MJB
Well-known member
The DH 88 is one of those few aircraft whose elegance of line is just perfect.
Oh, and its designer's cousin died just a few days ago aged 104...
MJB
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Anyone else like Birds AND planes? (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter wolfbirder
- Start date
The DH 88 is one of those few aircraft whose elegance of line is just perfect.
Oh, and its designer's cousin died just a few days ago aged 104...
MJB
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Thank you very much! The light was highly variable - and often challenging - but perhaps it really challenged me to go beyond the "field guide" picture and try to take a photograph..... :t:
John
wolfbirder
Well-known member
John, your photos are just stunning.
It seems many many years ago when I used to love watching BOAC 707s, VC10s, and then 747s dropping into Manchester Airport when I lived near there as a kid. And also things like British Caledonian 707s, TWA and Pan Am 707s, Spantax CV990s, Air Spain DC-8s, Laker DC-10s, Wardair 747s, Trans Europa Caravelle's, BEA Viscounts plus so much more. Happy days!!
I used to have a Canon AE1 (I think?) and loved going to airports and airshows. Got albums full of 6 x 4's, but I envy the clarity obtained by John in his exceptional photos. Favourite places were Hotel Emmantina at Athens with its rooftop area and pool, Miami International, and Frankfurt. But I also loved Fairford Air Show to see the fast jets.
Nowadays I collect diecast 1/400 model airliners and 1/72 WW2 planes as a reminder of those great days- just love the Spitfire and Hurricane, and those German Heinkel's, Stuka's and ME109's. Just recently I obtained a Defiant, built a mile from where I live now on the outskirts of Wolverhampton by Bolton-Paul.
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SimonLS
Well-known member
It reads AF84 001.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Using a magnifying glass Pat, I think it's 04, def not a 9 anyway.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
The camouflage pattern and the yellow-bordered black tail band, with the long shallow cockpit canopy, confirm that this is an F15C from the 493rd Fighter Squadron: the pure air superiority squadron of the 48th (Liberty) Wing USAF based at RAF Lakenheath.
F15Es are all uniform very dark gray (concession to US sensibilities) - don't know what the official name of the colour is, sorry. F15Cs and the couple of two-seat Ds with the 493rd are pale gray ground colour with large blotches of a mid-gray on fins, wings and upper decking.
And I agree the serial is 84001.
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
I've been photographing aircraft since I was a kid and my Mum got me a Kodak Retinette fixed lens camera, so I never went the Instamatic route but straight into f-stops and shutter speeds. My first SLR was a frighteningly clunky Russian Zenith EM, then I used Mum's old Pentax when she upgraded, and finally went to Canon and moved into DSLRs with them. I often look at old pictures and lament not having the gear then that I've got now, with not-quite-sharp or badly lit pictures of types gone for ever.
John
SimonLS
Well-known member
John, Pat, Andy,
Thank you for your help. Especially to John for the extra detail.
wolfbirder
Well-known member
I love F15s but am surprised that in this day and age there is a perceived role for them still. I thought they were being retired?
I presume they have had avionics upgraded? Much prefer them to the horrible looking thing the RAF have now bought from the US.
I presume they have had avionics upgraded? Much prefer them to the horrible looking thing the RAF have now bought from the US.
PYRTLE
Old Berkshire Boy
I believe they are still upgrading them and looking to be flying variants for another 20 years eg Super Eagles and EX.
Lakenheath is preparing the infrastructure to receive some F35s in 2025?
I'm getting quite fond of the overhead silhouette of the F35s when they cruise low and directly overhead rather than side on - I was lucky to see two returning pairs join up to a four ship formation a few weeks back. .... giving me my little private airshow display for the year. " Flying Brick " is a tad unfair - if its fast, loud and pulling high Gs it is fine by me.
Lakenheath is preparing the infrastructure to receive some F35s in 2025?
I'm getting quite fond of the overhead silhouette of the F35s when they cruise low and directly overhead rather than side on - I was lucky to see two returning pairs join up to a four ship formation a few weeks back. .... giving me my little private airshow display for the year. " Flying Brick " is a tad unfair - if its fast, loud and pulling high Gs it is fine by me.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
In another place I frequent they call it "Dave" because they think it's boring, but I'm with you Pat.
The USAF approach appears to be two-track, recognising that the full-on stealth weaponry is very expensive and for most purposes overkill, they have enough of that to kick the door in and once that is done the Eagles will swarm in.
We're going much the same way: our Typhoons are unstealthy but hot ships in every other respect and can be all over anything the Lightnings (I hate calling it that, there's only one kind of RAF Lightning) aren't needed to handle.
I think I remember reading that Lakenheath will get 2 squadrons of F-35As to replace F-15Es but retain one squadron of Eagles in the wing (possibly those will be F-15Es rather than Cs).
John
MJB
Well-known member
The first (?) RAF Lightning may be this one here: https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2028523
Note the early engines with which it was underpowered...
MJB
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Mike Crawley
Emeritus President at Burnage Rugby Club
and we already had the Westland Whirlwind and the De Haviland Hornet
Stonefaction
Dundee Birding....(target 150 in 2024).
Had a pair of Spitfires pass through Dundee airport today on their way north to Inverness, one being the Silver Spitfire that flew around the world, the other a two-seater, so popped down for a look and to grab a few photos.
More photos on my Twitter page - www.twitter.com/SFbirding
or on my Flickr page - www.flickr.com/stonefaction
More photos on my Twitter page - www.twitter.com/SFbirding
or on my Flickr page - www.flickr.com/stonefaction
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