Bomber Bug

I have discussed this subject before.  The urge to go see some airplanes.  No one else seems to suffer from it.  In fact I seem to be dealing with a double bug today.  I seem to have contracted a new cold.  It started last night with a sore throat and a sore ear.  I was up at 2 in the morning...not precisely the way I enjoy spending an evening or early morning hours, but at least I could breathe and I wasn't keeping Cora awake.  But, I digress.  I am feeing the air museum bug again.  I need to see some bombers or fighters or even a transport.

I checked the PIMA Air Museum site again.  I do that at least twice a month.  Sometimes more.  They now have their B-36 on display.  I have posted concerning the B-36 before, too.  They have rearranged the aircraft since we were there nearly two years ago.  It makes me want to go back.  We had to kind of see it in a whirlwind tour.  There are aircraft that I'd like to have spent more time examining, but that was not to be.

I know I have told you that I have seen two of the four remaining B-36s.  I have seen the one at Castle Air Museum and the one at PIMA...albeit from a greater distance than I preferred.  The latter was the LAST B-36 produced.  The former is the oldest remaining.  The damned things could carry the first Hydrogen bombs.  Those things were huge!  The Mk. 17 was 24 feet long and five feet in diameter!!  It weighed 42,000lbs and could have a yield of 15 megatons! See here!  A Megaton, by the way, represents the blast 1 million tons of TNT would cause!  When atomic weapons began they measured them in thousands of tons of TNT, or kilotons.

OK, see, I am prepared to lead a tour of a museum!  Anyone want to go with me?  I really want to go to a museum!  And not our piddly-wink little museum here!  All they have is the main landing gear of a B-1 bomber, an engine or two, and a small display of my 1/2400 scale ships.  Not exactly a huge warbird museum.  Sure, it's great for local history, especially concerning Charlie McCallister, who, interestingly enough, got his pilot's license signed by a Wright Brother.  Still, no warbirds!

Ok, even though this sight is named Plane Truth, not Planet Ruth, although, that's a cool name, I won't take up all of my time with whining about my lack of aircraft seeing.  I taught English today...well, 10th grade.  It was a big change from those unruly sixth graders I dealt with Yesterday!  It was a good day, apart from the constant pain in my right ear.  And, did I mention my pants?

My pants.  A pair that must be from ten years ago when I had a slightly smaller frame.  I am not saying I was a pixie sized man, I just wasn't lugging a few extra pounds.  Now, I have a...more...mature figure.  It probably wouldn't have been so bad, but when I work High Schools, I get up early and begin my coffee IV early, too.  Thus, my bladder fills at a much higher rate.  The tighter pants create...ahh, discomfort with a full bladder.  I forgot a belt, so I could not hide my pants being unbuttoned with a belt.  Instead I had to suffer the live long day all buttoned up.  Maybe I am just the only person to suffer that kind of misfortune, I don't know.  I will be  consigning that pair to the Good Will basket.

Now, I think I will go You Tube B-36 movies to get back in the saddle.


 
 

Burn Notice Hops

OK, so, we all know that I like some shows that are not...shall we say...mainstream? I have mentioned Dr. Who, which might be mainstream in Britain, Robin Hood, also surely popular in GB, and Psych, a USA original. I don't think I have mentioned Burn Notice. This is also a USA hit. Basically it is a show about a spy who has been black listed. It is really the kind of show that hooks you. I don't HAVE to see it, but I would be somewhat disappointed if I didn't.

I worked again today. Mowed a lawn and edged it...oh, yeah, it was several acres in size. It finally warmed up here...it was about 44 degrees when I left this morning. I hope we finally get some normal Auigust weather in the next few days...generally the first week of August sees us in the triple digits...so far we have not even hit 90 this week.

I know all of us that live here in central Washington know what hop fields look like, but maybe some of my other readers and people who just accidentally blunder onto my page would like to know a little about them.

During the winter a hop field looks like a telephone pole orchard, with cables attached to the tops to keep them straight...that is a popular joke on outsiders here. The telephone poles are simply the way they create a frame work for the hops ( a vine) to climb up. Then, at the end of August or first of September teams of workers come along and harvest the hops while they are in flower. The vines are stripped of their flowers which are then dried. The pollen is the magic bean that used to make beer last longer. Now we have better ways to preserve beer...Cora can definitely explain it better. The thing is hops have recently become MUCH more profitable. More fields are hopping up...forgive the pun...and here is a picture.

