Abandoned Aircraft Photos

[winsor68]

what is this one:

With the long nose leg it looks a naval craft?

It's a Cutlass... it was a short lived US Navy fighter.

 

 

[willedoo]

That was the first built Buran that was destroyed in the collapse, the only one that went into orbit. I think the one I posted above is K2 , which was never completed.

 

Not sure which variant this one is. It's at MAKS, maybe 2011. They painted it on one side visible to the public, but the photographer made his way around the other side for a photo.

 

 

 

.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I just read up about the Buran programme. The one pictured in the collapsed hangar was actually the only Russian shuttle to go into space - in 1988 it was launched unmanned, boosted into space on a "disposable" Energia rocket, did 2 orbits of the Earth then landed back at Baikonur cosmodrome - in a 61 km/h crosswind! Did I mention - unmanned. In 1988.

 

This of course led on to reading about the amazing aircraft designed, in part, to carry this shuttle - the Antonov AN-225.

 

 

[Happyflyer]

I just read up about the Buran programme. The one pictured in the collapsed hangar was actually the only Russian shuttle to go into space - in 1988 it was launched unmanned, boosted into space on a "disposable" Energia rocket, did 2 orbits of the Earth then landed back at Baikonur cosmodrome - in a 61 km/h crosswind! Did I mention - unmanned. In 1988.This of course led on to reading about the amazing aircraft designed, in part, to carry this shuttle - the Antonov AN-225.

I wonder where they got the design for the Buran, looks kinda familiar.

 

 

[Marty_d]

It does, the difference between it and the US shuttle is that the Buran doesn't have its own main engine, it relied on an external engine to get to orbit (it had maneouvring and de-orbit rockets).

 

As far as design goes, if your brief is for something that gets lifted to orbit and glides down, with a big cargo area and the ability to withstand re-entry temperatures, I guess it's always going to look like the Shuttle.

 

 

[Kiwi303]

Some frilly little ancillaries are different. Look at the vertical tail design, but at a certain level, function really does define form.

 

 

[willedoo]

As far as design goes, if your brief is for something that gets lifted to orbit and glides down, with a big cargo area and the ability to withstand re-entry temperatures, I guess it's always going to look like the Shuttle.

That's a good point, Marty.

 

A lot of the time, design and development in different countries coincides because of programme requirements.

 

All the major players in aeronautic design have borrowed heavily off each other over the years. None want to waste time and resources re-inventing the wheel, so they tend to build on known science.

 

In the case of the Shuttle and Buran, the mission requirements are the same, externally they are quite similar, with differences in the way they actually function.

 

I guess the way it goes with design, someone has to be first, then someone else improves it, or if the original design is sound enough, it gets copied.

 

 

[willedoo]

A few more:

 

Somewhere near RAF Coningsby.

 

 

Falklands.

 

 

Zero graveyard.

 

 

Lightning at Foulness.

 

 

First Raptor.

 

 

Cheers, Willie.

 

 

[pylon500]

First Raptor.

WOW, Already?

Or am I just not admitting how old I am?

 

(First flight 1997)

 

 

[PA.]

A couple of fixer uppers.

 

 

I took these in January 2009 at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

 

 

 

[willedoo]

WOW, Already?Or am I just not admitting how old I am?

(First flight 1997)

I think it's the prototype that they've stripped.

 

Cheers, Willie.

 

 

[Marty_d]

This is really depressing. Especially the Zero graveyard. Couldn't they sell these aircraft to restoration clubs? When you see the price of warbirds these days, even something that needs pretty much total rebuilding must raise some interest.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

A favourite of mine, Marty. A brilliant design that ran rings around the allied aircraft of its generation.

 

Saburo Sakae once flew his Zero for 12hours and 5 minutes till tanks were dry, then glided in to land in the Phillipines. American pilots who tested the Zero recommended it could be the basis of a popular sport plane after the war.

 

Alas, if all the excess warplanes had not been scrapped they would have cluttered up the place and stymied post-war manufacturing. Their destruction allowed lots of poor people to buy aluminium sausepans and cladding for their homes.

