Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines

[storm5510]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

Chuck Yeager pilot, USAF, 97 years old
https://www.cnet.com/news/chuck-yeager-famed-test-pilot-who-broke-sound-barrier-dies-at-age-97/ I have seen him flying a Mustang, in formation with Bud Anderson, who he flew Mustangs with in WW2

Yeager was the only man to ever shoot down a jet with a piston airplane. He shot down a MiG during The Korean War. It was estimated that his P-51 Mustang was traveling just above 400 MPH. The Mustang's were fitted with British Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12's.

[kriesel]

Originally Posted by storm5510

Yeager was the only man to ever shoot down a jet with a piston airplane. He shot down a MiG during The Korean War. It was estimated that his P-51 Mustang was traveling just above 400 MPH. The Mustang's were fitted with British Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12's.

I'd like to see the flight video of that.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by storm5510

Yeager was the only man to ever shoot down a jet with a piston airplane. He shot down a MiG during The Korean War. It was estimated that his P-51 Mustang was traveling just above 400 MPH. The Mustang's were fitted with British Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12's.

I think P-51s were about as close as a prop plane can get to a jet. They are incredible just to see.

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Vi...p-51d-mustang/

[tServo]

Originally Posted by kladner

I think P-51s were about as close as a prop plane can get to a jet. They are incredible just to see.

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Vi...p-51d-mustang/

Yes, the Mustang is incredible. The prototype was rolled out only 102 days after the purchase agreement was signed.
I saw one in person and was amazed at how huge they were.

However, at the absolute end of the war, the Germans had a unique 2 engine fighter that was the fastest prop plane ever to see combat, the DO-335. The 2 engines were in-line and the plane was 35-50 mph faster than the Mustang.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dornier_Do_335

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by kladner

I think P-51s were about as close as a prop plane can get to a jet. They are incredible just to see.

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Vi...p-51d-mustang/

I was privileged to see a yellow P-51 "Mustang" being flown by a very skilled pilot at the Dupage County Air Show in the 1970's. He did amazing things with that plane up in the air, fancy banking and turning, and flying it straight up until it started to fall.

But the most heart-stopping thing he did wasn't when he was up high. He came down and made at least one low pass over the runway. Then... Flying low over the runway (and I mean just above the runway), he did a 360 degree roll. But he didn't just roll the plane. He rotated it in 8 (I think) discrete equal stages. Or was it 16? When the wings were pointing up and down, the bottom wingtip was so close to the ground, everybody went silent. I think we were all holding our breath.

Using Google to fill in some gaps, I find that the pilot was Bob Hoover (January 24, 1922 - October 25, 2016), who was at the Dupage County Air Show in July 1975. As a POW in WWII, he escaped by stealing a German plane and flying to freedom. Jimmy Doolittle called him "the greatest stick-and-rudder man who ever lived."

[kriesel]

Classroom description, followed by cockpit video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N99ZXhpgDRQ
(The video that will play following is about a crash report. Different plane.)

Multiple mounted camera flight video; mostly tail top.
https://youtu.be/G5CAK-PVIi0

Combat footage and interview with a pilot
https://youtu.be/zC4Xg987Lp0

More on Bob Hoover: https://www.historynet.com/the-pilots-pilot.htm

[storm5510]

Originally Posted by kladner

I think P-51s were about as close as a prop plane can get to a jet. They are incredible just to see.

Here is a link to a very short YouTube video. It is a P-51 traveling nearly 500 MPH. It has a planetary gear propeller setup giving it two props, each rotating in opposite directions. I imagine this is what causes the loud buzzing sound in the video.

[kriesel]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

flying it straight up until it started to fall.

Not much of a problem for the F16 near sea level, since its available thrust exceeds its nominal loaded takeoff weight. And for a while, the vertical acceleration increases, as the fuel tank gets lighter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genera...ighting_Falcon

[Uncwilly]

Wayne Handley had his Turbo Raven that could go straight up. I have seen him fly it straight up, stop, slide down, then take back off vertically. He also had enough power that he would do flat spins then power out of them. If you know about flat spins, powering out of them is counter-indicated. Normally it is power to idle then nose down.
https://youtu.be/q-pUww-khuI?t=519

[Uncwilly]

Also, watch a Sean D. Tucker video of the crazy things that he does in a plane.

[kriesel]

Narrated Bob Hoover aerobatics from the Shrike cockpit view, including 8-point roll with engines off. The occasional squawks are stall warnings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7R7jZmliGc