Aviation trivia quiz.

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

Short Sperrin

They were scrapped

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

For added points. The Short SA.4 Sperrin was one of two aircraft designed for the RAF as a four-jet medium bomber with minimum technological risk ahead of the more ambitious V bomber programme, but the rival Vickers Valiant was selected for service in preference. The ones built were used as test aircraft for new engines and systems from other programmes. One of your images actually shows an example with the large DH Gyron installed in the lower nacelle.

The Valiant had been named alliteratively, as was the custom by British firms, by Vickers and not as part of the V Bomber programme. When it came to selecting the winner of the V bomber programme, the RAF bought both the Vulcan and the Victor AND kept the Valiant too, meaning that also came to be regarded as a V bomber by default. You could say they got lucky, lol.

You guys are nerds! Get a life! Lol just kidding both of you are correct

What did the USAF used to do to operational aircraft when they were ten years old?

originally posted by: Imagewerx
What did the USAF used to do to operational aircraft when they were ten years old?

They would paint 0- in front of the tail number.

originally posted by: Stngray

originally posted by: Imagewerx
What did the USAF used to do to operational aircraft when they were ten years old?

They would paint 0- in front of the tail number.

What did it stand for (sorry but I meant to put that in the original question)?

a reply to: Imagewerx

It was a zero, not an o, but came to mean obsolete.

a reply to: Stngray

If only they knew. Heh

When the USA had a new stealth airframe on the pole for radar return data even though they knew when the ussr had a satellite flying over to take a picture the planes where rushed back into the hanger before the satellite could get a picture, the ussr still managed to gather quite detailed info about the new plane.
HOW DID THEY DO IT?

a reply to: stealthyaroura

Bill "I hate the F-35 beyond all reason" Sweetman.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Meaning? Sorry zaph ya lost me

a reply to: stealthyaroura

Bill Sweetman, the author that used to write for AvLeak. I threw the rest in because all he ever wrote about before he left for Northrop was how awful the F-35 was.

a reply to: Zaphod58

But how were the Russians able to gather information on the usa's latest airframe when it was just put away in time for the ruskys satellite flyover for pics of there target airframe?

a reply to: stealthyaroura

Sweetman wrote about the latest platforms. They were buying magazines and translating them and getting all kinds of great information from him.

a reply to: Zaphod58
And another brilliantly simple but overlooked way that the ruskys used?
Come on zaph it's funny how they overlooked this flaw and brilliantly simple.

IF TRUE and I'm sure it was.

a reply to: stealthyaroura
Ok, when the USA took the airframe off the pole and put it in the hanger the heat from the sun had left a patch under where the airframe had been so the ussr took photos of where the airframe was and noticed the outline of the thing due to the temperature difference (its bloody hot out in them desert test facilities)

So whilst only an outline of the basic shape of the plane being tested was obtained this way you can see they would be able to tell if it was a flying wing design or swept wing I'm sure they could get an idea of the size also and maybe other valuable data from these heat signiture "shadows".

The Air Force did cotton on to this tactic but not straight away so I gather.

a reply to: Zaphod58

When I was in training after getting out of boot camp, I shared a room with three Anti-submarine Warfare Technicians (AW's). I got a copy of Popular Science that had a section about Soviet submarines. When I asked one of my roommates a question about an Alfa class sub, he about freeked. The information in the magazine article was on their "classified" list.

What is the most successful jet fighter ever made?

a reply to: stealthyaroura

I was just catching up but that was my answer....The shadow it threw kept the ground cooler.

a reply to: Imagewerx

How do you rate success? I believe the Mig-21 is the most produced jet ever. I believe the F-15 has the highest kill ratio ever.