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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, March 25, 2004 3:28 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

"The Flying Bedstead"

This is one NO ONE will get...


the bead in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks"

or the first VTOL aircraft experiment


OK I'll give you this one,

The VTOL is right and once again i keep forgetting that the same nickname can apply to more than one aircraft. That VTOL the one that the astronuats trained on and almost killed Niel Armstrong?

the "Flying Bedstead" I was refering to was the Fairley Swordfish.
Britains most common carrier based plane throughout the war. A bi-wing open cockpit wire braced throwback to WWI. It looked like a flying bedstead, so the pilots called it. The Brits never developed a replacement for it prior to the outbreak of war but they soon discovered it had some unique advantages that allowed it to remain usefull right up to VE day. Seems that when the Germans rearmed and rebuilt their navy, they designed evrything around the latest technology. High flying high speed aircraft needed high altitude high speed AA guns to match, just like the Americans were developing. When the war broke out the germans had the most advaced navy in the world. Best example is the breakout and sinking of the Bismark. When the Royal Navy carreir Ark Royal finally caught up with the Bismark, she sent her air wing of old bi-planes to attack. the pilots soon knew they had an advantage. First the Torpedo planes could fly lower, just above the wavetops, than the german guns could angle down to shot at. Dive bombing is where this plane shined. The pilots would throw the plane into a steep dive, 70 degrees or more knowing full well that all the posts, braces, wires, and all would create so much drag that the plane speed would reach a maximum and could easily be controled. the german guns were designed for American fighters, there fire control was too advanced and could not cope with the slow planes, They actually shot past them and hit everything above them but the Swordfishes. The pilot could then almost expertly pick his target drop, then scramble away just over the wavetops.
There was another incident between the Swordfish verses the Luftwaft worth mentioning. during the search in Norway for another German b-ship, the Tirpitz, While searching the inlets for the ship, the British Swordfishes spotted a squadron of Folk Wolfe's , the british fled into the narrow fjords on the deck with the Wolfe's behind them. All of the Swordfishes made it back thru narrow inlet, none of the Wolfe's did...

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Posted by dharmon on Thursday, March 25, 2004 3:36 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

"The Flying Bedstead"

This is one NO ONE will get...


the bead in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks"

or the first VTOL aircraft experiment


OK I'll give you this one,

The VTOL is right and once again i keep forgetting that the same nickname can apply to more than one aircraft. That VTOL the one that the astronuats trained on and almost killed Niel Armstrong?

the "Flying Bedstead" I was refering to was the Fairley Swordfish.
Britains most common carrier based plane throughout the war. A bi-wing open cockpit wire braced throwback to WWI. It looked like a flying bedstead, so the pilots called it. The Brits never developed a replacement for it prior to the outbreak of war but they soon discovered it had some unique advantages that allowed it to remain usefull right up to VE day. Seems that when the Germans rearmed and rebuilt their navy, they designed evrything around the latest technology. High flying high speed aircraft needed high altitude high speed AA guns to match, just like the Americans were developing. When the war broke out the germans had the most advaced navy in the world. Best example is the breakout and sinking of the Bismark. When the Royal Navy carreir Ark Royal finally caught up with the Bismark, she sent her air wing of old bi-planes to attack. the pilots soon knew they had an advantage. First the Torpedo planes could fly lower, just above the wavetops, than the german guns could angle down to shot at. Dive bombing is where this plane shined. The pilots would throw the plane into a steep dive, 70 degrees or more knowing full well that all the posts, braces, wires, and all would create so much drag that the plane speed would reach a maximum and could easily be controled. the german guns were designed for American fighters, there fire control was too advanced and could not cope with the slow planes, They actually shot past them and hit everything above them but the Swordfishes. The pilot could then almost expertly pick his target drop, then scramble away just over the wavetops.
There was another incident between the Swordfish verses the Luftwaft worth mentioning. during the search in Norway for another German b-ship, the Tirpitz, While searching the inlets for the ship, the British Swordfishes spotted a squadron of Folk Wolfe's , the british fled into the narrow fjords on the deck with the Wolfe's behind them. All of the Swordfishes made it back thru narrow inlet, none of the Wolfe's did...


Ahhh yes, It was a US Navy exchange pilot flying a Brit PBY provided by the US under lend lease that spotted the Prinz Eugen the Bismarck's partner.....The swordfish could actually be credited with the Bismarck's destruction. The one successful torpedo hit jammed one of her rudders (a one in a million shot) causing her speed to be reduced, allowing the Home Fleet to run her down.

I see you know your planes sir!
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 25, 2004 3:38 PM
Here is one with a railroad angle.

The Flying Boxcar, ok go for it, any guesses?

