Lady Jane You have come up with some very cool stuff for this thread. Thanks for the homework!

hubbahubba wrote

Lady Jane You have come up with some very cool stuff for this thread. Thanks for the homework!

Thank you. Being born and raised in the Air Force and having a curious mind helps.

Lady Jane wrote

Quite possibly as the Jet Stream is found approx. from 20000 to 50000 ft. and he flew his leg in the lower portion.

I found this archived story of his feat with Lt. Ard, his co-pilot:

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/robert-e-thacker/

Very nice write-up.

Thanks for link.

Ryan VZ3 Vertiplane.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_VZ-3_Vertiplane

Fresh off the press: https://www.cochranetoday.ca/national-news/canada-buying-f-35s-as-defence-minister-says-once-maligned-jets-have-matured-6349467

It will be a while though before we have our full complement of aircrafts but considering that Skippy's Liberal Government wanted to replace our aging fleet of Hornets by buying aging F-18 from the Australians...

I hope the Antonov An-225 flies again sometime soon!

Martin XB-48.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_XB-48

Jbrown7403 wrote

I hope the Antonov An-225 flies again sometime soon!

It certainly would be a challenge.

Lady Jane wrote

It certainly would be a challenge.

Sadly, you are correct

Heinkel 111z. Interesting reason for this design - it was to tow large gliders.
Powered by five Jumo 211F engines, each producing 1,340 horsepower, the Heinkel He 111Z Zwilling had a range of 2,500 miles, and could tow a Me 321, or the smaller Gotha Go 242 glider for up to ten hours.

In addition to glider towing, a variant capable of carrying four anti-shipping guided missiles, as well as 15,870 lbs (7,200 kgs) of bombs was also built, although it never saw action. A third version, a long-range reconnaissance aircraft, was planned late in the war but never built.

Although the aircraft had two identical fuselages, only the left side fuselage had a pilot. The crew of seven consisted of a pilot, mechanic, radio operator and gunner in the left side, and an observer, mechanic and gunner in the right side fuselage.

Overall the Heinkel He 111Z Zwilling saw very little operational action. It's size meant it could only operate from large airfields, and although it was originally scheduled to assist in an invasion of Malta, and provide supplies during the Battle of Stalingrad, it was never used.

Many aircraft were destroyed on the ground, although one was shot down by RAF fighters over France on March 14, 1944 while towing a Gotha Go 242 glider. Four examples survived the war, although they were subsequently scrapped.

BMWGUYinCO wrote

Heinkel 111z. Interesting reason for this design - it was to tow large gliders.

The glider in question was the Me 321 Gigant. Essentially a de-engined Me 323.

Story here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_323_Gigant

Amazing bit of piloting to land Aloha Airlines 243 back in 1988!

Another gigantic German glider: The Junkers JU-332 Mammut

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_322

A variety of pictures and models:

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=junkers+ju+322.+mammut&qpvt=Junkers+JU322.+Mammut&form=IGRE&first=1&tsc=ImageHoverTitle

Those are indeed huge so now we have the petite rocket powered Messerschmitt Me-163 Komet. Not very successful and terrifying to fly.

Variations of the Amerikabomber: Which also included the Me.264 and Me.1085.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerikabomber

North American B-45 Tornado: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_B-45_Tornado

Lady Jane wrote

North American B-45 Tornado: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_B-45_Tornado

A relatively little-known chapter of the Cold War was the "loan" of some USAF RB-45Cs to the Royal Air Force for the purpose of conducting overflights of the Soviet Union. This was before the advent of surface-to-air missiles that ultimately doomed the high-flying Lockheed U-2s of the CIA.

Convair XB-46: Close but no cigar. Losing to the Boeing B-47 Stratojet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XB-46




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-47_Stratojet

Jbrown7403 wrote

Those are indeed huge so now we have the petite rocket powered Messerschmitt Me-163 Komet. Not very successful and terrifying to fly.

Good exhibition flight in glider only mode. Punch the YouTube button to view:

3.0L wrote

Good exhibition flight in glider only mode:

Note: video is not available within the post - you have to launch it within YouTube (at least for me)

It's no F22 Raptor, is it?

But that was cool to watch, thanks

Another interesting video here and how dangerous the fuel was to propel the aircraft in the first place. ( Eats metal. rubber and human flesh...)

One of a kind:The Boeing XB-47D propjet.

https://www.flightjournal.com/one-of-a-kind-the-boeing-xb-47d/