And, I have not posted any airplane pictures lately. Here is the CAG bird from VAQ-138 based at Whidbey Island! I bought a beer mug from these guys, even though some guyts came up behind me and started talking about the F-18...it is actually an EA-6 Prowler...used for Electronics Intelligence and Electronic Warfare. They jam hostile radars and other types electronic surveilance. I told the pilot and he registered no surprise since some other person had already done the same, even though he tried to explain that he flew an EA-6...oh, well. This airplane is not goping to be around long. It will soon be retired...likely in the next 2 to 3 years. The A-6 began service in Vietnam. which is saying something, since the F-14 was retired in 2006 and did not begin service until the mid-1970s!

Hostile Action

As I walked up to this anti-aircraft battery, mobile and on a Hummer chassis. As I walked up it turned and aimed its ordnance at me. I was a bit put off, since I valued my life more than I valued the lives of other people around me. I moved. It moved. The guy on the inside was obviously enjoying himself. Then I thought to use the camera. Here is what I caught.

I like the reaction of the girl in the right hand side of the screen. She seems to look at me and then she looks and realizes the anti-aircraft battery is aiming at her. Isn't funny? The armament, as I recall, was eight Stinger AA (anti-aircraft) missiles and one 20 mm machine gun...20mm is just shy of an inch for those of you not so good with the metric system...that is, the bullets are about an inch in diameter. I think, given its abilities shown here, it is probably good at anti-personnell and anti-tank duties as well.

The next video is of the three C-17s that started the airshow. First they came through and drops some parcels cargo via parachute, then they came in to peel off for landing. The video is of the peel off...look at how they handle this airplane! The pilots almost treat it like a fighter. There is probably a reason for this...my guess is because it uses a stick instead of a wheel like other large aircraft. I want you to look at the size of this plane and then watch the video to see just how awesome this little feat of flying actually is. First the pictures

then the video:

Super Video

I enjoyed the air show the other day, but neglected to post any video. Here is one of the Super Hornet performing what looked to me the Cobra that the Soviet Su-27 Flanker is famous for. The ability to perform it suggests some excess thrust and a thrust to weight ration close to 1:1, but then I am only guessing. It is a quick change in velocity and altitude. It is handy in a combat situation, although, I would think it should be a plane vs. plane instead of having a few adversaries who might capitolize on your momentary lack of speed. Then again, the Super Hornet seems to have an abundance of power, so it would not take long to be up to speed again.

Well, I am out of time, or I would post another. I mowed yesterday. I know, nothing new, but what is is the fact that the fan belt come off the pully and as I sat there I could watch the temperature rise. I quickly took the mower and parked it. This morning I have to go back and fix it so I can finish my mowing. This has been an odd string of breakages. I guess this is just not my year.

When we got home last night we went to town for dinner and to stop at the book store. We bought more books than we will soon read, but that is ok. I like books. When I got home I decided to do some reading...and that explains why no second post yesterday. Cora would be pleased.

There Be Planes Here!!

So, I had a great time at the air show yesterday. It was my first up close look at the NEW C-17 Globemaster III. I also got to see the NEW F-22 Raptor. There were several aircraft there. I was ecstatic to be there and free to wander around them at my leisure.

We begin with the F-22 Raptor. It weighs about 80,000lbs at take off, but has something like 70,000lbs of thrust. It does not have to weigh that much and can end up with a thrust to weight ratio better than 1:1. With that much thrust it is capable o mach speed without afterburner.

This next on it a B-18A. It was used during WWII beginning as a bomber, but used later for training and patrol. It was a bomber based on the DC-3 design...the main resemblance is the wing.

And this next is of part of a B-25...I thought the polished aluminum was rather pretty.

This is the C-5 Galaxy. The largest American transport. It has two levels. The lower level I have seen, but I have never been in a C-5 cockpit...until now. I hope the woman in the picture is not too offended by this uncomplimentary picture, but, that IS what she chose to wear. My intention was to capture the location of the cockpit (forgive any pun you may pick up there), it is to the upper left of the photo.

Once on the ladder you could look at the cargo deck...

Here is what the front end of the C-5 looks like.

And here is what I look like in the co-pilot's seat. Pretty cool, huh? I know, you are saying, ahh crap, another picture of Jim and a stupid airplane cockpit. Well, too bad, there are a few to come.

This is me standing on the top steps just having come out of the C-5...note the view behind me.

These are the two F-18 SUPERHORNETs. Note the square intakes...it is an UP-Engined F-18, more powerful.

The B-2 Spirit made a pass or two.

I thought this was an SH-60, but it turned out to be an MH-60, which is the newest version and it is an anti-sub chopper. I asked the pilot if there was much call for that anymore. He said it depended on the adversary. He also noted that diesel subs are more difficult to detect because they don't have that wonderful heat source that nukes do. You can see him digging back into his lunch, which I had interrupted with a few questions, but he was most gracious.