Dan you cannot guess. Too much aircraft knowledge for our lowly minds.
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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, March 25, 2004 3:38 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Okay.....Mr smart guy....

Slow underhand pitch across plate......Wooden wonder (WWII)

and some more just for fun......non WWII

Scooter

Harley

***

Devil's Cross


Hmm...

Scooter...what my nephew rides

Harley...what my bro-in-law has parked in his garage ( he just likes to look at it)

***..some TV show on Cable, *** guy for the striaght eye?

Devil's Cross...Thats a cool Heavy Metal band that plays at the Green Door...

I Give, you got me on these...

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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, March 25, 2004 3:41 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

Here is one with a railroad angle.

The Flying Boxcar, ok go for it, any guesses?

Dan you cannot guess. Too much aircraft knowledge for our lowly minds.


It was a cargo plane from the 50's, twin boom rudder looked like a P-38 with a wieght problem...cant remember who made it though...

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Posted by dharmon on Thursday, March 25, 2004 3:41 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

Here is one with a railroad angle.

The Flying Boxcar, ok go for it, any guesses?

Dan you cannot guess. Too much aircraft knowledge for our lowly minds.


See the weather thread for this answer
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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, March 25, 2004 3:42 PM
This is specific to a single airplane...

Fat Albert...

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Posted by dharmon on Thursday, March 25, 2004 3:49 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Okay.....Mr smart guy....

Slow underhand pitch across plate......Wooden wonder (WWII)

and some more just for fun......non WWII

Scooter

Harley

***

Devil's Cross


Hmm...

Scooter...what my nephew rides

Harley...what my bro-in-law has parked in his garage ( he just likes to look at it)

***..some TV show on Cable, *** guy for the striaght eye?

Devil's Cross...Thats a cool Heavy Metal band that plays at the Green Door...

I Give, you got me on these...


Scooter was the A-4 skyhawk....very small and nimble

Harley was the A-7 Corsair II as it was explained to me....becasue after the scooter this seemed like a Harley and it was big hunk of Ameican metal that leaked profusely and required continuous care.

*** is an EA6B because it looks.....*** ........and the squadron designator is VAQ.....Q for electronic warfare....which has no q's in it ........hmmmm.....

Devils Cross is the A10, named by those who have been on the receiving end of it..
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Posted by dharmon on Thursday, March 25, 2004 3:52 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

This is specific to a single airplane...

Fat Albert...


I don't think's it fair that I answer this one.....But I know it.

How about Guppy?
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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, March 25, 2004 4:03 PM
Guppy was another transport plane, the Super Guppy still flies, had the largest fuselage to wing ratio of any plane I've seen. Douglass built it I beleive. They used to fly in and out of Long Beach Ca when I was a kid carrying Apollo and Saturn V componenets to Florida.

Scooter, Of course, the A4 , also called Hienemen's Hot Rod (my spelling) after its Skunkworks creator. It sounded familier but I didnt connect it.

The A10 was designated the Thunderbolt, but the pilots and crews affectionetly called it the "Wart-hog".

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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, March 25, 2004 4:06 PM
Here's a couple more...

BUFF...

Thud...

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Posted by dharmon on Thursday, March 25, 2004 5:44 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

Here's a couple more...

BUFF...

Thud...


They guppy used to come through Houston alot. The ESA has an aircraft along the same lines built by Airbus. Fat Albert.....since no one else'll bite...the USMC C130 for the Blue Angels.....right now, its probably either in Pensacola or El Centro for spring training. Heinneman's Hot rod...yup..one and the same...the plane is still amazing considering it was designed on a napkin...aviation urban legend has it...has a 720 degree per second rate of roll.

BUFF Big Ugly Fat Fellow.....or the Big Stick......another engineering marvel the B52......and the THUD ........F105 .......the basis for the original Wild Weasel SAM suppresion aircraft ....trolling for triple A........

both of which were used to bomb the RAIL yards in North Vietnam
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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, March 25, 2004 6:11 PM
I am among Giants here!

