SMOGZINN
Lifer
- Jun 17, 2005
- 14,359
- 4,640
- 136
http://freepages.genealogy.roo...20Morgan,%20Henry.html
(no that is not me, just an image I found on google)
(no that is not me, just an image I found on google)
I wish I could have flown in one so bad. That would seriously be about the only childhood dream come true. Sure flying in space is cool and all, but the SR-71 would be so much more of an amazing ride IMHO.
I wouldn't be surprised if the SR-71 could fly at 90,000 ft and engines in testing hit mach 4 in a burst/short duration. In unclassified tests the engines could hit Mach 3.6, so mach 4 wouldn't be a huge stretch.
It is one beast of a plane, and even if the Aurora does exist the SR-71 would still be the more awesome plane.
Ka-50 Black Shark "Hokum"
http://images.google.com/image...nG=Search+Images&gbv=2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4sewNvsbBc
http://images.google.com/image...nG=Search+Images&gbv=2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4sewNvsbBc
P-51 Mustang... Quite Possibly the greatest plane ever built.
Oh to be born in a different time and get to be a P51 pilot... with that Merlin engine purring (or roaring) mmmm
one can only dream.
Oh to be born in a different time and get to be a P51 pilot... with that Merlin engine purring (or roaring) mmmm
one can only dream.
How is that possible when a raptor has a 100% win ratio in all simulated dogfights with every fighter in the world?
Only problem is the Raptor is 60 years late to the party
Besides, the raptor will likely see little to no use, everyone is going to invest in the F35
Brovane
Diamond Member
- Dec 18, 2001
- 6,441
- 2,620
- 136
One of my all time favorite military weapon system (unfortunately never put into production) was the B-70 Valkyrie. What can you say about a plane that can cruise Mach 3+ and weighs over 1/2 million pounds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-70_Valkyrie
Another one of my favorites is the Leopard 2 tank. The US should have just bought Leopard 2 tanks instead of developing and producing the M1 Abrams. There is a reason that the Leopard 2 is so successful on the export market. It is just a great tank. The Germans know how to make great tanks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-70_Valkyrie
Another one of my favorites is the Leopard 2 tank. The US should have just bought Leopard 2 tanks instead of developing and producing the M1 Abrams. There is a reason that the Leopard 2 is so successful on the export market. It is just a great tank. The Germans know how to make great tanks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_2
It depends on your definition of 'greatest plane ever built'. If yours is the kill ratio, then you probably have your answer. There are other specific planes with an amazing kill ratio.
Personally, I look at greatest warplanes as ones which turned the tide during a conflict. The raptor was not pressed into service to perform a duty where prior planes could not.
kage69
Lifer
- Jul 17, 2003
- 31,620
- 48,246
- 136
Another vote for the P-51D Mustang, I've always been in love with that plane. I have a relative who built one and used to take it to airshows to fly - he actually owns a Mustang, how cool is that? And he's Wade Boggs' brother too!
I must confess though, the new M110 is giving the Mustang some competition in my book though. I'd love to spend some time at a range with one of those, I heard the 10th Mountain had all kinds of fun with them in Afghanistan.
I must confess though, the new M110 is giving the Mustang some competition in my book though. I'd love to spend some time at a range with one of those, I heard the 10th Mountain had all kinds of fun with them in Afghanistan.
P-51D/Spitfire/Fw-190 in that order.
There's just something so graceful and beautiful about prop planes and these were the best of the best for sure.
Here's a pretty badass video of a Spit:
NSFW- Language) but it's great
There's just something so graceful and beautiful about prop planes and these were the best of the best for sure.
Here's a pretty badass video of a Spit:
NSFW- Language) but it's great
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
Give me my SR-71 instead
The SR-71 is like the Pony Express, lots of sex appeal... but obsolete from the begining.
Brovane
Diamond Member
- Dec 18, 2001
- 6,441
- 2,620
- 136
Originally posted by: Train
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
Give me my SR-71 instead
The SR-71 is like the Pony Express, lots of sex appeal... but obsolete from the begining.
Why do you say the SR-71 was obsolete from the beginning? It was in service for 32 years which is not a bad service life.
rudder
Lifer
- Nov 9, 2000
- 19,441
- 86
- 91
The P-51 was a beautiful airplane and one of the best. But in reality 1 bullet could take it down... liquid cooled engines are like that. Now the P-47 Thunderbolt... that was a plane. Ugly and big.. but it was the first flying tank... a precurser to the A-10 warthog. The think could get several cylinders blown off and keep flying. Due to its ground attack role though the missions did have a high fatality rate.
Originally posted by: Brovane
Originally posted by: Train
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
Give me my SR-71 instead
The SR-71 is like the Pony Express, lots of sex appeal... but obsolete from the begining.
Why do you say the SR-71 was obsolete from the beginning? It was in service for 32 years which is not a bad service life.
Because by the time it was in service, it couldn't do much that a satelite couldn't.
Brovane
Diamond Member
- Dec 18, 2001
- 6,441
- 2,620
- 136
Originally posted by: Train
Originally posted by: Brovane
Originally posted by: Train
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
Give me my SR-71 instead
The SR-71 is like the Pony Express, lots of sex appeal... but obsolete from the begining.
Why do you say the SR-71 was obsolete from the beginning? It was in service for 32 years which is not a bad service life.
Because by the time it was in service, it couldn't do much that a satelite couldn't.
When the SR-71 was introduced in 1966 it could to a lot that a satellite couldn't do. The early spy satellites didn't have digital imaging. The only way to get pictures back to Earth was to use a film return vehicle and most only had 2-5. So basically the satellite could only return 2-5 sets of pictures back to Earth and it was done. It wasn't until 1976 that the US started having Spy Satellites (KH-11) that had digital imaging. The SR-71 in 1966 could take pictures that you could read license plate numbers with. It took even longer after 1976 before the spy satellite cameras could match that resolution. Also the SR-71 didn't just take pictures it also had a side-looking radar and a system to gather Electro Magnetic Reconnaissance system to gather electronic signal data from example enemy radar systems. Basically one of the things they would do if they wanted to gather data on some of the latest Soviet fire control radars they would fly a mission on a Sunday. The SR-71 would come barreling in at Mach 3+ towards a major Soviet Naval base and at the last minute turn before it entered Soviet Air Space. The Soviets would scramble everything and light up there fire control radars and the SR-71 would gather that electronic data. They did this on Sundays so you would usually have green operators who where not smart enough to know what the Americans where doing. Also Spy Satellites are predictable, a SR-71 mission is not. Basically a SR-71 can be directed to take photos of any objective on short notice. A satellite cannot match this flexibility.
The SR-71 flew sorties almost every week over Vietnam to gather vital intelligence. The SR-71 could fly over North Vietnam without having to really be concerned about being shot down. The SR-71 was also called up during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 to gather intelligence. What is interesting is that both sides shot at the SR-71 without any effect. The SR-71 was also used in 1986 after the Libya Raid to gather photos for bomb assessment. Hours after the raid when all of Libya Air Defense was on alert a single SR-71 flew right into Libyan air space and took photos of the damage. No other Air Craft at the time was capable of flying this mission and surviving. The capability of the SR-71 has now been replaced by UAVs and more advanced satellites but only after the SR-71 had seen over 20+ years of service. The SR-71 was hardly obsolete from the beginning. Even at the end the SR-71 had a high survivability even in high threat environments which says a lot about a plan designed in the late 1950's early 1960's.
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