The Ultimate Military Combat Aircraft & All Others Thread (All Topics).

[GoMig-21]

I wanted to open a thread about all types of military & combat topics, from fighters to hand guns and everything in-between so that there is a place to post anything anyone wants to show or talk about at any time related to the large field of combat in general. I actually wouldn't mind even civilian aircraft and civilian platform of their military counterparts. I think it will help condense things a little bit and avoid some unnecessary misc. threads on obscure subjects opened up and lost in the abyss of threads that is PDF. That way you can just throw them in here if you like. Just another option since I also have a bunch of pictures from different topics that could relate to many separate threads, but they would be better here where almost anything goes. Hopefully Moderators will be ok with this @Mr X @Waz let me know if this is cool or not and we can fix.

You can post pics of aircraft (combat & civilian), ships (combat & civilian) discuss either or. Post historic warfare stories from ancient times to the World Wars to the Cold War to the present and into the future - anything you like. I think it could be akin to a "Military Chill Thread", if you will, and if Mods think that might be a better title, pls advise.

I have a bunch of airshow pics I've taken through the many years that I've been fortunate enough to get up really close and personal to fighter jets like the F-14, F-16, F-15 and many others heck I even sat inside the intake of an F/A-18 Super Hornet haha and much more through the past 45+ years that I've been interested in this kinda shtuff. I'll start out with this crazy ass 9-ship, afterburning, low-altitude, crisscrossing showdown by the Denmark Air Force which is getting ready to deliver the first batch to Ukraine. I think this was something related to that.
Straight up, this is freaky awesome!

Aviation history is just superb and something I really enjoy. In 1939, 84 years ago last week Igor Sikorsky demonstrating his invention, a helicopter prototype. This event took place on May 6, 1939, at the Stratford, Connecticut plant of the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. Sikorsky's successful demonstration marked a significant milestone in the development of helicopter technology and paved the way for the widespread use of helicopters in various industries, including transportation, search and rescue, and military operations. Igor Sikorsky's pioneering work in helicopter design and engineering continues to have a lasting impact on aviation to this day.



Although most think Sikorsky was the initial inventor of the helicopter with the above machine, the actual credit goes to Paul Cornu, a French bicycle maker, who is in fact credited with inventing the helicopter in 1907. His invention is the first helicopter as we know it today, and it managed to lift off the ground about 1 foot, for about 20 seconds.

In reality, the entire concept of the helicopter started with Leonardo Da Vinci.
This was Marquis Louis Pescara's invention. He's credited with inventing the cyclic (or "stick") controls which are the basics of helicopter controls as we know today. Much of the records of this incredible and not so well-known invention is described here.

 

[GoMig-21]

Tenerife Airport Disaster
March 27, 1977: Two Boeing 747s collided on the runway due to miscommunications and fog.
583 people died. One of the most incredible photos taken.

One of the craziest things you'll ever see.
August 12, 1985:
A Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 Flight 123 suffered an explosive decompression due to improper repairs, causing the vertical stabilizer to shear off and the inability of the pilots to eventually control the aircraft leading to its crash, killing all 520 passengers.

Saudi Arabia Airlines Flight 163
August 19, 1980: The plane caught fire after takeoff from Riyadh, and despite a successful emergency landing, delayed evacuation resulted in the deaths of all 301 on board. The fire originated in the aft cargo compartment and quickly spread, leading to smoke inhalation fatalities.

American Airlines Flight 191
May 25, 1979: Crashed shortly after takeoff from Chicago due to engine separation and subsequent damage to critical systems, killing all 273 on board. It remains the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.

Malaysian Airlines Flight 17
July 17, 2014: The plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine killing all 298 passengers on board. The missile was fired from a region controlled by pro-Russian separatists during the conflict in Ukraine.

Iran Air Flight 655
July 3, 1988: The plane was shot down by the USS Vincennes, mistakenly identified as a hostile aircraft, killing all 290 people on board. The incident occurred during heightened tensions in the Iran-Iraq War.

 

[GoMig-21]

SR-71's was far greater.

 

[GoMig-21]

The beautiful Hawker Hunter carrying 2 X 230 gallon and 2X 100-gallon tanks.

