Recent content by RhinoDrvr

None of which is of any consequence beyond “gee whiz”. The PIC of the P-63 failed to maintain flight path deconfliction. A contributing factor was the lack of a viable deconfliction plan. But “he was flying form” doesn’t absolve the PIC of anything.

I don’t buy the formation piece. The mindset that “I was in formation, so deconfliction isn’t my problem” is specific to civilian formation flying. In the military it’s “fly formation, don’t hit me, but also keep SA to things around you and don’t let me fly you into a bad situation”. Even the...

In my opinion, the liability for this particular horrendous incident lies with the airboss, and the PIC of the P-63. I suppose I could see the CAF being liable if there had been a maintenance issue...but this is solidly pilot error and a **** poor (or nonexistant) deconfliction plan. The CAF...

Loss of A/B on it's own, no. But there's a rub. The nozzle. Typically on afterburning jets, when AB is selected, the variable exhaust nozzle opens to allow for the supersonic exhaust flow (a divergent nozzle). When AB is deselected, at full power the nozzle will close down as a convergent...

I think I’m done with the PA-28 simply on the grounds that the FAA might impose some God-awful AD on it, and there goes your hull value. I’d ask if New Piper had any plans to redesign the wing attach on the new airplanes, but anymore these aircraft companies are shells of their former selves...

The checklist should be a quick and dirty last chance to catch the things that will kill you. It’s not a way to produce good airmanship.

Also, we’re ignoring the fact that the titan doesn’t look as accurate; nor have the performance. I’m ignoring the auto conversion engines. Rotax is about as far away as I’m willing to go from the ole Lycosaurous….

Until last year, the F/A-18A-D Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and EA-18G Growler were separate NATOPS qual’s. You could maintain multiple, but you ended up taking 3 checkrides a year to maintain them all. Last year the Super Hornet and Growler were combined, so now any crew qual’d in one can...

Its EAB, not LSA…hence the 1600lb gross weight.

It also has no gun, a higher max trap weight, and a nerdier crew ;-)

So, I’ll preface this with saying that it’s going to take a lot for me to walk away from my RV-8. But…. If the literature from ScaleWings is accurate, the experimental version of their SW51 Mustang replica will do; 180ktas on 6gph @ max cruise Rotax 915is 50 gal gas (extended tanks) 25 gal...

The wing fence on the G is the result of the Transonic Flying Qualities Improvement (TFQI) that fixed transonic wing drop and buffet in the Super Hornet. The E/F solution is a perforated wing fold fairing, but that induces some airframe vibration that is acceptable for a wingtip missile, but...

Nope! The used the FRS and TOPGUN staff for the flying scenes. Their China Lake work was 100% dedicated to dragging the Darkstar model around the base.

Definitely Inyokern. Spent a lot of time there with my RV-8. TC’s Mustang was parked there multiple times over the course of the filming…

It’s barely 2-seat. With full tanks, payload is only ~350lbs, and the aft cockpit is tiny. Essentially it is a flexible single seat airplane.