[bow][bow][bow][bow]

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Posted by passengerfan on Friday, March 26, 2004 7:55 AM
To return to the subject of Trains and Planes thought you would be interested to hear that CP Air in the early 1970's operated their Empress 747's with a railroad lounge on the upper level. The lounge featured an 1880's rail motif with brass lanterns etc. Lounge was for first class only and only lasted until airline passenger loads were sufficient to eliminate it and they were converted to additional coach seating at that time. Understand CP Air sold all of the decorations including lamps to railbuffs when the lounges were stripped and converted.
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Posted by pmsteamman on Friday, March 26, 2004 9:55 AM
I dont know much about planes, but when I was a kid I jumped off the roof of our house. All I got was a real quick to the ground and a peskey twitch.
Highball....Train looks good device in place!!
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Posted by jchnhtfd on Friday, March 26, 2004 10:01 AM
Oh dear. Let's see. Flying Boxcar was the Fairchild C-82, although the name was also applied to the Fairchild C-119. The latter being the noisiest airplane (inside) that I have ever been on. The Guppy and Super Guppy were modified Boeing 377's (I think modified from the military C-97 version, but I'm not certain on that one). BUFF is the Big Ugly Fat Fellow (or something else with an F_____ .. not for a family forum!) -- the B-52, and the Thud is the Republic F-105 Thunderchief.
Jamie
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Posted by SALfan on Friday, March 26, 2004 10:51 AM
The F105 Thunderchief, the plane that could kill stuff three ways - shooting it, bombing it, or falling on it (the latter being the most dangerous). My brother-in-law, a former military aircraft mechanic, called the A-7 "Slow Little Ugly F******". And trust me on this, you DON'T want to ask him how he enjoyed maintaining the electronics in the F4. Been there, done that, got the singed hair and blistered ears to prove it.
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Posted by dharmon on Friday, March 26, 2004 11:20 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by JOdom

The F105 Thunderchief, the plane that could kill stuff three ways - shooting it, bombing it, or falling on it (the latter being the most dangerous). My brother-in-law, a former military aircraft mechanic, called the A-7 "Slow Little Ugly F******". And trust me on this, you DON'T want to ask him how he enjoyed maintaining the electronics in the F4. Been there, done that, got the singed hair and blistered ears to prove it.


The F4 had electronics in it? Where'd they find room...huge blunt metal body, huge jet engines to propel blunt mass through air at ludicrious speed, seats for voice activated steering unit (pilot) and voice activated self loading baggage (RIO), and fuel to feed big jet engines filling rest of availble space.....no need for electronics the sight of it hurlting at you would be enough to scare away all but the most detemined enemy...

But as a testament to the airframe....the Japanese, Iranians (quite proficiently) and Israelis still use it.
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Posted by dharmon on Friday, March 26, 2004 11:47 AM
Okay and Dan's trivia aviation nicknames for today...................

1. Puff the Magic Dragon
2. Spooky
3. Dust Off
4. Sandy
5. Spad (not WWI)
6. Hoover
7. Kneecap

And bonus......what airplane was the Ruptured Duck
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Posted by vsmith on Friday, March 26, 2004 1:54 PM
At least I know one right of the bat...

Puff the Magic Dragon... a C-47 gunship used during 'nam as a ground support weapons platform. It had as I recall a bunch of 50 cal's and two Vulcan rotary guns. It would orbit around a target with ground directed targeting, and "PUFF" the target gets peppered with a hellofalotta-o-lead from all sides! Later "Puff" was transfered to a C130 along with a 75mm recoil-less cannon. Scary stuff to see in action...

Spooky - I'll take a stab...F117 stealth fighter because it can come out of no where with no warning.


And I know the bonus prize....

Ruptured Duck was the B-25 subject plane of the book "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" which took off from the carrier USS Hornet, bombed Tokyo, dispelling the belief that the Japanese homeland could never be touched. They flew on to China, crashed short due to fuel loss, and had a devil of a time avoiding the Japanese Occupation Force, a great many Chinese died to protect the American airmen, something the author never got over, my mom says one of the Ducks survivors was a nieghbor for a while (maybe the author but I'm not sure) back in the 50's or early 60's (not sure before my time). She said he eventually died, maybe suicide, from the experience.

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Posted by vsmith on Friday, March 26, 2004 2:00 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by JOdom

The F105 Thunderchief, the plane that could kill stuff three ways - shooting it, bombing it, or falling on it (the latter being the most dangerous). My brother-in-law, a former military aircraft mechanic, called the A-7 "Slow Little Ugly F******". And trust me on this, you DON'T want to ask him how he enjoyed maintaining the electronics in the F4. Been there, done that, got the singed hair and blistered ears to prove it.


The F4 had electronics in it? Where'd they find room...huge blunt metal body, huge jet engines to propel blunt mass through air at ludicrious speed, seats for voice activated steering unit (pilot) and voice activated self loading baggage (RIO), and fuel to feed big jet engines filling rest of availble space.....no need for electronics the sight of it hurlting at you would be enough to scare away all but the most detemined enemy...

But as a testament to the airframe....the Japanese, Iranians (quite proficiently) and Israelis still use it.


