Military Aircraft

[1623]

I grew up with an appreciation for flight thanks to my father, and I quickly became enamoured with Vietnam era aircraft, a fondness that carries on to this day.

Aesthetically I find few that compare to this era, but there are others that I admire as well.

These are some of my all time favorites, I'm sure some of you have faves as well.

Grumman A6 Intruder Hands down my absolute all time favorite plane.


Fairchild Republic A10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog"


McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom II


General Dynamics F111 Aardvark


Republic F105 Thunderchief "Thud"


Hawker Siddeley Harrier


A.V. Roe & Co. (Avro) Vulcan Click to hear what is quite possibly the most evil and bad *** sound ever to be emitted from an aircraft.


Lockheed SR71 Blackbird


Sikorsky CH54 Tarhe "Sky Crane"


Bell AH1 Super Cobra

[DCDesigns]

Nice pics man! I grew up near an airforce base, being buzzed by f16s never really looses its thrill! I had one swoop down on a local shopping center, HAD to be breaking some sort of rule. I could literally see the guys face he was so close. The beagle that I had at the time just about had a heart attack.

[Bradley]

The F-117 Nighthawk has always given me that feeling of envy.

[charlesjohn]

all snaps are awesome...

[BAL]

Awesome pictures, 1623. I enoyed looking at them, thanks for posting.

[NYRich]

Nice photos of some great aircraft. I see the Blackbird every day on my way to work as it's on the deck of the Intrepid along with some other classics. That thing looks fast just sitting there. Anyone who has never visited the Intrepid Air and Space Museum is missing something special. This is a great time of year to see it as the summer crowds are gone.

Even though I'm a Vietnam era vet, my favorite planes have always been from WWII. Not only the American planes, but some of those of our enemies and allies were also easy on the eyes and technologically amazing for their time.

[1623]

Nice pics man! I grew up near an airforce base, being buzzed by f16s never really looses its thrill! I had one swoop down on a local shopping center, HAD to be breaking some sort of rule. I could literally see the guys face he was so close. The beagle that I had at the time just about had a heart attack.

Thank you.

I must admit that anytime I hear anything flying over our house, I run out on the deck to see what it is; I would have loved being in your shoes for a while.

Over the summer I went to an air show with my son and my Father (great day) and this year the Thunderbirds (F-16s) were the show closers. Last year the Blue Angels wrapped it up so I thought that my son would be well prepared for anything. Wrong.

If you've never seen the show, about half way through the team disappears and then one screams out of nowhere at a blistering speed at low altitude leaving a tremendous roar in its wake. Well, my son, even with his headphones on didn't see that one coming and it just about brought him to tears.

I felt horrible, but I was giddy like a little school girl at the chest rumbling I had just experienced.

The other thing that I find interesting at airshows is that even with all the ultra sleek, latest tech aircraft on hand, whenever the A10s spool up, everyone stops what they're doing and rushes to watch them taxi out and fly. They still command so much respect...it's impressive.

Awesome pictures, 1623. I enoyed looking at them, thanks for posting.

Thanks Bal, I'm glad you like them.

I had a few more, but didn't realize until I previewed my post that the limit is ten images. Perhaps one more post later to cap off my list :)

[phillipsted]

My all time favorite since I was a little kid is the Vaught F4U Corsair - one of the heros of the Pacific campaign. There is a beautifully-restored version hanging in the entranceway of the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Dulles, VA.

TedP

[Pinetreebbs]

I love them all. The X-15 is probably my favorite plane, followed closely by the SR-71. The following photographs were taken at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. If you like any aspect of aviation, it is a must visit location.

X-15 with an experimental scram jet engine:
WP-X15-PICT0059 by Pinetreebbs

SR-71 tailpipe:
WP-SR-71-PICT0064 by Pinetreebbs

[NYRich]

My all time favorite since I was a little kid is the Vaught F4U Corsair - one of the heros of the Pacific campaign. There is a beautifully-restored version hanging in the entranceway of the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Dulles, VA.

TedP

WOW! How did I forget the Corsair being among my favorite WWII aircraft? :eek:

[2cha]

My uncle was a bombardier/navigator in an F-15 out of Seymour Johnson. He used to tell me stories about pulling so many Gs that the blood vessels in his feet would pop and full up his boots with blood.

[BAL]

My uncle was a bombardier/navigator in an F-15 out of Seymour Johnson. He used to tell me stories about pulling so many Gs that the blood vessels in his feet would pop and full up his boots with blood.

That's fn crazy. Wow.

[jakemex]

the B-52

[Mako109]

I've had a long running fancination with the Ryan ST-A. Lovely lines. In civilian life it was a popular racer; in military life a trainer.

[img]<a%20href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/egbj/61956 ... 14986"></a>[/img]
2 seater version. Photo by G. Wasey

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34076827@N00/6238856186/" title="Ryan ST-A N14954 by Bill Larkins, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6115/623 ... 266d28.jpg" width="500" height="356" alt="Ryan ST-A N14954"></a> Another 2 seater.

[img]<a%20href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/egbj/62314 ... 14986"></a>[/img] A 1 seater version.

[NYRich]

the B-52

And it's little brother the B47. I actually got to fly from Plattsburg AFB to Dover in one of those suckers. Talk about awesome! The climb rate is like nothing I had ever experienced or ever will again.

I was a civilian at the time but had a "friend" at P'burg. Very much against procedure, but it ain't what you know, it's WHO you know.

What I really wanted was a backseat ride in a fighter....any fighter....but there was no chance of that happening so I just said thanks and enjoyed the **** out of it. :D

[1623]

My all time favorite since I was a little kid is the Vaught F4U Corsair - one of the heros of the Pacific campaign. There is a beautifully-restored version hanging in the entranceway of the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Dulles, VA.

TedP

You beat me to it Ted, the Corsair will be in my next batch of pics as well :)

Certainly one of the sexiest planes ever designed and built.

[marcdurant]

P-38 and B-17 !

[Jazz]

Great thread idea. I'm a huge military jet fan. I love the Warthog - so cool to see it perform in real life (we have an airshow here every year). Also, being Canadian, I love the F18. I fly them both on flight simulator. Here's a couple of pics...

A10...



F18 checking out some scenery...



I get goosebumps every time an F18 flies past at near the sound barrier. You see it, it goes by, then you hear it... awesome. Nice pics, by the way.

- best wishes, Jazz.

[OldSarSwmr]

My favorites are the P-38, the A-10, the B-25 and the "bleed air blimp" C-130.

I was primarily a rotorhead but was also a Dropmaster on C-130s. The helos I crewed on were the HH-3, HH-60 and the HH-65.
I used to think "They are actually paying me to do this!"

Great pics all.
Dan

[Samwise]

I remember this one time I was at an airshow...I think it was at Mather AFB...anyway, they were flying an F/A-18. Then out of nowhere, he flies out over the parking lot and hits the afterburners...and sets off all the car alarms. :D