Aviation trivia quiz.

a reply to: TerryDon79

We used to call it Droopy.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: TerryDon79

We used to call it Droopy.

I can see why!

I know there's uglier birds, but that's got to be in my top 5 now.

a reply to: TerryDon79

I almost feel bad about this question because it's such an obscure aircraft.

Ok,next trivia question.

U2 Pilot Gary Powers was shot down while flying his spy plane over Russia.The U2 was supposed to be capable of flying high enough to avoid any ground or air launched weapons.How was his plane allegedly tampered with to make Gary think he was flying a lot higher than he actually was?

originally posted by: Imagewerx
Ok,next trivia question.

U2 Pilot Gary Powers was shot down while flying his spy plane over Russia.The U2 was supposed to be capable of flying high enough to avoid any ground or air launched weapons.How was his plane allegedly tampered with to make Gary think he was flying a lot higher than he actually was?

Wrong altimeter fitted?

a reply to: Imagewerx

It wasn't. The aircraft developed a problem that was supposed to be an automatic abort, and he chose to continue because it was an important mission. He was so engrossed with dealing with the problem he didn't pay attention to his surroundings.

Or, the shorter version, he was a dumbass.

a reply to: Zaphod58

What's the answer to your snoopy/707 hybrid?

a reply to: TerryDon79

There were two versions. The EC-135N/E and the EC-18B. The EC-18 were modified civilian 707-320s that had been retired from service.

Both aircraft began life as the Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft, and after Apollo ended became the Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft. They tracked everything from nuclear tests, to missile tests, to the space shuttle using a steerable radar antenna in the nose.

a reply to: Zaphod58

That would explain the nose shape.

a reply to: TerryDon79

There were two high profile losses of the -135 variant. One was out of Wright Patterson on a training flight. The Aircraft Commander was in his seat, with the wife of another crew member in the other seat. The aircraft went nose down suddenly and went out of control and crashed, killing everyone on board, either 21 or 24, I forget.

The other was returning to Hawaii after monitoring a nuclear test. They had 12 Air Force, including the 2nd ACCS Squadron Commander, and 12 civilian, mostly technical types. They were about 300 miles out of Hawaii and disappeared.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The story I remember from a LONG time ago was that Russians infiltrated the airbase it was flying from (Pakistan I think?) and changed the screws that hold the altimeter into the panel for magnetic ones causing the altimeter to read higher than it actually was.
Again from memory but wasn't he in trouble for not triggering the self destruct mechanism and not taking his suicide pill?

a reply to: Imagewerx

They said he was, but it was more for not aborting when he should have, and flying the mission another day. They said he always was on the arrogant side and said he could fly anything.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Just had a quick read on Wikipedia about the Gary Powers story that made me LOL.I hadn't heard the one about the Russians firing a whole salvo of ground to air missiles to shoot the U2 down,but also shot down their Mig 19 they sent up to intercept him.

a reply to: Imagewerx

They shot down at least three MiGs, although they've only admitted to one or two. They threw everything but the kitchen sink at the thing to hit it.

Why do some RC-135s have a black wing?

a reply to: Zaphod58

To cut down on glare, those models have missile-viewing cameras

originally posted by: Zaphod58
Why do some RC-135s have a black wing?

Was it to test the stealth coating used by other aircraft by comparing it to the other wing?

a reply to: Imagewerx

Northernhollow was right. It's like eye black that athletes use. They have optical rigs that look out on that side. The black keeps glare from bouncing up into the lens.

Here's a fun one. Why were tankers painted green and Grey in the 90s?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Oh, oh. I know!