When aircraft had style plus just cool aircraft

[gak]

A lot of folks don't know about the Boeing 720, a shorter variant of the 707. United chose Douglas for its long distance plane and was the biggest DC-8 customer early on IIRC, but also had a small fleet of 720s--just as Pan Am had a little known covey of DC-8s) (Pan Am was the 707's biggest contract). I remember Western was one of the big 720 clients. Another gorgeous plane--like the 8 and 707, "not a line drawn wrong"-- and was quite the performer. Here's a rare shot of one in United trim:

[claybob86]

United picked up the 720s when they absorbed Capitol Airlines. They never ordered any. Same with L-1011s and 747SPs when they got Pan Am's Pacific routes.

[jnyork]

KB50J refueling F-100, F-101 and F105 simultaneously, late 1950's, early 1960's. I was a maintenance mechanic on these at Biggs AFB TX and Yokota AFB Japan. They were phased out and boneyarded 1 Jan 1965. There is one at the Pima Air Museum in Tuscon AZ.

[gak]

jn - incredible shot. We had all three varieties of the fighters at Itazuke on Kyushu in southern Japan (101s throughout our stay, but the 105s replaced our 100s half-way through)...and my father flew the B50 earlier in the 50s. I was just a kid but remember Yokota (and Tachikawa).

[olyinaz]

.Who can tell me what the four stars represent?

Always wondered. Four decades of service at the time - 1929-1969? Another view of the stars treatment:

The four stars represent the four airlines that Boeing merged to form United Air Lines. From Wikipedia:

"United Airlines traces its claim to be the oldest commercial airline in the United States to the Varney Air Lines air mail service of Walter Varney, who also founded Continental Airlines. It was founded in Boise, Idaho. Varney's chief pilot, Leon "Lee" Cuddeback, flew the first Contract Air Mail flight in a Swallow biplane from Varney's headquarters in Boise, Idaho, to the railroad mail hub at Pasco, Washington, on April 5, 1926 and returned the following day with 200 pounds of mail. April 6, 1926 is regarded in the United Airlines company history as both its own birthday and the date on which "true" airline service—operating on fixed routes and fixed schedules—began in the United States.

In 1927, airplane pioneer William Boeing founded his own airline, Boeing Air Transport, and began buying other airmail carriers, including Varney's. Within four years, Boeing's holdings grew to include airlines, airplane and parts manufacturing companies, and several airports. In 1929, Boeing merged his company with Pratt & Whitney to form United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (UATC). In March 1928, Boeing Air Transport, National Air Transport, Varney Airlines and Pacific Air Transport were combined as United Air Lines, providing coast-to-coast passenger service and mail service."

Elrey Jeppesen, who invented the charting system that all pilots across the globe use for navigation, was a United Air Lines pilot. The main terminal at Denver Intl. Appt. is named after him.





Cheers,
Oly

[Borregos]

This continues to be a most fascinating and informative thread

[gak]

Oly, that's great history on United. But, depending on when those stars appeared, I'm probably also pretty close on those four decades too - and I'm sticking to it - ha! When exactly did those stars show up?

[olyinaz]

Oly, that's great history on United. But, depending on when those stars appeared, I'm probably also pretty close on those four decades too - and I'm sticking to it - ha! When exactly did those stars show up?

The four stars started showing up on United logos and uniform badges in the 1930s. United pilot hat badges and uniform wings still sport the four stars today!

WWII vintage UAL hat badge:




U.S. airline service traces its roots back to the Contract Air Mail services established by the U.S. Post. 'Till the day Northwest Airlines, an original air mail carrier, ceased to exist a few years ago, their pilots still wore U.S. Air Mail pilot's wings. I thought that was pretty neat:



Cheers,
Oly

[jeepnik]

The above mention of Leon Cuddeback got me to remembering. For a time, I worked out at Cuddeback Aerial Gunnery Range. It was named for Leon. Not sure if it's still used. But, there must be tons of unexploded ordinance out there. When a rocket or bomb didn't explode, it was "marked" by the folks who were doing the scoring from the observation tower. No idea why they marked them, cuz no one was ever going to go out on a range that had unexploded ordinance dating back to at least WWII.

[olyinaz]

[Baja_Traveler]

Love them Lines:

[pdentrem]

The Lancaster that is based at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum had an incident today. Over the winter maintainance check ride was in progress when the right wingtip folded back. Aircraft landed safely and the wing section has been sent out for inspection.

This is 1 of only 2 flying Lancasters in the world. The same one that I mentioned in a previous post in this topic. I have video taken in the fall posted on my website pierresplace.ca.

One way to look at this is, very lucky, but at the sametime Murphy happens. The Lanc flys about 75 hrs per year average. I do not know if this wing section had been looked at since the restoration back in the 80s.

