...because I feel that this topic needs its own thread, instead of cluttering up that other forum thread.

For those who love the sound of a Rolls-Royce Merlin, imagine having *four* of them on a single plane like the Avro Lancaster. Fortunately for us, the Bomber Command Museum of Canada has a non-airworthy Lancaster in their collection that they occasionally run up. Rumor has it that even a short demo costs them over 800 Loonies in AVgas.

Here's the audio of a three-engine run up on YouTube (fourth engine's prop was out for service). Grab your headphones and enjoy the Merin music.....


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YouTube coincidentally suggested this video to me today, of a B36 startup/takeoff/landing:



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Aluminum Overcast firing up.


Aluminum Overcast by Mark Johnson, on Flickr

Of course, I need to pay homage to (IMHO) the most awesome airplane ever built...the XB-70 Valkyrie:







I know that some think it's an ugly duckling, but seeing the last survivor at the Wright-Patterson AFB museum is definitely on my bucket list if they ever roll it out again.....

British Airways Concorde

<=== Flew on one in 2001! ^^^^^

Late 50's CF-105 Avro Arrow, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_CF-105_Arrow

The A-10 is like the Michael Myers of aircraft. The AF keeps trying to kill it off but it keeps coming back.



I’d embed a short video, but most of them are clips of the A-10 annihilating terrorists and might get flagged for violence.

the English Electric Lightning...

^^^"I just planted that field!! Dammit!!"

Mine

Tracked one of these doing 440 ground speed over the Salt Lake, at 6K'. Prior to that, he made a low approach and buzzed the cockpit of a UAL 72 sitting on a high-speed taxiway. I thought my short career was over!

Oh, I gotta get in on this thread -- how about nominations for the prettiest aircraft ever: Mine is the Vought F-8 Crusader. Here's a civilian-registered one -- I'm pretty sure it was used just for government contract work and is no longer flying. As a certified (certifiable?) Navy Air geek, there are examples in far more fetching livery, but this one shows the lines of the basic airplane well.

Mingwan wrote

The A-10 is like the Michael Myers of aircraft. The AF keeps trying to kill it off but it keeps coming back.



I’d embed a short video, but most of them are clips of the A-10 annihilating terrorists and might get flagged for violence.

The Warthog speaks to me, the tough ugly duckling, first through the door kicking ass and taking names.

I was just reading this the other day. It`s a long read, but I really enjoyed it. NATO Tiger Meet 2016.
http://defens-aero.com/2016/07/nato-tiger-meet-2016-edition-superlatifs.html

And while talking pretty, I've loved this photo for 57 years: It was published as a centerfold in the Pacific Stars & Stripes newspaper in early 1965. (I was living in the Philippines as a high school senior and the S&S was our daily newspaper.) The photo depicts a KA-3B Skywarrior (AKA 'Whale') refueling an RA-5C Vigilante of RVAH-5 above USS Ranger in the South China Sea. Beautiful! I've searched in vain for a larger version.

M_Six wrote

Aluminum Overcast firing up.


Aluminum Overcast by Mark Johnson, on Flickr

I got to go for a ride in Aluminum Overcast a few years ago. It was awesome, inspiring and humbling to think about the young crews who manned these magnificent aircraft during WWII.

My submission for most elegant…. Supermarine Spitfire

One of my favs…

Nobody for the F22?

How about the Navy F18 Jolly Roger?

I also love this photo of an F14 with a NAVAIR Tomahawk courtesy of Raytheon.

kscarrol wrote

One of my favs…

One of the best Corsair shots I've ever seen! I see that it is cannon-armed rather than machine guns. So do you know if it is an F4U-4B or F4U-5?