I have been wondering why were so few WW2 aircraft designs "stretched" in order to get more performance or payload? I know of the FW 190D which was stretched in the aft fuselage section in order to compensate for the installation of Jumo V 12 engine. Could other designs have benefitted from the...

New aviation history interview: Fokker/Curtiss/Messerschmitt ace Mauno Fräntilä Chief Warrant Officer Mauno Fräntilä Chief Warrant Officer Mauno Fräntilä "began the flight business in 1936", as he puts it. He was one of the few who piloted the Fokker D.XXI fighter in the Winter War sorties....

Could somebody please help me in reaching a few manufacturers of Part No. SRU-16/P, Desc. Parachute Pack Survival Kit as per the NSN : 4240-00-741-9713. These are required by Royal air Force of Oman. Sanjeev K. Negi Manager - Defence Division Maathir LLC P.O. Box 1097, Ruwi, Postal Code...

Is it OK to post an aviation-related question in this NG and not mention B*sh or K*rry? The Times published a review last week about a book covering the allied crossing of the Rhine in 1945. The accompanying picture, captioned as being US bombers over said river, showed a formation of B-29s (I...

Air Force fighter pilots train in tactic that scopes out enemy targets, By Franklin Fisher, Stars and Stripes (EXCERPT) Pacific edition, Monday, June 7, 2004 OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — The U.S. Air Force in South Korea is honing a tactic that sends fighter planes behind enemy lines to find and...

I am going to outline a real situaitoin that occured during WW II. I would like to hear opinions and solutions as to how the situation should be handled. I will give the real solutuion that was imposed during the war after a week or so when many opinions have been offered. There was a large...

Please have a look at the small catalogue I've prepared on aviation history. Terms of sale: - all items are guaranteed to be as described or may be returned for a full refund within 7 days of receipt - prices are net in US dollars - shipping is added at cost - Visa, Mastercard or American Express...

The X-43A flew this afternoon. 4780 miles per hour. Not bad. -- cirby at cfl.rr.com Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.

F-15C. Unchallenged combat record. How much combat has the SU-27/37 seen? Call me when they get some actual experience. Just FYI 2 Su 27's from Lipetsk (a Russian "Top gun" school) flew to Langley air force base where they competed against F-15's. If think it was in 1992. but what...

"I am angry that so many of the sons of the powerful and well-placed managed to wangle slots in the Army Reserve and National Guard units." -- Colin Powell, My American Journey, 1995 Arthur Kramer 344th BG 494th BS England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany Visit my WW II B-26 website...

There's recently been speculation in the media that UK defence cuts ewill result in some or all of Scotland's infantry regiments being disbanded. If Scotland became an independent state, what sort of armed forces should it have -- if you were appointed Scottish minister of defence, what would you...

From: (cave fish) snip The horror of Hiroshima is the sheer indiscrimate nature of the destruction. If atom bomb had been dropped on a Japanese military target it might have been justified. But, to kill like that in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was blind and savage...

I have on good source from a knowledgeable aviation enthusiast, info that in the late stages of the Vietnam war for some operations the CIA controlled a limited amount of USAF assets, eg F-4 Phantoms and F-111s Adavarks for attacks in Laos and Cambodia. These aircrafts were painted overall black...

100 Miserable Failures of the Bush Administration: 1. Failing to build a real international coalition prior to the Iraq invasion, forcing the US to shoulder the full cost and consequences of the war. 2. Approving the demobilization of the Iraqi Army in May, 2003 – bypassing the Joint Chiefs of...

I see that no civil discussion can take place here despite the fact that you "adults" claim to cherish military aviation. So why all the fuss about German aircraft, jets or otherwise? I live in America now but don't like the blatant arrogance I see whenever history is talked about in regards to...

Tactical Aircraft: Changing Conditions Drive Need for New F/A-22 Business Case. GAO-04-391, March 15 http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04391.pdf

Just for fun, off the top of your heads, which post-WW2 combat aircraft (any country) have NOT been used in their intended roles in an actual shooting war (or police action, or soccer riot, or whatever it's called these days)? And why? Some ROE: 1. Combat aircraft means it was designed or...

I need an air police badge for my collection. Can anyone here point me at a source or does anyone here have one they want to get rid of one? Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

Well, we now have the first surrender in the War on Terror. Spain has surrendered to Al Quada and will remove its troops from Iraq. Do the Spanish really think that will be Al Quada's last demand?

I have seen descriptions of the F-22 having a service ceiling of 50,000 feet which is 13,000 less than I have seen for the F-15. I thought the F-22 was much more advanced.in every way except perhaps top speed. How can the F-22 be the air supieriority fighter of the future when its predessor can...