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

[Tracer]

The last flying Bristol Britannia making a few low passes.

 

[Another Ahab]

I quit after 5 minutes (it's my attention span). Impressive.

But any pilots here on the thread:

- Is flying THAT close to the deck foolhardy?

 

[Guyfang]

Best not be a new pilot, anyway!

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

The last flying Bristol Britannia making a few low passes.

I'm impressed!
What aircraft type/model is that?

 

[Another Ahab]

Best not be a new pilot, anyway!

The saying goes:

There are old pilots/

There are bold pilots/

But there are no old bold pilots

 

[Tracer]

I'm impressed!
What aircraft type/model is that?

Chaplain, it's a Bristol Britannia. Canadair made a freighter version the CL-44 that had a hinged aft fuselage for cargo loading. Flying Tigers operated this type of aircraft out of LAX back in the 1960s.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Chaplain, it's a Bristol Britannia. Canadair made a freighter version the CL-44 that had a hinged aft fuselage for cargo loading. Flying Tigers operated this type of aircraft out of LAX back in the early 60s.View attachment 787921

Thank you. Asking was easier than me Googling and Googling until I became dizzy.

That's quite a bird!

 

[Buffalobwana]

Low flying is where all the fun is. One wrong move and it's over.

Nothing makes you feel more alive than being on the verge of death.

 

[frank8003]

[QUOTE="Another Ahab But any pilots here on the thread:
- Is flying THAT close to the deck foolhardy?
[/QUOTE]
Flying over the sea is even better, when an engine pulls back it is because you let that prop hit the water.

 

[Another Ahab]

[QUOTE="Another Ahab But any pilots here on the thread:
- Is flying THAT close to the deck foolhardy?

Flying over the sea is even better, when an engine pulls back it is because you let that prop hit the water.
[/QUOTE]

 

[Another Ahab]

Flying over the sea is even better, when an engine pulls back it is because you let that prop hit the water.

While in the Seabees, our battalion had a deployment to NAS Rossevelt Roads in Puerto Rico, the Navy flew us down in C-130's from Andrews AFB in MD, and about half-way there our ship had an engine fire.

Pilot killed the fire, feathered the prop, and took us down right on top of the deck (or at least it sure felt like it). No explanation (until we touched down), apparently gave us better lift that way.

The West-by-God Virginians in the unit were absolutely losing it, I don't think ANY of those guys had ever flown before, and THAT was their first flying experience. Skimming ocean waves in a crippled Hercules. They were NOT liking it a whole lot!!

 

[frank8003]

Here, I "appropiated this" from that knowledgable internet guy.

Induced drag is less when one takes a C130 down low. Wingspan is 132' so somewhere down low at 60-70 feet she will get more efficient.
When an aircraft flies at a ground level approximately at or below the half length of the aircraft's wingspan there occurs, depending on airfoil and aircraft design, an often noticeable ground effect.
This is caused primarily by the ground interrupting the wingtip vortices and downwash behind the wing. When a wing is flown very close to the ground, wingtip vortices are unable to form effectively due to the obstruction of the ground. The result is lower induced drag, which increases the speed and lift of the aircraft.

A wing generates lift by deflecting the oncoming airmass (relative wind) downward. The deflected or "turned" flow of air creates a resultant force on the wing in the opposite direction (Newton's 3rd law). The resultant force is identified as lift.

Flying close to a surface increases air pressure on the lower wing surface, nicknamed the "ram" or "cushion" effect, and thereby improves the aircraft lift-to-drag ratio. The lower/nearer the wing is with regards to the ground, the more pronounced the ground effect becomes.

 

[Another Ahab]

Here, I "appropiated this" from that knowledgable internet guy.

Induced drag is less when one takes a C130 down low. Wingspan is 132' so somewhere down low at 60-70 feet she will get more efficient.
When an aircraft flies at a ground level approximately at or below the half length of the aircraft's wingspan there occurs, depending on airfoil and aircraft design, an often noticeable ground effect.

Well, I guess tht was it then:

- We were booking along over the Atlantic about 60 above the water. It felt like we were REAL close, and I guess we were!

I just kept eyeballing the Loadmaster. As long as he didn't seem concerned I figured we were okay.

It was so LOUD inside that thing that you couldn't talk to anybody in the hold. So I just kept my eye on the Loadmaster! He never batted an eye.

But I'm teling you those West Virginians (especially a guy named Odin), they were NOT liking all that at all.

 

[Guyfang]

I always felt good in the Herky Bird.

 

[Buffalobwana]

Flying over the sea is even better, when an engine pulls back it is because you let that prop hit the water.

Kind of spikes your manifold pressure doesn't it!

 

[Another Ahab]

I always felt good in the Herky Bird.

LOVE the Herky Bird!!!

 

[Tracer]

This airshow was at Mira Mar in 2008. This is a Low Pass by a rare 747SP. The SP is a short 747 with a tall vertical stabilizer. It was designed to compete against the DC-10 and L-1011, it didn't sell well and only 50 were built.

 

[Another Ahab]

This airshow was at Mira Mar in 2008. This is a Low Pass by a rare 747SP. The SP is a short 747 with a tall vertical stabilizer. It was designed to compete against the DC-10 and L-1011, it didn't sell well and only 50 were built.

Stumpy looking airframe, kind of brings to mind a bobbed deuce and that whole stubby look.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

This airshow was at Mira Mar in 2008. This is a Low Pass by a rare 747SP. The SP is a short 747 with a tall vertical stabilizer. It was designed to compete against the DC-10 and L-1011, it didn't sell well and only 50 were built.

Gotta love the announcer's enthusiasm. A mixture of the dramatic and paid sponsorship plugs...

 

[waayfast]

HHHMMMM?? , 747SP -----SP, that stand for Sport or Short Puppy