Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Mc Donnell F.4 Phantom

The wonderful world of scale model aircraft.

Mc Donnell F-4 Phantom.

The big F-4 fighter-bomber was gradually evolved from the F3H, with which it had no more than a configurational similarity. Despite its size and bulky look, the F-4 had excellent performance and good manoeuvrability; it was adopted by both the USN and the USAF. Early F-4's had no fixed gun, but this was corrected after combat experience in Vietnam showed the need for one. Over 5000 were built, making the F-4 one of the most numerous modern combat aircraft. Many are still in service. Now and then, plans are announced to upgrade the F-4 with new engines and electronics. The RF-4 is a recce version of the F-4 fighter with a camera nose. Currently retired F-4s are being converted into QF-4 target drones.

Type: F-4E

Function: fighter

Year: 1967

Crew: 2

Engines: 2 * 8120kg GE J79-GE-17A

Wing Span: 11.71 m

Length: 19.20 m

Height: 5.03 m

Wing Area: 49.24 m2

Empty Weight: 13397 kg

Max.Weight: 17964 kg

Max. Speed: 2410 km/h

Ceiling: 21600 m

Max. Range: 4180 km

Armament: 1*g20mm 1370 kg 5888 kg 4*AIM-7





Airfix Phantom.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The EF-111 Raven (F-111 Ardvark)

The Small Air Force

The EF-111 Raven (F-111 Ardvark)

The F-111 is a multipurpose tactical fighter bomber capable of supersonic speeds. It can operate from tree-top level to altitudes above 60,000 feet. The F-111 can carry conventional as well as nuclear weapons . It can carry up to two bombs or additional fuel in the internal weapons bay. External ordnance includes combinations of bombs, missiles and fuel tanks. The loads nearest the fuselage on each side pivot as the wings sweep back, keeping ordnance parallel to the fuselage. Outer pylons do not move but can be jettisoned for high-speed flight.

The F-111A first flew in December 1964. The first operational aircraft was delivered in October. A models were used for tactical bombing in Southeast Asia. Developed for the U.S. Navy, the F-111B was canceled before its production. F-111C's are flown by the Royal Australian Air Force.

The F-111D has improved avionics with better navigation, air-to-air weapon delivery systems, and newer turbofan engines. The E model has modified air intakes to improve the engine's performance at speeds above Mach 2.2. The F-111F has Improved turbofan engines give F-111F models 35 percent more thrust than previous F-111A and E engines. The avionics systems of the F model combine features of the F-111D and E. The last F-model was delivered to the Air Force in November 1976. The F models have been modified to carry the Pave Tack system in their weapons bays. This system provides an improved capability to acquire, track and designate ground targets at night for delivery of laser, inlfared and electro-optically guided weapons.





The Airfix kit of the F-111 which has been converted into the EF-111 ECM aircraft.

[Guest]

Just a thought.

Looking at some of the models It kinda struck me that the technology used to get aircraft airborn has not changed a great deal in almost 100 years, rockets, props and jets. Ok so the jet is something of a "newbie" in these terms, but still its basic engine design has been around for 70 odd years.

I reckon we are about due something ground breaking and amazing...

Its just a gut feeling and has no basis in fact

[wonwinglo]

Tiger,you are quite correct,now lets think about the way that most aircraft have become airborne in that time ? well they run along the ground to gain flying speed,this most dangerous and antiquated part of the flight ( except for VTOL ) has not changed in all of those years,what is needed to make the present airliners obsolete is to get them airborne vertically,to do this at present is totally un-economic due to the sheer amout of fuel required to do so,the idea to get larger aircraft airborne this way has plagued designers since the inception of flight itself.

There must be another way ? it will probably entail the use of a reliable and plentiful fuel that has not yet been discovered,or dare I say it when harnessing energy from the sun can be achieved to give plenty of power for aero engines,it could and probably will happen,but until that day arrives we will still be running them along the ground to take off.

Just a thought.Looking at some of the models It kinda struck me that the technology used to get aircraft airborn has not changed a great deal in almost 100 years, rockets, props and jets. Ok so the jet is something of a "newbie" in these terms, but still its basic engine design has been around for 70 odd years.

