Classic British Flight Sim

Hi John,

I totally understand your philosophy matey. I too feel that the future doe'snt seem as exciting as the past. Perhaps your right. Its certainly depressing seeing historic pieces of beauty being disposed of and cast aside as if nothing happened. Take the Cosford Trident for example!

I was growing up in the seventies and spent many precious hours at Ringway eagerly watching classics arrive and depart under the watchful eye of my patient and bored mother.

IMHO I think the A380 is the best thing to happen to the Aviation industry for a long time. But I agree with you in the fact that its not generating the same sort of excitement as perhaps the good old days.

:sad: ATB

DispatchDragon wrote:Every hear of an aeroplane named Concorde :roll:

Yeah, heard of it. Never seen it though, thought it was some sort of mythical beast.

Honestly it didn't cross my mind. Says "Mach 2" and brain automatically goes to military mode....

DispatchDragon wrote:Mr Trott

Every hear of an aeroplane named Concorde :roll:

Give me strength


Leif

:gigle: :gigle: :gigle: :gigle: :gigle: :gigle: :gigle:

Brilliant sir.. beautifuly put!

SFX: "john's head banging against the wall"

Oh dear Chris it sounds like it's been a hard day

Regards

John

I think the point is that we are all wraped in cotton wool. There is no risk in anything, no one is really pushing the boundries.

Take F1. Ayrton Senna would turn in his grave if he could see how namby pamby the sport has become since his death. They were paid to take risks, now they make more money and are better protected than ever. No one test flys aircraft now unless its been tested on a computer and we can all be fairly certain it wont fall our of the sky.

Welcome to the risk averse consummer world... I hate it.

Dam good point Ben!

Watch 'The Sound Barrier' and the test pilots are wearing white decorators overalls, plus 4 shoes and a flying helmet that bears more than a passing resemblence to a cut up leather football!

Ah those ere the days... mumble, mumble mumble :-({|=

John

The one that always irritates me are those worshiped 'Brave' wingwakers.

All they are is strapped in a frame on top and wave.

What's brave about that?

Years ago they used to walk across the wing.and sometimes they fell off.

That must have taken some nerve.

Garry

Vegas, whilst you may prove to be right in terms of the A380s impact on the aviation world, its not really all that much in progress. Conceptually, its not doing an awful lot more than the 747 achieved in 1970, its not the sort of quantum leap Concorde was and all that was necessary in terms of materials, aerodynamics, weight and balance and computational electronics to achieve a Mach 2 airliner. Its basically putting to use the best of currently available (proven) technologies with a few smaller innovations. This (as I think Boeing has demonstrated) is often the best way to make aircraft that sell well. No offence to the Americans, but I dont really see any of the 7#7 series (with the possible exceptions of the 707 and 787) as being truely groundbreaking in terms of technology. However, by making "bread and butter" airliners that carry the right people at the right speed with reasonable all round performance and good reliability and durability, they have created products that sell well, compared to the British idea of having a marvellous technological breakthrough that is, dare I say it, a bit of a let down elsewhere.

Back to the A380, there are a few interesting pieces of novel technology. When I was at Southampton University, I did a research project as part of a group liasing with Smiths, FAG (bearings) and RR to work on sensors that will detect (and help predict) wear in hybrid (steel balls, ceramic raceway) bearings being used in later RR Trent engines. I think changes (improvements) and refinements in terms of efficiency, cost, weight etc are the way progress is being made these days, rather than looking for something radically new each time.

Garry Russell wrote:The one that always irritates me are those worshiped 'Brave' wingwakers.

All they are is strapped in a frame on top and wave.

What's brave about that?

Years ago they used to walk across the wing.and sometimes they fell off.

That must have taken some nerve.

Garry

Yes indeed. If I was flying I would try and do a touch n go whilst inverted. That would stop them being smug!

In my day... I remember young ladies walking across the wings of concorde at Mach 2 with no more assistance than a mere, mind how ya go' and a rolled up copy of 'The Aeroplane Magazine' Eeee by gum, it's all different now!

You try telling the kids of today...they'd never believe you!

John

Ps or is my memory deceiving me?!?!?!?