• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Hmmm..do you like low flying aircraft?....then here ya go!

M813rc

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,203
3,187
113
Location
Near Austin, Texas
The SP actually stood for Special Purpose. ;)
The aircraft was designed for maximum range on long-haul routes. Very high seating capacity was not needed, so a major weight saving could be accomplished by doing away with unneeded fuselage length, which also had some aerodynamic benefits. This also proved an advantage at some destinations where the airport couldn't physically handle the full length 747.

Cheers
 
Last edited:

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

Chaplain
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
18,538
5,820
113
Location
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas USA
The SP actually stood for Special Purpose. ;)
The aircraft was designed for maximum range on long-haul routes. Very high seating capacity was not needed, so a major weight saving could be accomplished by doing away with unneeded fuselage length, which also had some aerodynamic benefits. This also proved an advantage at some destinations where the airport couldn't physically handle the full length 747.

Cheers
Thanks, Rory.
I new I could have GOOGLED that, but I was having too much fun mutating the initials into something satirical.
 

Tracer

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
6,543
13,912
113
Location
Hawthorne, NV.
Boeing 747SP China Airlines.jpg747SP Private Jet.jpg The only 747SP I ever saw in person was a China Airlines jet at Honolulu International Airport about 1998. They flew them in from mainland China to Hawaii, quite a distance. The production line stopped at A/C #49. Sometime later a Middle Eastern Businessman ordered one as a private jet, so 747SP #50 was born.
 

frank8003

In Memorial
In Memorial
6,426
4,984
113
Location
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
NEED six M1A1 Bazooka for an aircraft restoration.

One time I posted about real low flying in WWll, but that was more about M1A1 attached to 65HP grasshopper. It was about bazookas as I was looking for "B" batteries.
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threads/m20a1b1-bazooka-question.187002/page-3#post-2205161

So anyhow, Charles Carpenter's L4 was found and rebuilt.
He did the lowest flying with bazookas.
 
Last edited:

Another Ahab

Well-known member
17,989
4,532
113
Location
Alexandria, VA
Some very low passes here.
Well, yeah, that "super low" pass is just plain foolhardy.

It might be a handy skill in combat (maybe, I don't know), but for public display that's just courting disaster. Right?!

Suck a wayward bird into that cowling....I don't think the outcome would be real good.
 

Guyfang

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
16,656
23,793
113
Location
Burgkunstadt, Germany
Back in the early 70's, I was on a field problem, in the summer. We were in a training area, outside Schweinfurt. Area M. We called it Area Mud. The Zoomies wanted to do some overflights, to train on low approach, over running of Air Defense sites. The First Shirt, two young LT's, a buddy, Garza and I were standing on a Berm, waiting for the Fast Movers, (F4 Phantoms) to come over. Out of nowhere, came 4 Fast movers, at several hundred knots, and about 200 feet above the ground. They were a tad off course. They compensated, and dropped some altitude and fired the afterburners. I have no idea how low, as my nose was in the grass. We were all flat as pancakes, except the First Shirt, and Garza. One of the LT's was cursing a storm about the "low" approach. The First Shirt and Garza laughed. Garza said, "Oh mannnnn. Low is when all your shi* that you aint holding on too, is gone". And off he went laughing his head off at the silly LT. Both the First Shirt and Garza had been with the 173rd in Viet Nam.
 

Another Ahab

Well-known member
17,989
4,532
113
Location
Alexandria, VA
Back in the early 70's, I was on a field problem, in the summer. We were in a training area, outside Schweinfurt. Area M. We called it Area Mud. The Zoomies wanted to do some overflights, to train on low approach, over running of Air Defense sites. The First Shirt, two young LT's, a buddy, Garza and I were standing on a Berm, waiting for the Fast Movers, (F4 Phantoms) to come over. Out of nowhere, came 4 Fast movers, at several hundred knots, and about 200 feet above the ground. They were a tad off course. They compensated, and dropped some altitude and fired the afterburners. I have no idea how low, as my nose was in the grass. We were all flat as pancakes, except the First Shirt, and Garza. One of the LT's was cursing a storm about the "low" approach. The First Shirt and Garza laughed. Garza said, "Oh mannnnn. Low is when all your shi* that you aint holding on too, is gone". And off he went laughing his head off at the silly LT. Both the First Shirt and Garza had been with the 173rd in Viet Nam.
Now THERE'S a story!

Great stuff, Guyfang. Thanks, Brother!!
 

Tracer

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
6,543
13,912
113
Location
Hawthorne, NV.
Guy and Ahab. There is a vid on you tube, of an A10 making a reeeaaal low pass over a base in Afghanistan, and dropping flares to boot. The only problem posting the vid is the excessive profanity voiced by the troops on the ground. I remember the steel soldiers rules of not posting anything of an obscene nature. Well, after 34 years on the shop floor in Commercial and Military aircraft manufacturing, I didn't find the language that odd or offensive. I mean we had women on the shop floor, who's language would make most truck drivers blush. But, rules are rules. :censored:
 
Last edited:

Another Ahab

Well-known member
17,989
4,532
113
Location
Alexandria, VA
Guy and Ahab. There is a vid on you tube, of an A10 making a reeeaaal low pass over a base in Afghanistan, and dropping flares to boot. The only problem posting the vid is the excessive profanity voiced by the troops on the ground.
Thanks for the thougt (of the vid), Tracer, that's what counts!

But, yeah, the world has too much ugliness in it already.

No need to add more ugliness, that's not helping. So you "done" good!!
 

Another Ahab

Well-known member
17,989
4,532
113
Location
Alexandria, VA
The algorithm has my number now (I'm guessing), or maybe the Russian hack assigned to me got bored and sent it, who knows?!

Anyway, this showed up today:

 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks