I think the Constellation (:50 mark)is one of the most beautiful designs ever to grace the sky.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-snn9rlbjE


Other planes that I have always liked are the 747, F4U Corsair, P38 lighting, P51 Mustang, Sr 71 Blackbird and the Jug (P47 Thunderbolt). One of the few modern planes that I like is the PIAGGIO P180. It has a very distinctive design.

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2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

That exact plane (N422NA) was at our local airport (KUAO) a few weeks ago.
I think it was getting a tune up at AEROMETAL INTERNATIONAL LLC

Best looking for me, Ryan ST

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cult plus time equals religion

Good video. Thanks for sharing David.

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Jim

That Constellation is indeed a remarkably attractive airplane. According to Wikipedia, that might be the only operating example left:

Imagine the work involved keeping one of those safely flyable. Built sometime in the early to mid 50s. Imagining trusting your life to a 1952 Ford with wings. A lot of moving parts, a lot of things gradually getting ready to break. Metal fatigue is a MFer.

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1984 300D, 138K

I've got a friend that texted me yesterday. He and his wife have been there all week in his Newmar Dutch Star. He said it is a must see event.

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Jim

Would be a trip to watch all those planes land.

I was reading the Wikipedia page on the Constellation, they spoke of the engines it uses:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_R-3350_Duplex-Cyclone

What a monster. Imagine designing and building that.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Another set of fly ins and fly overs. At 1:05 or so there is a ME 262 being escorted by to P51s. I wonder if the nazis would have been able to fully deploy the 262 if that would have changed the balance of power? Air superiority definitely would have been compromised and the bombers would have been at serious risk. Glad we did not find out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGV_nKRAf5I

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Cmac you should see the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 on display at the National Air Force Museum in Dayton. Radial engine with 4 rows of 7 cylinders that makes 3500 hp at 2700 rpm. They have a cutaway. I've got pic of it but forgot how to post pics. It looked like it would be a pia to work on.

David I think I watched the same video you are referring to. Was it the one with the (I think) 2 B29s flying over with what looked like Mustangs.

I'm going to try to get up there next year. It looks like the nearby Hilton is already sold out

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Jim

I found the cutaways online.OMG, that's a monster. Don't you know that there were plenty of ol' boys who spent a career maintaining those engines.

People talk about wishing they'd flown on the Concorde, the one I wish I flew on is that Constellation. It had maximum capacity of 109 passengers in the 1950s. That would have been an interesting flight. I wonder if they ever market joyride flights. Probably not.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Oh yeah, the helo pilot in the Red Bull helo is good. I did not know a helo could do all those moves.

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Jim

Here is a close up of the Constellation start up and fly out. That is one damn fine looking airplane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4g6quLAy08

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

I was curious about the operating speed of those engines, I found this:

"The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone engine typically operates at around 2,400 rpm for normal power and 2,800 rpm for takeoff."

Also that their normal cruising speed was around 305 mph . Airline travel was expensive in the 50s, definitely an upper crust kind of thing.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K