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yo
climber
Mudcat Spire
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Oct 13, 2012 - 12:44am PT
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 15, 2012 - 08:35pm PT
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CAUTION - Aviation Porn!
I flew over the Skunk Works one day and looked down to see 6 or 7 'Sleds'
waiting to have new cassette decks put into them. That was pretty cool.
Do click on this link if you want to read an excerpt from Sled Driver.
You know you want to - the dood takes his ride beyond Mach 3.5!!!!
Sled Driver
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Oct 15, 2012 - 11:08pm PT
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The navigation system uses three telescopes to track stars, is completely analog and about as accurate as a modern GPS system. Every bit as amazing as a Norden bomb sight or the fire control computer on a WWII battleship.
A cart with a big block chevy to start it, (the round bump on the bottom of the engine nacelles is for the starter hookup)
http://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/startercart.php
They have one out at the March AFB museum, I think it's still there. The most impressive thing are the seals on the control surfaces. I don't think there's room for a matchbook cover between them. How that thing went through the kind of thermal expansion it did and still had anything move is really amazing.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Oct 15, 2012 - 11:34pm PT
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Oh Holy Crap! That's my favorite airplane of all time! What a great link to the book, too!
I've seen only one Blackbird "up close and personal" at the Evergreen Air and Space Museum in McMinnville, OR. What a bird for "bird lovers," just sitting there under the wing of the Howard Hughes "Spruce Goose."
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Oct 16, 2012 - 07:52am PT
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I once attended the pre op workup of an SR71 at RAF Mildenhall, met the pilot, listened to the ops brief and then watched the thing light up the sky as it headed off on a dank Autumn day.
Exploited the imagery the next day, All in all an amazing thing to be part of - even if ground based.
Steve
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Oct 16, 2012 - 09:57am PT
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I always thought the SR71 had a beautiful but sinister aura about it; for sheer beauty, the F104 Starfighter was in a class by itself.
One thing about the "skunk Works" designs: they were all aesthetic masterpieces, and looked perfect for the roles they were intended to play.
Lockhheed also built the Constellation airliner, which was a beautiful design.
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Oct 16, 2012 - 10:56am PT
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Functional design - if it looks right, it probably is!
Steve
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 16, 2012 - 10:58am PT
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For those that read the excerpt didn't you love the part where he pulls the
throttles back over Sicily and still overshot the tanker at Gibraltar?
"Honest, officer, I guess I just wasn't paying attention."
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Oct 16, 2012 - 11:40am PT
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I believe the turn radius on a Blackbird was about 150 nm. Talk about an aerodynamic marvel!
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Karen
Trad climber
So Cal urban sprawl Hell
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Oct 16, 2012 - 01:10pm PT
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Awesome Reilly!!!
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Oct 16, 2012 - 02:43pm PT
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A long and winding road: 3.8 billion miles and a trunk full of memories later, NASA's Cassini spacecraft celebrates 15 years since launch. More info: http://1.usa.gov/R1DzHb
This graphic shows Cassini's orbits around the Saturn system.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Oct 18, 2012 - 01:12am PT
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This is one absolutely amazing remote controlled [RC] model airplane.
Not only did they build its jet engines, but included a retractable landing gear, and built it into a fully scaled model of the SR-71 "Blackbird" that flies just like the real McCoy. This SR-71 model was built by an Engineer/RC enthusiast in Germany.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=SDbQ5xvsrIU
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Oct 27, 2012 - 07:39pm PT
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http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/10/air-force-b-52-turns-60-has-lots-life-left-102112w/
Since it first entered service in April 1952, the B-52 has been updated numerous times, replacing much of the original technology that is now obsolete, such as vacuum tubes,
In fiscal 2012, the mission-capable rate for the B-52H was 78.3 percent even though the bomber’s average age is 50.8 years — blowing the doors off the B-1B’s 56.8 percent mission-capable and the B-2A’s 51.3 percent mission-capable rate.
Damn thing is almost as ancient as I am.
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perswig
climber
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Oct 27, 2012 - 08:41pm PT
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A new addition recently flew in to the Owls Head Transportation Museum.
Anyone recognized it?
Apparently, a crosswind surprised the delivery pilot into a wingwobble at touchdown. He didn't feel anything, but the museum crew found scuffing on the tip of the port aileron. No damage to the wing fabric, though...
A sporterized Pitcairn Mailwing, original powerplant (air-cooled Wright Whirlwind).
The life of a mail pilot - flying by AAA road maps, keeping a crib sheet of mountain elevations. When grounded by weather or a crash, flagging down a train with a flashlight to hand off the mailbag to the next town.
Dale
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 28, 2012 - 01:52am PT
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Some really badass posts here guys! LOVE the foamjet!
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Oct 28, 2012 - 04:59am PT
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The rockstar line at Chamonix.
Look for the climber in the dihedral a couple seconds after they jump.
"3.. 2.. 1.. See ya!"
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Damn, I wish that I was younger and my shoulders didn't pop out of their sockets....
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jbar
Mountain climber
urasymptote
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Oct 29, 2012 - 01:56pm PT
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I thought this video was incredible. Especially the film angles and how close to the ground he is flying/falling.
http://vimeo.com/50006726
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