhawk are quite low, as I found out in Bosnia many years back.

😳

No, but I did see a few people do the same. Always worth a giggle.

Don’t think anyone’s named these yet:

A Rooivalk and an Agusta A129 Mangusta.

Rooivalk is based on Aerospatiale Super Puma dynamic components (MRB’s, engines, tail rotor), a necessity based on its early development being during the days of the embargo.

This is the coolest thread. Despite being a paid-up pacifist, since reading this (all of it!) I have discovered I think warplanes are cool. Odd.

I’ve no pictures to add I’m afraid – I do have some photos at home somewhere of the Blackbird, taken a few years ago in California. Can’t remember the name of the base (or museum, can’t remember what the place actually is) its at, but its out in the desert near the Joshua Tree national park. The plane itself is kept right next to the fence, so you can have a good look at it without going in.

nice one sootyandjim

Not really, marks me as a bit of a rotary geek. 😳

Like this?

Just had a thought: anyone found Davis-Monthan Airbase on Google Earth? Loads of aircraft sitting in the desert…

Not sure how to post a link to a spot on Google Earth here, but if anyone can tell me I’ll be happy to give it a go…

Yay – RAF Locking!

I spent a couple of years trade training there – I met my wife whilst we were both drunk in Stars nightclub in Weston super Mare (oh the glamour of it all!).

But being a ground trade, we always took great pride in not knowing or caring which plane was which; which can be embarrasing even to this day when people ask: “you were in the RAF, what sort of plane is that?”… “Umm, a green one?”. 🙁

Since Locking was closed, someone has bought the old water tower to convert to a fancy bachelor pad; unfortunately he hadn’t bought access rights, and so he can potentially only go home in a helicopter…

No, not that sort.

(Ex) this sort,

Tarka – Stars nightclub, classy. 😉

At least it wasn’t The Sands or The Imperial though.

Did you buy some chicken and chips from the place next to Arc Taxis before joining the queue for the long wait in punch-up city?

I Always like the Kamov bureau’s way of solving the problem of torque in a helicopter. No need for a gearbox or tail rotor of any sort, just cancel out the main rotor with _another_ rotor.

Is the way lots of model helis work. Though I think in a full sized one it actually increases the complexity, since instead of a gearbox small extra driveshaft and tail rotor you have a gearbox, big extra co-axial driveshaft and full swash plate system. AFAIK the main point is to decrease the footprint of the rotating bits

Had this no parked outside my office window last week but one.

Bloody massiiiiivvvveeeee!!!!

No more than 100yrd away.

and i used to work with the guy who built and owned that Chitty chitty bang bang.

He went through loads of hassle with disney and MGM over copyright etc.

Has the XB-70 Valkyrie had a mention yet? Who cares – here’s a pic. Awesome.

Ha ha!

I’d forgotten about that god-awful takeaway next to Arc Taxis, it was always either there, or Food on Fire around the back of B’s Nightclub.

I LOVED Sands, it’s the only nightclub that I’ve ever visited that had a fully functioning tea shop next door that was open through the night – so at about 1 o’clock in the morning, when I’d had enough beer and dancing for a few minutes, I could go next door for a pot of tea and some scones!

So you were TSW? I was being posted to TCW, which is why I put my PVR in 1998 – I thought it might be good fun, but I didn’t think the long stints away each year would do my married life much good 🙁

What have I created….? 😀

TCW eh? Two C*nts and a Wireless.

I never worked with TCW that much as they were predominately MOB based, we usually had 21 Sigs operating alongside us, far from the MCSU food tents and hot showers. The only time I worked alongside TCW was at Ali Al Salem whilst on Op Bolton.

(Grrrrr, I love sleeping in muddy holes). 😆

Already mentioned – SU-27 just struck me as the most stunning thing to take to the skies, I think it was the “tail” something I’d never seen or thought I would see between the 2 jet engines.

Then it’s back to WW2 for me and the mosquito – love to have a ride in one (After that I always have a soft spot for the Anson Mk1 – because in the middle of my model plane building phase it was stuck in the shop for ~4 years before I bought it just to get rid of the bloody thing and the space it was taking up on the shelf).

CFH

a very good thread, that is what you have created

And some people think the apache is ugly:

Mi-28

The Vulcan

and Phantom are my favourites.

TCW eh? Two C*nts and a Wireless.

I’ve worked with them, when testing out kit I’d fitted to one of the things I’ve posted a piccy to in this thread…

That Mi-28 looks like an angry beaver (the animal) or maybe a ground hog.

Such beautiful things, created for such terrible reasons… 😐

I went through Locking in 97/98 and have many fond memories of Montana Joes and Steamrock. I don’t think there was a much better station in the RAF.

Best thread ever!

Oi! Less talk, more pictures of Cold War era planes you lot!

Have we had a U2 yet?

The one that “never existed”… The F-19 Stealth Fighter

Looked amazing!

…awesome…