Another change to a perrenial favorite is the C-130J Hercules. Note these propellors, with six blades!

The older models only had 4!!!!

Here is the C-17!

This happened several times, note the accent angle!

Fine, Here's a Plane...

F3D, or Whale. This was a night fighter in Korea and an ELINT/EW aircraft in Vietnam. (ELINT is of Electrinic Intelligence-that is radar frequencies used by the enemy, etc. And EW is Electronic Warfare-i.e., jamming, etc.) This lovely picture of the WHALE is dedicated with love and respect to Kim!

Air Expo!!

So, I was looking at the site for the McChord Air Expo and I found out that they are going to have a B-2 Spirit bomber doing some sort of AWESOME (my word) demonstration. The B-2 is a relative (Grandchild?) of the YB-49 and XB-35 flying wings that were tested in the 1940s and early 1950s, only to be scrapped by a short sighted administration (my opinion. Its funny how my history oriented opinion and my air plane oriented opinion sometimes differ. I shall not go into it here). I have a piece of one of the YB-49s…one of my valued possessions (I have a few of those). It was recovered from the crash site near Edwards AFB in California. I am looking forward to seeing the B-2. There were only a very few built, not much more than 20 of them. I will be seeing a very special aircraft. Cora does not seem to agree with my priorities, but I think she understands that if I am going to be a freak about something, it’s better this than something else.

Also, they plan on having the Tora, Tora, Tora performers from the CAF. Used to be the Confederate Air Force, but now it is the Commemorative Air Force, apparently due to the connotations of the word confederate. It has been three years since I was last at an air show. I took my Dad on Father’s Day of 2005. We had a good time. He and my Mom are planning on being gone, prior arrangements, which I am sure my dad now wishes he had made for another weekend.

There will be a CV-22 Osprey, an F-22 Raptor, and several other new aircraft on display!!! I am SO lucky!

We are watching After the Catch. Phil is a sick man…I hope he does what the Doctors tell him to do…he apparently only has 2 months to live if he does not change his ways.

Oh, and my Dad e-mailed me tonight. The first REAL e-mail since last year sometime. Satan knocked on the door, just then, asking for a jacket since their HVAC was on the fritz, apparently the AC is on HIGH and there is frost damage to the molten lakes of sulfur. He then kindly asked for my soul, to which I replied, "You're a bit late, ten minutes ago I would have sold my soul just for a short e-mail from my father, but I just got a long one." As I was telling him this a feathered warthog flew by. The neighbor started doing cartwheels on the lawn and the sun set and rose again...weird.

Well, I have to go, since Cora caught me posting…again. See, Cora can't even appreciate the CORRECT end of an air plane...

Scorcher

It was a warm day yesterday. I took the tractor and cleaned up the last rocks from the dirt. I hope never to have to touch rocks again...or dirt. Of course, I don't think that will happen, so I would be pleased so long as it is that particular dirt or those particular rocks that I don't touch.

I mowed after that. It was so warm out that you could have thought you were in bed under cover...then the fact that I had just had lunch and the warmth cut in and I began to get the nods. I would get down off the mower and walk around to wake up...it was a long day...or course, it may not have been just that, since the tiredness seemed to follow me home. Once again, I had difficulty staying awake all night. I am going to make a doctor's appointment to get some hepititas vaccinations and I think I will ask him there about why I get so damned tired. He'll probably say that at my age I need to take naps during the day...

I got on the mower to leave the elementary school and the mower began driving strange...I had a slow...or fast, depends on how you look at it...leak on one of the tires...so I stopped at the shop that is here in town and had them fix it...took 45 minutes, but at least I made it back.

Today will likely go the same. Although, I hope to attend the first airsow in 6 years at McChord AFB on Saturday or Sunday. Cora's family are coming from out of town to visit over on that side of the mountains, too, so maybe I can drop her off. I hope we don't fight over who gets the camera...which is more important? Planes or family? Well, I think, given the name of this blog, that should be obvious...sorry Grandma! I REALLY want to see an F-22 Raptor up close. Also, I have yet to set foot near a C-17...they fly over all the time, but I have never been close to one...cue tears...

I note no one has offered donations for my drop tank collection...or have you mistakenly been giving to to Cora for her "baby" fund? Best make the checks out to me...I may open a museum and my biggest contributors will be able to see the exhibits before the general public...yeah, that's it! Send in that money, Cora loves airplanes and airplane parts just hanging about.