I reckon we are about due something ground breaking and amazing...

Its just a gut feeling and has no basis in fact

[Guest]

This is exactly why I said only again recently that airships have not been fully investigated in thier design possibilities.

The trouble is we are preoccupied with the desire to have things instantly. Things have to be shipped around the world, and passengers all have to get there as fast as possible. Items that are shipped have to be offloaded at a port and transported by road, rail or air to a final destination.

We should be using our technology to predict cargo requirements more accurately so that goods can be transported globally at a slower pace. Much will be gained by using an airship that can transport goods over sea or land which will save a lot of fuel and tremendous amounts of time. The amount of fuel we use to get an aircraft off the ground nowadays is a joke when you realise we already have the technology to do much better.

Then look at the surface area available to an airship. Shouldn't that be used to mount cells to collect natural radiation to be converted via accumulators into power to drive electric motors for the propulsion?

Unfortunately we still seem to lack the drive.

[wonwinglo]

Notwithstanding the terrestial kind.the concept of a flying saucer has not been fully explored,if kinetic energy can be used to expend lift around a circular body, then this could possibly be the answer to obtain vertical rather than forward transitional lift,so why not combine the saucer thing with airships proven technology ? if only a company could work on such a design then it could be a real winner,what we have to convince people to do is travel at a more economic pace,we have become obsessed with speed as opposed to economy of operation,the days of relaxed reliable leisurely travel seem to be a thing of the past,apart from your own field Richard.

Will the airship ever return ? well it is doubtful in its past format but could certainly be looked at again given new technology to improve it,perhaps one of its drawbacks was the inability to withstand severe weather across long routes,but who knows a comeback in some shape or form,could happen if someone was prepared to pour money into such a project.

[Guest]

I seem to be full of mad thoughts today!

Gravity.

There must be a substance/gas/molecule (call it what you will) that does not like gravity and will do its utmost to get away from it. I am just going on the premise that everything has its opposite part.

Now (Go with me on this) If there was such a substance, where would it be?

At the furthest point from any gravitational field. I find it hard to believe it does not exist...but there again, I may be a looney.

[wonwinglo]

Tiger,I think if it existed then someone would have discovered it by now,at least on this planet ? we are straying into the science fiction field now.

I seem to be full of mad thoughts today!Gravity.

There must be a substance/gas/molecule (call it what you will) that does not like gravity and will do its utmost to get away from it. I am just going on the premise that everything has its opposite part.

Now (Go with me on this) If there was such a substance, where would it be?

At the furthest point from any gravitational field. I find it hard to believe it does not exist...but there again, I may be a looney.

[Guest]

How many ideas that start out as science fiction become reality?

Anyone for a space ship, satelite, mobile phone, microwave, computer, robot, aircraft, car, submarine, the list is endless. But the antigrav thing...a step too far?

i wonder.

[wonwinglo]

Boeing and their anti-gravity interest.

Take a look here- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2157975.stm

Boeing had been experimenting but nothing ever came to it as far as I remember ?

How many ideas that start out as science fiction become reality?Anyone for a space ship, satelite, mobile phone, microwave, computer, robot, aircraft, car, submarine, the list is endless. But the antigrav thing...a step too far?

i wonder.

[Guest]

" Scientists who investigated Dr Podkletnov's work, however, said the experiment was fundamentally flawed and that negating gravity was impossible."

I love that word "impossible". The universe is impossible, but its here.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The OV-1 Mohawk.

The Small Air Force



OV-1 Mohawk

The Mohawk was developed by Grumman Aircraft as a photo observation and electronic reconnaissance aircraft for the US Marines and the US Army. Due to budgetary constraints, the Marines bowed out early in the development cycle. The first Mohawk (YAO-1) prototype flew on April 14, 1959. The OV-1 entered production in October 1959 and served the US Army in Europe, Korea, the Viet Nam War, Central and South America, Alaska, and during Desert Storm in the Middle East. The Mohawk was retired from service in September 1996. A total of 380 original OV-1 Mohawks were produced between 1957 and 1969. 133 OV-1Cs were built, the "C" designating the model which used an IR (infrared) imaging system to provide electronic reconnaissance.

