Aircraft Trivia Quiz

T_Terrific wrote:

I dunno, but it sounds a lot like the '262. Tom

Nope, not the Me 262, although it wouldn't surprise me that it had a very successful debut. 

I dunno, but it sounds a lot like the '262.

Tom

A prototype of this aircraft had an outstanding combat debut.  On it's very first mission it managed to shoot down five RAF bombers. 

Over the next week and a half, three of these prototype aircraft managed to intercept and shoot down another twenty RAF aircraft, including six Mosquitos which up to that point were virtually untouchable! 

What is this aircraft? 

(I am suddenly having an insane urge to build one!  )

 No problem.

Just as a reminder, after one week, if no question is posited, it is anybody's turn that feels he/she has a good question.

OK?

Tom

Fustercluck wrote:

I'm gonna call this one, I think I'm killing the thread and I don't wanna.  The answer I was looking for was Plasma stealth.  A plasma field is generated around the plane and it absorbs the radar waves.  The plane is then fully stealthy, it's not just a slight improvement.   The Russians have claimed to have working systems since '99.  I think it went on sale commercially in '05.   Also look into the buzzing of the Kitty Hawk by Russian planes in '00.  The rumor is they used the plasma stealth system to totally take the whole group by surprise.

This sounds similar to the "Philidelphia Experiment" by the U.S. Navy, where they successfully cloaked an entire ship in a WWII experiment, making it literally invisible, but the crew went mad, so then they realized that without the trained crew, the cloaked ship was useless, so they dropped the idea.

Due to my working with a lot of ex-Navy submarines, I was also made aware of the fact that the average lifespan of a Russian Navy nuclear sub sailor was only 10 years max after his service beause of their unprotected exposure to and unshielded nuclear reactor in the typical Russian attack boat.

Knowing the above, and being aware of the potential negative psychological effects a plasma field could have on a fighter-driver (you can't adequately shield a fighter pilot from such a field without severely comprimising the aircrafts performance and range, as the essential shield is heavy gauge iron plates), and their poor track record of regard for the life of an enlisted man, I wouldn't doubt that the Russians were glad when they no longer had to use such gimmicks to bluff us when the cold war ended.

Tom

I'm gonna call this one, I think I'm killing the thread and I don't wanna. 

The answer I was looking for was Plasma stealth.  A plasma field is generated around the plane and it absorbs the radar waves.  The plane is then fully stealthy, it's not just a slight improvement.  

The Russians have claimed to have working systems since '99.  I think it went on sale commercially in '05.

Also look into the buzzing of the Kitty Hawk by Russian planes in '00.  The rumor is they used the plasma stealth system to totally take the whole group by surprise.

Espins1 you were closest, take the next question. 

Fustercluck wrote:

That answers two questions, (Is it possible? Yes, Who? the Russians)  now we just need one more....How?

Ah, I neglected to answer that part of the question.  The retrofit includes Radar Absorbant Materials (RAM) and coatings developed at the Moscow Institute of Applied and Theoretical Electrodynamics.  Tests have proven the radar signature of the upgraded MiG21 to be 10 to 15 times weaker than that of the regular MiG21 bis.

Fustercluck wrote:

Is it possible to retrofit stealth technology onto a non-stealthy plane?  If so how, and who does it?

Well, I know the Indian Air Force is currently working with MiG to add Stealth technology modifications to their existing MiG 21bis fighters.  

Yes but that wont make the B-52 a stealth aircraft, just slightly stealthier.  Good answer but no, many current aircraft paints have some degree of radar absorbtion to them. 

Somebody out there knows the answer to this.... 

Ah, any mention of the Maxim Gorky is a good one.

No.  I am going to withdraw the question.  I asked this one because I knew you couldnt google it.  The answer was the Pe-2.  Early into its second flight, it crashed, and unfortunately landed on a field where schoolchildren were playing.  18 children plus the teacher plus the two crew all died.  Weird huh?

The new question is...

Is it possible to retrofit stealth technology onto a non-stealthy plane?  If so how, and who does it?

Nope.  Nice guess.

It was Russian. 

This question may be too obscure.  If nobody gets it by tomorrow, I will do another I guess. 

Was it the Boeing model 299, wherein on October 30, 1935 this prototype for the B-17 crashed with three crew members injured and the pilot and co-pilot died from injuries?

Tom

No, let me clarify a little (sorry) the spirit of the question is that it has to be a prototype test flight, this was literally the second flight of this model.

Though to be fair, your answer had more people dead and wounded, and I always figured that it was possible to have a bigger answer with such an open ended question.

Fustercluck

Was it the De Havilland 110 fighter that broke up over the crowd at the Farnborough Air Show on September 6, 1952. 27 people were killed and 63 injured.

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~russells/nzrafaa/sbac.html

Mike T.

 You are right about the F-80(P=80). The second part about Lockheed's name I don't know.

 I was a flight line mech. on the T-33 at Moody AFB, then switched over to B-25's to get on flying.

 Irish aka CPO

 What jet aircraft was stretched to make the T-33.

 Irish246

Hi guys.

I am going in a different direction here.  I have an intersting question and and answer but I have to say in all fairness that I MIGHT be wrong. ( but I don't think so.)

Okay, what military (non-cargo/passenger) aircraft had the most disasterous prototype flight, specifically, which one killed the most people in the same crash. 

I hope this is a fun one.... 

Fustercluck wrote:

I think it was to test prone piloting and was located at the nose.  I think the idea was to have a backup pilot lying prone when the regular pilot was unable to fly because of high-g manuevers.  (Do Meteors even do "high-g"?)

Well done Fustercluck, over to you!

If it is the one I am thinking of, there is a kit made by Classic Airframes.

Tom

Edit:

I just did not want to "hog" the forum by blurting it out in case someone else wants the first shot at it.