Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[supersheep]

That's a maneouvre known as Pugachev's Cobra. It's increasing the angle of attack (the difference between the orientation of the plane and the direction of travel) sharply for a brief period in order to bleed speed. In fact, every plane can fly at angles which are not the direction of flight, just nowhere near as extremely as this. It's how landings are made, often - the plane is moving in a straight line, but the nose might be pointing ten or fifteen degrees off to the right or left.
Even more impressive is the ability of one of the later model Su-27 variants to perform a 360 degree flip inside its own length in level flight. I wish I could find video...

Disclaimer: the bits and pieces I know about flying do not come from much real piloting experience, so the details may not be entirely accurate. Do not attempt to use this information to engage in aerial combat, or land a plane.

[Reed]

I don't know if they still do this, but the Russian air force used to actually sell rides in their high performance fighters (I think it was something like $25,000US for 1 hr). I always thought that would be a really awesome experience.

[LTK]

I don't know if they still do this, but the Russian air force used to actually sell rides in their high performance fighters (I think it was something like $25,000US for 1 hr). I always thought that would be a really awesome experience.

It actually would, if the average person were able to keep from fainting during the ride. Wasn't that because of the blood flow to your brain stopping?

[Patrick]

This place is in my hometown, and it's got something very close to being as awesome as that. When I turned 13, my dad rented out this exact airplane:



We did a maximum of 6 positive Gs and 4 negative Gs, and it was fucking exhilarating, and nowhere near as expensive as a ride in a MiG 29 would be. Also, the Extra 200 comes with a barf bag. Can't promise that in a MiG since you have a full-head helmet and 100% oxy mask on.

[negative creep]

I've always been a fan of the Albatros D series:


But the best airplane ever is, of course, the Tupolev Tu-95:

[öde]

Also, the Extra 200 comes with a barf bag. Can't promise that in a MiG since you have a full-head helmet and 100% oxy mask on.

They do, I remember Jeremy Clarkson needing to use one.

[imapiratearg]

I've always been a fan of the WWII RAF Spitfires and the B-17's, like other people have mentioned.

[Ballard]

Gene (Ballard) is from NYC, and I'm certain there are others.

Also the best planes were all in the RAF during WWII and that is that.

To be fair, I think this incident was more of an excuse for everyone to shit on the US government (as per usual) than a legitimate scare. Reactions immediately after the Air Force One news broke ranged from "lol fail" to "oh I wasn't concerned/hadn't even heard"

Also I'm pretty sure the two 747s that use the Air Force One call sign are easily distinguishable from the ground by their bright silver painted bellies.

[supersheep]

It actually would, if the average person were able to keep from fainting during the ride. Wasn't that because of the blood flow to your brain stopping?

They shove you in a special suit that is super-tight to stop the blood running away from your head (or something similar, not sure of the technical details.)

It's like wearing Gene's jeans, but all over.

[Ballard]

Eat me.

[Patrick]

It actually would, if the average person were able to keep from fainting during the ride. Wasn't that because of the blood flow to your brain stopping?

They shove you in a special suit that is super-tight to stop the blood running away from your head (or something similar, not sure of the technical details.)

It's like wearing Gene's jeans, but all over.

A G-suit is just a regular-seeming pair of pants with bladders that fill with compressed air if the plane's computer senses that the level of positive Gs is getting higher than a certain limit (not sure exactly where that G limit stands), which squeezes the blood out of the legs in the way you described. The ankles are also waterproof, if I recall, which helps for flotation and thermal insulation in case the pilot is shot down and has to eject over water.

They do nothing for your figure.

[David_Dovey]

And now #1 on my list of things I do not ever want to do in my life:

*drumroll*

Red out.

Eurgh.

[Ballard]

Yeah that's pretty unpleasant huh.

[Alex C]

Also I'm pretty sure the two 747s that use the Air Force One call sign are easily distinguishable from the ground by their bright silver painted bellies.

This is really only useful if you knew that Air Force One has a bright silver painted belly.

[Masterbainter]

pretty sure planes are evil, since they kill people and all.

[LTK]

pretty sure planes are evil, since they kill people and all.

Planes don't kill people.

Guns kill people.

[snalin]

Guns don't kill people.

Muslim suicide bombers kill people.

[Thomas Edison]

I always thought dying is what killed people.