Since its inception as a joint Army and Marine program, the OV-1 Mohawk had been a center of controversy. Actually the Army and Marine requirements were never compatible and compromises were made that suited neither. From the Army's viewpoint, the original design was compromised by shipboard requirements and other specific Marine specifications which had little application for an Army observation aircraft. From the Marine viewpoint, they were looking for a fixed-wing replacement for the old Cessna light observation aircraft and they did not require sophisticated sensor systems which they planned to carry on other aircraft. As it turned out, the Marines dropped out of the development program before the first prototypes were ready for flight.

Because the Mohawk was an exception to the Secretary of Defense's memorandum on weight limitations for Army aircraft and because it had inherent capabilities for armament, the Air Force had opposed its development from the beginning. There is no doubt that certain Army extremists viewed the Mohawk as the "nose of the camel within the tent of tactical air support." The Army was to suffer for their enthusiasm for years to come. The manufacturer, Grumman, did not help by publishing carefully placed brochures which showed the Mohawk in a variety of attack roles.



The Mohawk was originally designed as a visual reconnaissance aircraft with better survivability than the L-19 of Korean vintage. In addition, it was to have an integral camera system for spot photo coverage. Above all, it was to land and take off in the same distance as the L-19 which it was to supplement. It was not long, however, that "improved" versions of the Mohawk were visualized carrying sophisticated sensor systems developed by the Army surveillance agencies such as infra-red and side-looking radar. Weight, space, and power provisions had not been made for these systems in the original design. As a result, the gross weight increased and performance declined. These growth versions of the Mohawk were coming off the drawing board before the first "A" model had even been tested throughout its entire flight envelope and subsequent tests were to prove that major engineering modifications to both wing and power plants would be necessary in the latter versions. Furthermore, the addition of all this sophisticated sensor equipment not only raised the unit cost significantly but, in the view of many, watered down the Army contention that this was truly a front line low echelon aircraft.

The first Mohawk flew for the Army in 1960 as a visual observation aircraft. It was soon pressed into service in Vietnam. Its primary mission was gathering and relaying information on enemy activities. After a storm of controversy in the Pentagon, the 23d Special Warfare Aviation Detachment was deployed to Vietnam in September 1962 for the purpose of providing air surveillance in support of Republic of Vietnam forces. In addition, they were to serve as a test unit for operational evaluation conducted by the Army Concept Team in Vietnam. The 23d Special Warfare Aviation Detachment (Surveillance) was organized in July 1962 as a prototype armed aerial surveillance unit using the OV-1 Mohawk aircraft. Besides its headquarters and photo processing section, there were three flight teams, each consisting of two armed Mohawks, four pilots, and seven enlisted maintenance and armament specialists. Visual and photographic reconnaissance by this twin-turbine airplane produced a wealth of intelligence for supported units. One of the unique advantages of the Mohawk in reconnaissance was its speed to noise relationship which allowed the aircraft to get within observation distance of people on the ground without alerting them to it's presence. In one division, artillery fires directed from the air were nearly tripled by the activities of Mohawk observers. The Mohawks filled a real intelligence need for the U. S. Army advisors in the field. For the first time the advisors found themselves with a responsive tool in the form of the Mohawk under their direct operational control to fill in the many gaps in their intelligence.



Think this could be a Fujimi kit ?

[Guest]

As tiger said the future knows no bounds but far from anti grav drives what about an inertia less drive i remember a series of books from e.e smith that used this form of propulsion and i found the theory fascinating as the amount of power then used to move an object was incredibly less than one having the mass to weight (inertia ) ratio

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Airship Industries Skyship 500

The Small Air Force



Airship Industries Skyship 500

In 1984 Airship Industries managed a major marketing coup with the inclusion of their Skyship 500 series airship in the James Bond Film, "A View to a Kill". The original story coming from a short story by Ian Flemming was adapted and also took on the use of Airships by the later Bond Novellist John Gardener in "Role of Honour" . At the time Airship Industries were producing a fleet of ships which were recognisable over many capitals of the world offering tours, or advertising sponsorship deals. As all Bond films have included the most current technology, this included the lighter than air interest.