May 25th, 1963 – Jacqueline Cochran takes off from Edwards Air Force Base, California, to set a 100-km (62-mile) closed-circuit world speed record for women of 1,203.7mph in a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter.

Hellenic Air Force F-4 Phantom II
What I love about the HAF is how most of their fighters look like workhorses. They're not interested in pretty paint and colors because it's not important. What's important is the pilots training and skills and the aircraft's mission-capability at 100%. Can't help but admire that.

Perfect example of that! HAF F-16D Block 52 saying hello to a Spanish F/A-18.

 

[guangdongt]

Touching the retired Mig 19/j6，It has been abandoned for many years，I really like these old-fashioned supersonic jet planes, you can touch them from every corner from the inside out

 

[GoMig-21]

Touching the retired Mig 19/j6

This is exactly why I opened this thread! Great pics, ma man. Love seeing those unique experiences. If only that J-6 could talk, ey? BTW, is that in China?

 

[guangdongt]

This is exactly why I opened this thread! Great pics, ma man. Love seeing those unique experiences. If only that J-6 could talk, ey? BTW, is that in China?

Yes, in China, a long retired Mig19/J6 is placed on an unknown town square for children to play with

 

[GoMig-21]

Memorial Day today here in the United States and this day is the day that marks the official/unofficial first day of a really, really long, hot summer (not) or barely 2-1/2-3 lousy months lol, at least up here in the northeastern part of the United States. @Hamartia Antidote can attest to that since he lives in the same state of Taxachusetts as I do.

It's a day of rememberance of all the men & women who've given their lives to the service of this country going back to the days of the Revolution up to any special ops that are taking place today even. So it's a special day across this massive country with military appreciations.

As a result, saw a bunch of great pics today starting out with this B-2 Spirit with an amazing background. The thing looks like a mammoth crossbred with a bat!

You don't see this view from the top of side-by-side during refueling & replenishing USS

USS Theodore Roosevelt during replenishment.

The biggest & latest mama, Ronald Reagan.

I believe this is the USS WASP during replenishment. Loaded with Ospreys.

USS Nimitz.

 

[GoMig-21]

Saving Private Ryan has been playing constantly on Showtime the last 2 weeks straight. Same with First Blood a couple of great acting jobs by both, Tom Hanks and Sylvester Stalone who IMO does the best acting job in any movie I've ever seen. The scene at the end after he shoots Brian Denehy (Sherrif Will Teasle) through the roof and he's getting ready to kill him but then Colonel Trautman played by the great Richard Crenna screams at him and chews him out and Stalone breaks down in tears talking about his buddy who was blown up in Vietnam and his body parts were all over him and he kept saying "my friend is all over me he's all over me" and the crying wow. Talking to my son about that and we were trying to figure out if any of the big-time superstars of that level Robert Dinero, Pacino, Hanks, Denzel Washington, Mel Gibson, Russel Crowe any of them ever had a scene like that in First Blood and Stalone where they pulled of a most amazing acting performance. We couldn't find one. Although Denzel in Training Day at the end when Ethan Hawk had him figured out and he was yelling at the rest of the hood telling them he's the PO-LICE and drooling bloody shot up lighting up a cigarette comes close to Stalone, but not quite. Hanks in Saving Private Ryan or Forest Gump was unbelievable among many other greats he's in still doesn't have a Stalone First Blood emotional scene like that.

Anyone can think of one do tell.

 

[GoMig-21]

Some more Memorial Day shots.

 

[GoMig-21]

YF-16 February 2nd, 1974.

 

[GoMig-21]

This is the Ilyushin Il-102, aka the "most gorgeously ugly combat jet ever!" The boxy, low-winged, tail-gun touting Il-102 competed against the Sukhoi Su-25 to become the next Soviet CAS aircraft in the 80s. It bombed like its face! If anything should've been called Frogfoot, this should've been it! Looks just like a frog lol. Thank goodness the real Frogfoot won.

 

[GoMig-21]

Supposedly the museum is still there and is great.

 

[GoMig-21]

 

[Cryptonian]

The Twin Brothers of destruction.
White Swan and The Bone.