 

 

[Downunder]

This is really depressing. Especially the Zero graveyard. Couldn't they sell these aircraft to restoration clubs? When you see the price of warbirds these days, even something that needs pretty much total rebuilding must raise some interest.

I'm guessing this pic was from about 1945. Being gathered for scrapping.

 

Tens of millions of dollars there, if they existed now.

 

 

[pylon500]

A favourite of mine, Marty. A brilliant design that ran rings around the allied aircraft of its generation

Good to see someone not knocking the Zero because of it's cultural heritage.

I try not to worry too much where a plane came from, just it's effectiveness as an aeroplane, and to that end, the Zero is a brilliant piece of design and construction work.

 

I've often looked at various warbirds with an aim of making scaled ultralight versions.

 

All the 'usual suspects' have been done, but the Zero seems missing, and would make a great counterpoint to the Titan 51, or Sullivan Spitfire.

 

Could be built light enough to be powered by the usual 912s, or be fitted with a Rotec radial...

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Good to see someone not knocking the Zero because of it's cultural heritage.I try not to worry too much where a plane came from, just it's effectiveness as an aeroplane, and to that end, the Zero is a brilliant piece of design and construction work.

I've often looked at various warbirds with an aim of making scaled ultralight versions.

 

All the 'usual suspects' have been done, but the Zero seems missing, and would make a great counterpoint to the Titan 51, or Sullivan Spitfire.

 

Could be built light enough to be powered by the usual 912s, or be fitted with a Rotec radial...

I've got a partly-built 75% replica A6M in my shed. I'll never finish it, so anyone who wants to take it on should contact me.

 

 

[Riley]

I've got a partly-built 75% replica A6M in my shed. I'll never finish it, so anyone who wants to take it on should contact me.[ATTACH=full]37805[/ATTACH]

A thousand curses upon you and all your camels Old K! I need another project like I need a third nostril (or another divorce) but cannot but think this might be a suitable steed for my spare R2800 Rotec radial. The tail once again wags the dog. If you could PM me your contact phone nr and preferred time slot, I'd like to pick your brains sometime early next week. cheers Riley.

 

 

[pylon500]

A thousand curses upon you and all your camels Old K! I need another project like I need a third nostril (or another divorce) but cannot but think this might be a suitable steed for my spare R2800 Rotec radial. The tail once again wags the dog.

Please buy it Riley, with all the projects I've got cluttering up my hangar, it's the last thing I need (even though I want it...).

Besides, I've only got one R2800, and it's earmarked for my Murphy Renegade/Stearman conversion (project #3 of about 6).

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/113292981019876413104/MurphyRenegadeStearmanProject

 

 

[Downunder]

Is that conversion before or after you design me a 75% Hawker Typhoon Arthur?.....lol

 

 

[pylon500]

Is that conversion before or after you design me a 75% Hawker Typhoon Arthur?.....lol

Actually I moved up(?) to a Tempest.

Got some drawings, and a bit of photoshop...

 

 

Strangely enough, if fitted with a 912s, it will actually sound like a real one!!

 

 

[Downunder]

Yes, I'm a Sabre fan too.....

 

I had some audio files of one doing flypasts somewhere...

 

 

[Mick]

Do you Tempest / Napier Sabre fans know of Kermit Weeks efforts to get a Mk V Tempest back in the air? Search Kermit Weeks Tempest on Youtube and you will find a recent two part video about the project.

 

 

[pylon500]

Hope he goes with the Napier, otherwise he just has a weird Fury if he uses a Centaurus.

 

 

[Mick]

Hope he goes with the Napier, otherwise he just has a weird Fury if he uses a Centaurus.

From what I know if all goes well he will have one of each!

 

 

[Downunder]

The mind boggles at the engineering behind one of these. No computers......pen and paper.......The fits and tolerances.....Casting and machining.......to get 3000 odd horsepower...

 

Pretty amazing if Kermit gets one up and running.....