Warplane pictures, anyone? (Most have guns on board...:))

My Kinda Thread!!

Love Airplanes, love flying....Love guns!
DVD, way-to-go on the sticker on the Hog. That is one cool lookin' plane.
Not as sexy as the B-17, but cool lookin'.

Here is a photo of an A-6 Intruder that I took outside of the Boeing Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Here is a photo of an F-14 Tomcat that I took outside the Boeing Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Regards the F4F-2 that was crashed into Lake Michigan. The Lawerence Journal-World in Lawerence,KS within the last several weeks had articles on how this aircraft is now based at the local airport and yes it does fly. Unless of course there is more than one of these running around.

Could someone post a picture of a F4U Corsair? Thats my favorite WWII Warbird!

Question about WWII Fighters (p-40, p-51)

How did they pre-aim the ones with mulitple guns? Did they converge at a point in front of the plane (how far?)? Did they make more of a 'pattern'?

What kind of aiming device did the pilot have?

How far away was effective range?

how many rounds did they carry?

zahc ...

Check out a book entitled "Flying Guns World War II" by Anthony G. Williams and Dr Emmanual Gustin. It is an excellent book on the subject and it will answer your questions in explicit detail ...

And yes, the guns where set so that they converged but the actual shot pattern varied and depended on the distance from the target ...

Check this out. Pretty big file but worth it. Warthog in action baby!!!
http://ww2.a-10.org/A-10_ROTV_Final_High.avi

My favorite gunship picture:

And don't mess around!

Hellooooo Nurse!

{regains composure}


This is a great thread!

Remember, not only is that gun 16ft long, but the other end (the non-business end) is the size of a volkswagen.

LennyJoe,

Just watched the AVI...........PROVO...PROVO...ENCORE....ENCORE!!!!!

One of those missed Kodak moments

We were in the back yard of our home in Colorado Springs, CO, when we lived there, and I heard these aircraft coming so I looked up. They sounded real familiar and I thought "I hear Zeros". There, coming straight for us, were four Japanese Zeros in a diamond formation. One was in full battle dress, with gumballs, and the other three were less dressy but nicely done. I'm not an insignia afficianado so didn't know what I was looking at.

I understand that since the crash of one Zero several years ago, there are now only four operable Zeros left. It is rare to see them up, and even rarer to see all four, unless they are going to an air show or movie shoot.

I called their attention to my wife and neighbors, who were also out there. My wife said it gave her the chills to see and hear them and that it was a bit creepy. She noted that they sound exactly like they do in the movies. I told her there is no other engine on the face of the Earth that sounds like that Mitsubishi.

The significance of what they had just witnessed was lost on the neighbors but my wife thought it was really cool.

They flew over going West, turned South over I-25, and disappeared.

Other than the movies, those were the first Zeros I have ever witnessed aloft in my, then, 55 years. It was quite a thrill.

Another A10 gun pic.



Canadian F/A-18

Unisaw:
FYI, the A-6 Intruder doesnt have a gun, bombs only.

Zahc:
The pilots would tell the ground crew where they wanted the bullets to converge, some wanted all going through a quarter at 300 yards, others wanted a pair converging at 100 yards, another pair at 200, and the third pair at 300, etc (all guns fired when the trigger was pulled). The P-38 Lightning, with all of its guns (4 .50s and a 20mm, I believe) in the nose just fired straight ahead, IIRC. I dont know the sighting mechanism used. I believe it was the Mustang that carried 9 yards worth of linked .50bmg per gun (assuming ~1" per shell and 6 guns, thats ~2000 rounds), bombers only carried 1k of .50 per gun due to weight constraints.

Kharn

understand that since the crash of one Zero several years ago, there are now only four operable Zeros left. It is rare to see them up, and even rarer to see all four, unless they are going to an air show or movie shoot.

Click to expand...

My understanding is that there is only one maybe two flying Zeroes left (and that one maybe in a refurb/build right now) and that the rest of the "zeroes" seen at airshows are converted T-6 texans, the major operator of said conversion is the "Comemerative(confederate) Air Force" they have a group referred to as the "Tora Tora Tora gang" that fly T-6s and BT-13 trainers converted to look and many times fly like Zeroes, Vals, Kates etc. the majority of the aircraft that these guys fly ARE the aircraft used in the making of Tora Tora Tora.

if you saw a gaggle of zeroes, the odds are that at two of them were converted T-6s. i don't think there have been 4 flyable ones at one time much less one place, since sometime in the 50's

But Who knows it's been too long since i was ABLE to keep up with the Warbird community.

For some great aircraft pics...

http://www.airliners.net/search/?


They have pics of most everything that leaves the ground.

Detritus

You are correct. I thought there were four.

From: http://www.fantasyofflight.com/Aircraft/zero.htm

There is only 1 true original Zero flying in the world today and is displayed and flown at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California. Several rebuilds have been almost scratch built, from aircraft similar to this one, and are flying today with American-built engines. Original Japanese engines are almost impossible to find in a condition to be overhauled. Most recovered aircraft have significant corrosion because of the salty South Pacific environment. Little of the original metal is usable in aircraft that are to be restored to flying condition. Most of the Zero's seen in movies, such as “Tora, Tora, Tora†and “Pearl Harbor†are dolled up American AT-6 trainers. Real Zeros would fly much faster than the ones seen in Hollywood films.

Click to expand...

Cool virtual tour.

Take the Planes of Fame Museum virtual tour HERE

After selecting the hanger or building you want to see, simply place the cursor over the image, hold the left mouse button and rotate the image. Some images are also panable from floor to ceiling. Very nice zoom feature also.

The list of the aircraft they have is at http://planesoffame.org/Aircraft List.htm

They have flights you can go on for a fee. When I was there several years ago, the fee to fly in the P-51 was $400 for a half hour.

And for all of you Porsche lovers out there, here's a chance to win one with odds of 1:500. Not bad odds at all. Tickets are $100. http://www.planesoffame.org/Prosche Contest.htm

The homepage is at http://www.planesoffame.org/

Glocksman, those canadian jets aren't for war, I mean the canadians have a warplane. Can't be. At least they wouldn't have any guns or bombs on them.

>>I could NEVER understand why people say the A-10 is an "ugly airplane". I think it's beautiful! It's quiet when it needs to be, can loiter over a site for a long time, and the pilot sits in a "bath tub" of titanium. And, most importantly, almost always brings the pilot home. AND, there's that gun. Seen the films of what that Vulcan does to a tank?<<

A friend of mine and I were flying our respective Cessna 172's to a paint shop so his could be painted. We were in loose formation just south east of Charlotte, NC. Looking over to my left I saw an A-10 cruise past in the opposite direction. As I watched, he went behind us, then came up on out right and as he cruised past he banked 90 degrees in front of my friend's plane as if to say, "Any time, any place" We could look straight down in the cockpit.

Really cool.