Wasnt this the aircraft that the bright guys with slide rules designed to be the most advanced fighter in the world, so advanced that they left off that ancient useless thing called a gun? So advanced that when the stand off missle's missed their target and that pesky Mig got them into a dogfight , the pilots were swearing that if they ever meet the rocket scientist that decided the didnt need no stinkin gun, they would personally kill him.[?]

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Posted by dharmon on Friday, March 26, 2004 4:07 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by JOdom

The F105 Thunderchief, the plane that could kill stuff three ways - shooting it, bombing it, or falling on it (the latter being the most dangerous). My brother-in-law, a former military aircraft mechanic, called the A-7 "Slow Little Ugly F******". And trust me on this, you DON'T want to ask him how he enjoyed maintaining the electronics in the F4. Been there, done that, got the singed hair and blistered ears to prove it.


The F4 had electronics in it? Where'd they find room...huge blunt metal body, huge jet engines to propel blunt mass through air at ludicrious speed, seats for voice activated steering unit (pilot) and voice activated self loading baggage (RIO), and fuel to feed big jet engines filling rest of availble space.....no need for electronics the sight of it hurlting at you would be enough to scare away all but the most detemined enemy...

But as a testament to the airframe....the Japanese, Iranians (quite proficiently) and Israelis still use it.


Wasnt this the aircraft that the bright guys with slide rules designed to be the most advanced fighter in the world, so advanced that they left off that ancient useless thing called a gun? So advanced that when the stand off missle's missed their target and that pesky Mig got them into a dogfight , the pilots were swearing that if they ever meet the rocket scientist that decided the didnt need no stinkin gun, they would personally kill him.[?]


[:-^] Yes that would the same plane.
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Posted by dharmon on Friday, March 26, 2004 4:11 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

At least I know one right of the bat...

Puff the Magic Dragon... a C-47 gunship used during 'nam as a ground support weapons platform. It had as I recall a bunch of 50 cal's and two Vulcan rotary guns. It would orbit around a target with ground directed targeting, and "PUFF" the target gets peppered with a hellofalotta-o-lead from all sides! Later "Puff" was transfered to a C130 along with a 75mm recoil-less cannon. Scary stuff to see in action...

Spooky - I'll take a stab...F117 stealth fighter because it can come out of no where with no warning.


And I know the bonus prize....

Ruptured Duck was the B-25 subject plane of the book "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" which took off from the carrier USS Hornet, bombed Tokyo, dispelling the belief that the Japanese homeland could never be touched. They flew on to China, crashed short due to fuel loss, and had a devil of a time avoiding the Japanese Occupation Force, a great many Chinese died to protect the American airmen, something the author never got over, my mom says one of the Ducks survivors was a nieghbor for a while (maybe the author but I'm not sure) back in the 50's or early 60's (not sure before my time). She said he eventually died, maybe suicide, from the experience.


Interesting story...that was kind of a mess. As tactically meaningless as it was it did rattle the Japanese enough to hold back aircraft from the front lines to protect the homeland..so it worked...

Spooky is the AC130 and there actually was an AC117 (flying boxcar) also...The F117 was known as the Wobblin Goblin cause it really isn't that manueverable.
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 27, 2004 1:22 AM
Actually the "flying boxcar" I was thinking about at the time is a fighter/bomber and not a cargo plane.

It just goes to show as some have already pointed out that one nickname can apply to more than one plane.

The ground troups like this planes because it carried a boxcar full of bombs and rockets and saved the [censored] of many infantry troops. And of course they were all very grateful. [:D]
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Posted by vsmith on Monday, March 29, 2004 10:43 PM
Razorback


Flying Brickyard

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 12:36 AM
Razorback--P47 Thunderbolt if memory serves.

Flying brickyard???

I hope the P47 is correct, because you can't spell memory without "emory!!"[:o)][:D][C):-)][:-^]
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Posted by dharmon on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 9:43 AM
The Razorback to be specific would be the P47C. The D variant had the bubble canopy and not the raised dorsal fairing that gave the Razorback its name....bith were also affectionately known as the Jug.


Brickhouse......any plane with Pamela Anderson on it.
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 3:07 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Brickhouse......any plane with Pamela Anderson on it.



CLEAR PROP [}:)] [:p] [;)] [:)] [:D]
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Posted by vsmith on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 4:39 PM
Finally got you guys on one!

Flying Brickyard..............The Space Shuttle!

Due to the covering of 1000's of ceramic insulating "Bricks" it earned that nickname.




PS way to go on the big # 2grand posting, Jim!

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 10:40 AM
I am a member of a military book club. In the most recent mailing I noticed they are selling a new version of the Monopoly game--Monopoly Century Of Flight. I won't be buying this version as I already have Monopoly United States Naval Edition. [:D] [:p] [;)]

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