In any case it is a priceless aircraft.

[BigSky56]

deleted

[olyinaz]

I really dig Blackhawks! The chopper and the gun.













These are a bit worse for wear...




All taken on Grenada, late 1983.

Oly

[awp101]

OK, we're at 24 pages now. Do we need to start a new thread to ease up on the bandwidth and make new pics easier to find?

[pdentrem]

I will add one more picture. Battle of Britain heros. And they have STYLE

[gak]

OK, we're at 24 pages now. Do we need to start a new thread to ease up on the bandwidth and make new pics easier to find?

I wouldn't be averse to a "...Just Cool Aircraft II"

Pdentrem, a cool shot there! Yes, classic.

[gak]

I had a chance to visit the Commemorative (fmrly Confederate) Air Force's museum at Falcon Field in Mesa AZ this afternoon. First time in a few years and what a treat. Luckily, the B-17 Sentimental Journey was there in all its glory, and after 40-some years I got to climb around in a B-17 again. Now, I'm not a small fellow--and certainly have "grown" since my first tour (different but also fully outfitted 17 in 1970 or so at this exact same site)--so it was quite daunting moving around in these tight quarters! (I didn't even try to "walk the plank" through the bombay!--fully loaded with bombs--but cheated and went around to the waist gunners' door to access the hind quarters) This lovely lady is fully outfitted with 13 or so 50 cal's. On a 99 degree day it got quite toasty very quickly--not exactly the orignal crews' problem once they got to altitude, where it sometimes dipped to 50 below. Can't imagine.


Top turret gunner's view aft (when on the ground). Also a tight squeeze for me! Hard to see here shot through mildly tinted plexiglas (one of the few modern concessions?) beyond the tail is a B-25, also in full if not as gleaming trim.


For you locals--or visitors to the Phoenix area in the next few weeks--Sentimental is here where it's been wintering til May 20th before it takes off for its annual all-summer tour across the country. I ran out of juice on my camera/phone, but the museum's hangar also houses two pristine P-51 Mustangs and an equally clean F-4 Phantom.

[awp101]

On a 99 degree day it got quite toasty very quickly--not exactly the orignal crews' problem once they got to altitude, where it sometimes dipped to 50 below. Can't imagine.

Unless they were stationed in the Mediterranean Theater. Or the Pacific Theater. 99*F with humidity to match...

mildly tinted plexiglas (one of the few modern concessions?)

I've seen greenish tinted Plexi (or real glass) used for the brow or overhead windows in the cockpit areas of multi-engined a/c dating from the 30s, so a mild tint may not be out of place. Good question though.

[olyinaz]

Top turret gunner's view aft (when on the ground). Also a tight squeeze for me! Hard to see here shot through mildly tinted plexiglas (one of the few modern concessions?) beyond the tail is a B-25, also in full if not as gleaming trim.

Not sure what's up with that green tinted plexiglass. I found a few original Kodachromes and I don't think I see a tint, so...









Oly

[olyinaz]

DANG pretty aircraft!!!



FAST and deadly. Just love the Jug.

Oly

[quietman]

Here's one not many people are aware of.

Experimental B-17 with 4 Allison engines (XB-38). Idea scrapped because the P-38's took priority with the Allison engines and performance boost wasn't as much as expected.

[GonnePhishin]

With those liquid cooled engines, the Germans would have probably shot a whole bunch more down.

[olyinaz]

With those liquid cooled engines, the Germans would have probably shot a whole bunch more down.

Oh I dunno, the Lancaster seemed to do pretty well.



Oly

[gak]

Remarkable how close the Lancaster was to the B-24 or vice versa. I wonder if one influenced the other - or just a coincidence.

[GonnePhishin]

Maybe so, but didn't the RAF just bomb at night, while we daylight bombed?

[olyinaz]

Maybe so, but didn't the RAF just bomb at night, while we daylight bombed?

Yeah, I hear you and there's no denying that a bullet or shrapnel through a radiator spelled the eventual end of an inline engine whereas a radial might continue to function and still make some power with a jug blown clean off. But honestly, there were a huge number of liquid cooled bombers and fighters in the war and they got the job done pretty darn well.

Oly

[Panzercat]

I'm kind of partial to this one:



another classic beauty

There were a few of these at Oshkosh 2011.



But I've always wanted a seaplane, y'know? That Super Goose is downright sexy in a classical sort of way.



And on the same wishlish, but probably less expensive, there's an autogyro somewhere

[claybob86]

Maybe so, but didn't the RAF just bomb at night, while we daylight bombed?

Flying at night over Germany wasn't particularly safe. They had radar, AAA, night fighters, etc. Losses were significant, but I don't know how they compared, percentage-wise, to the daylight ops.