The early jet-age

[Keatah]

I've always found the early jet age of the 1950's and 1960's to be among the most exciting times. All sorts of new concepts were being tried. Practical or not, Sci-fi 'ish, or just plane crazy; it was on the drawing board, made into a mockup, and tested for real.

Meantime have a look the evening takeoff pics of the B-58 Hustler here. Something you don't see today.
http://www.b58hustler.net/b58Photos02.htm

Might as well get a load of the onboard voice warning system. I didn't know they had this back in the 1950's!
http://www.palamar.com/projects/b-58/B-58_Voice_Warning_Messages.htm

And of course the obligatory wiki page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-58_Hustler

It was interesting to read how some of the political and economical forces clashed with how aerospace companies design.
http://www.generalatomic.com/jetmakers/index.html

And check out the amazing headroom in the L-1011 passenger cabin.
http://www.generalatomic.com/jetmakers/chapter11.html
http://forums.mwerks.com/showthread.php?5035350-1972-Eastern-Airlines-L-1011-Introduction-Brochure
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...urce=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=VSHvUJCSCIK2rQGUp4GoAQ

 

[N_Molson]

I love that one. I'm not sure I would have the courage to do that, even knowing there is nobody in the cockpit.

You never know, a technician sneaking in and performing an engine test (L-1011)... :shifty:

Also, I was watching a documentary on airliners and that's a fact that there was much more room for passengers back then. Kerosene prices were low and profitability was not that much an issue.

 

[Codz]

I love the look of the old B-47's.

 

[Keatah]

Some air-to-air refueling minor mis-haps. One thing I didn't know was the F-18 can become a mini-tanker!

 

[statickid]

warning system, in calm voice, "Hydraulic system failure, check for engine fire"

me, "oh shhhhhi... oot!"

---------- Post added at 01:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:53 PM ----------

This is interesting too. just found it after clicking on a few of the recommended videos on your mishaps link.

http://youtu.be/wHuBsBOF4R8

 

[Keatah]

Cool escape capsule

 

[mojoey]

I see the B-1 Lance in the B-58

 

[Izack]

just plane crazy

...Hm. I see what you did there.

 

[Andy44]

That was the golden age of aerospace, IMO. The acceleration of technological change in the aviation and space industires was at a maximum, and ever since the 70s it's been incremental advances. Nuclear propulsion for spacecraft has been frozen since the early 70s. And most of the advances in aircraft have been in avionics and software. We have better engines and stealth tech, but nothing as revolutionary as the two and a half decades following the end of WWII.

About that L1011: I flew in those back in the 70s when I was a little kid and my dad worked for the airline. Air travel back then was so much nicer, the jets were so much nicer, and they were cool-looking, too. Later on in the 90s I flew on a chartered L-1011 on a long flight. Really nice ride, on par with a 747 for room and comfort. I really miss those older jets, and the nice service that came with them. The current state of air travel is such that air travel is something you just want to get over and done with rather than a fun experience.

Back to the old tech...my favorite jet is probably the infamous Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Looks like its name, and what a cool name it is:

 

[statickid]

I like this, I saw one for the first time in the Brussels Museum of Warfare and thought it was hilarious, talk about just feeling strapped onto a jet engine!

---------- Post added at 02:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:35 PM ----------

oh yeah forgot to mention, it's a Mig-15, by the way

 

[Codz]

Another great plane of the time was the venerable B-52. Gotta love that silver paintjob.

 

[Andy44]

The B-58 Hustler screams "1960s!"
(ignore the music...)

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Another great plane of the time was the venerable B-52. Gotta love that silver paintjob.

Well, not really of that time you know :lol:. I really think its interesting how a design like that has endured for so long. If the B-52 is still in use till the 2040s as projected, it will have been in service for over 80 years! Thats amazing.

 

[Evil_Onyx]

Avro Vulcan
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Vulcan"]Avro Vulcan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

There is nothing like it anywhere else, and its a Delta the size of a Boeing 737.

I read somewhere that it out maneuvered some F-15's at Red Flag in the 80's.

---------- Post added at 03:43 ---------- Previous post was at 03:38 ----------

Back to the old tech...my favorite jet is probably the infamous Lockheed F-104 Starfighter.

I think the Germans got the more accurate name Witwenmacher ('The Widowmaker')

 

[Urwumpe]

I think the Germans got the more accurate name Witwenmacher ('The Widowmaker')

And lawn dart and other bad names. But that hadn't been a problem with the Starfighter, but rather with the German airforce. After the training had changed, the Starfighter in Germany had one of the lowest accident rates of all jet aircraft in that time.

The Starfighter wasn't really designed for what the German airforce planned to use them, and the German modifications to the Starfighter had not made this better at all. The German airforce wanted to use the Starfighter to fly extremely low and deliver bombs even at night and in the rather poor German weather. And that with an aircraft, that had a higher dry weight than the original US starfighter. To that came problems with the Lockheed ejection seats, which had been even at that time poor. The number of deadly accidents dropped nearly instantly with the introduction of the Martin Baker seats.

But still, the most beautiful aircraft of the past century is a civilian one.

 

[ex-orbinaut]

English Electric / BAC

One that was not to be. Changed the video link. For those who have not seen it, this is an excellent documentary not only of the TSR2, but of the early jet age in England.