In the film the first introduction to lighter than air travel is when the, Villan Max Zorin, made an appearance in airship used as a "mobile" HQ and conference suite, in a planned but currently nonexistent Skyship 6000. A mock up model had been made showing a larger Skyship 500 with a double decked gondola and four ducted propulsion units.This was shown floating over San Fransico Bay, and cleverly disposing of a conference passenger. The ship was similar to the designs at the time of a larger skyship 5000 and the envelope and shape of the gondola can be seen as almost direct copies of the designs. The ship was mocked up in green Zorin Industries livery.This was an initial taster for choice of travel made by the Villan the later inclusion of anairship in the the climax of the film on the Golden Gate Bridge.

For the finale, the ship in question was in fact a very real Skyship 500 registration G-B1HN which at the time was operating a promotional tour of Los Angels and had played a major part of the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympic Games. For that the ship has WELCOME painted across the side of the hull. During the 1984 season, the ship was in predominantly green and red livery of Fuji Film sponsorship. As the film was set around California, the Bond Production Team were also able to utilize the ship and shots of the ship over San Francisco and famous land marks.

The ship was adapted with a similar livery, bearing the factitious Company of "Zorin Industries" and various smaller scale yet perfectly working models of the ship were used at various stages.



In the film, the ship is used as an escape vehicle for Max Zorin and his assistants. The escape airship was hidden inside a portable contractors office (portacabin) where the top extension collapsed down. This allowed escapees to enter the office door, and dramatically press a few buttons, and the roof of the building would collapse open, allowing the envelope to inflate through the top.

In real life, however this is not possible as an inflation can take up to 24 hours, however with the benefit of Pinewood magic, this inflation takes approximalty 2 minutes. It does, however provide a striking effect showing the fin structure and also an excellent vectoring of the engines as the "ship" provides a VTOL takeoff out of the cabin.

A very good action sequence takes place with the ship used as a kidnap vehicle where our hero James Bond dramatically grabs the bow mooring lines, and is carried off over the San Francisco skyline, narrowly missing some of the buildings.

The final sequence takes place on the Golden Gate Bridge where James Bond manages to curtail the villains get away by tying the mooring lines to the superstructure. During this time a very convincing Skyship 500 show a ship in almost in view during the whole sequence. However this is of course a very impressive mock up.

The demise of the ship is, like almost every airship in movie history, by the explosion. The clumsy use of dynamite which was dropped as the ship is cut free from it's moorings. The ending had to be dramatic and be careful not to totally discredit the fledgling industry who was always trying to move away from this historical stigma. The special effects are impressive and is true to a modern airship design with the gondola and not the envelope of gas exploding. This of course showing that the inert helium being safe as the envelope is deflated.



The model Skyship 500 fabric shimmers in the sun.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Explaining helicopters to the public,new facility at Pigeon Forge.

HELICOPTER HEADQUARTERS LIFTS OFF IN PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (October 2006) Helicopter Headquarters, an $8 million attraction designed to showcase the development of helicopters and to encourage visitors to experience wingless flight, has opened on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge.

"Whether or not you're ever going to fly in one, helicopters are familiar to everyone and Helicopter Headquarters explains this aspect of aviation very well. It's a solid addition to the many family-oriented

attractions in Pigeon Forge.

Portions of the attraction are interactive, including three custom-made flight simulators and a green-screen experience through which visitors can get a DVD souvenir that shows them piloting a helicopter or diving from one.

Helicopter-style flight has intrigued man for centuries, a fact verified by display of a full-scale model of Leonardo da Vinci's concept for a helicopter, taken from a 15th-century sketch.

Other displays recognize pioneers in helicopter flight and pay tribute to helicopters' military uses. Also on display are theatrical posters from movies such as "Lost Command", "Rambo III", and "Team America", a replica of a supersonic military helicopter that was the "star" of the "Airwolf" TV show, and a mock-up helicopter shell used in the movie "Terminator3: Rise of the Machines".

One artifact that drew attention from the day Helicopter Headquarters opened is a prototype for a Sky Commuter hovercraft, believed to be the

only survivor of about 10 that were made in the 1980s.

In addition to its role as a visitor attraction, Helicopter Headquarters has space for special functions, convention gatherings, and other

events.