...wish I coulda' seen this fly...that's my 13 year old son for size comparison....I got a tour of the storage and I didn't know they still had these too !
Speaking of airplanes, I was just driving home from Alabama going through Mississippi on I-55 South of Jackson when there appeared a jet fighter sitting just inside the freeway fence in a guy's backyard. I'm not much of plane guy, but this looked like a 60s-70s small fighter like was used in Viet Nam. Kinda shockin' to see it in such a location, looked fresh from storage. Didin't see a "For SALE" sign on the cockpit canopy though.
I remember seeing an F-104 somewhere on the wato Fla. from Texas a few years ago. Is that Canadian plane the Avro (Arrow?) that got canceled aand caused all kinds of fuss?
From the looks of the wing tip(s), my "Canadian Fighters spotters guide" says your right. It's a shame it never made it into production; it was supposed to go like a "scalded cat!"
Is that the Ottawa Airplane Museum? I was there about a month ago. Cool museum. The engine displays were the best. Followed closly by the big wooden seaplanes as you first walk in.
that is sweet man, i am a structural mechanic on the superhornet. although it is OT, fabricating is fabricating. that front fuselage looks killer!
I was a fighter pilot in the RCAF in the 60's, and you have no idea how bitter we were at learning that not only did they cancel the contract, but the government had AVRO, the contracter, destroy all 5 of the flying airplanes but also all the plans. The airplane flew better than anyones expectations at the time, it went supersonic on its third flight, in level flight, using the underpowered J-57 development engine. Sob, sniff Bob Most of the development was given to the US.
Heard one reason it got canned was Russian espioage. Probably became the MiG-25. Also lotsa politics on U.S. and Canadian sides of the fence. At least you guys got a whole bunch of F-101's. Oops-I meant screwed.
All McDonnell did was to prove you can but 2 afterburners on a craphouse and make it go supersonic. I flew them and it was a good airplane, but extremely limited in manoeuvering capability at speeds below 400 kts. It was the Bomarks that were the best part of the deal, not only were they useless, but they were unarmed and useless.
I build custom aircraft cabinets, just thought I would stick my nose in here and put my two cents in...
I love it! I guess we have to learn to think like the Arfons ( I hope I spelled it right ) brothers. They did amazing things on the dragstrip and on the salt flats with jet engined cars. There is nothing like being on the runway in the winter and lighting both burners, You know that even if you don't get airborne, you are going to go somewhere real fast. Formation takeoffs were the most exciting, particularly when you were the wingman and your burners lit and leads didn't. Even worse, when only one lit. We would be all eyeballs, arsehole, and rudder trying to keep the airplane straight. That is why we had the trailer hitch in the seat pack, so we could hold onto something. Bob
Damn...that would be an AWESOME salt car..... better than sitting in that stogey Ottawa muesem! Man.... there still looking for the models of that plane they shot out into the St. Lawrence.
The Arfons brothers were the guys that started it all. Art was 3 time holder of the world land speed record. http://www.americanjetcars.com/arfonfam.html
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