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Hiya KatieQuote:
Originally posted by barrk
This happened early this morning . . . .
Two Team Edwards aircrew members supporting the 416th Flight Test Squadron died today in the crash of an F-16B. American flags across base will be flown at half-staff through retreat Wednesday, 18 Jul. Next-of-kin have been notified.
Terrible news :( How often does this sort of thing happen?
Surprising, not very often. Thank God!
I seem to remember a couple of US F-16 crashed in the Cairngorms recently too so I wonderedQuote:
Originally posted by barrk
Surprising, not very often. Thank God!
Four F-16 have crashed since the beginning of the year. The f-16 is one of the first fly by wire aircraft and requires corrections many times per second to remain airborne. All the other crashes were related to this requirement. This crash is still under investigation so it would be speculation at this point as to the cause. This is the first crash of an aircraft based at Edwards in a very long time.
That's very interesting - is it the 'dynamic instability' that is the problem or some gremlins hidden in the fly-by-wire? I remember being told by avionics people that there might be some surprises left in the 757's fly-by-wire system :(Quote:
Originally posted by barrk
Four F-16 have crashed since the beginning of the year. The f-16 is one of the first fly by wire aircraft and requires corrections many times per second to remain airborne. All the other crashes were related to this requirement.
I'm glad to hear about the low incidence of problems at Edwards. I remember reading that in the days of the F104 (I think) the casualty rate of 20% per year amongst test pilots so I was not sure what things were like more recently.Quote:
Originally posted by barrk
This crash is still under investigation so it would be speculation at this point as to the cause. This is the first crash of an aircraft based at Edwards in a very long time.
The F104 is a Navy plane and it is the only one that surpasses the F-16 in its crash rate. The problems with it are also related to fly-by-wire problems. That's part of the reason that we still have such a large F-16 test program here at Edwards. They are used as our chase sqaudron primarily but also as test vehicles.
:confused: I was thinking of this sort of F-104 - fly-by-nerves-of-steel
http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/pho...88-0029-04.jpg
I notice the Italians are still using them as Interceptors (good for them!!!)
The F104 is referred to as The Widow Maker by the military.....you would definitely need nerves of steel to fly a plane with that nickname. They call the F-16 The Lawn Dart.....creepy!:(
or a flying coffin :(Quote:
Originally posted by barrk
The F104 is referred to as The Widow Maker by the military.....
what is a Lawn Dart??Quote:
Originally posted by barrk
They call the F-16 The Lawn Dart.....creepy!:(
Lawn Darts is a stupid but fun game played by college students mostly. You draw a big bulls eye on the grass and then you try to hit it.
The reference is that the F-16 would be used as the dart.
Interestingly enough, I just finished reading The Right Stuff (which I started before all this came out) :)
Katie, lots about your beloved Edwards in it!
The founder of the Happy Bottom Riding Academy...Pancho Barnes lived down the street from us as we were growing up. I run into Chuck Yeager all the time at the Officer's Club when he is in town......he's quite the piece of work. :rolleyes:
...twisted and ready for action!!!! :D
AmazingQuote:
Originally posted by barrk
I run into Chuck Yeager all the time at the Officer's Club when he is in town......he's quite the piece of work. :rolleyes:
:wow:
:impressed:
:awed:
[Starts think about whether he can send you a rocketplane to get tested by him]
I've noticed the Pancho Barnes influence in some of your posts [pundnuckers (sp?)]Quote:
Originally posted by barrk
The founder of the Happy Bottom Riding Academy...Pancho Barnes lived down the street from us as we were growing up
Pudknocker I think :)
Don't be too impressed. Chuck still thinks he's a zipper suited sun god. He wears his flight suit complete with stars and stripes ascot and is surrounded by his entourage whenever he comes in. When he enters the room he just sucks the fun right out!Quote:
Originally posted by Kzin
Amazing
:wow:
:impressed:
:awed:
[Starts think about whether he can send you a rocketplane to get tested by him]
:DQuote:
Originally posted by Kzin
I've noticed the Pancho Barnes influence in some of your posts [pundnuckers (sp?)]
:confused:
We're just discussing the early days of Edwards Air Force Base (Muroc wasn't it?) - read The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe :) It's extremely funny...especially the douche bag showdown... ;)Quote:
Originally posted by chenko
:confused:
Yep...Muroc. It was named that because a family named Corum first started a mining equipment settlement here and when they set up the mail stops there was already a Corum on the route so they reversed the name to Muroc.
The movie, The Right Stuff was pretty good too!
ahhhh, involves a book without VB in the title... I will give it a miss :p
So it would be alright to get him to test a homemade rocketplane then:DQuote:
Originally posted by barrk
Don't be too impressed. Chuck still thinks he's a zipper suited sun god. :D
If you can get past his entourage to ask him, then I'd be impressed!
come on kate you know you can't use big words like entourage and him around us!! :DQuote:
Originally posted by barrk
If you can get past his entourage to ask him, then I'd be impressed!
:D
You mean the swapping-the-parachute-for-the-home-made-rocket-pack routine wouldn't work ;) ?Quote:
Originally posted by barrk
If you can get past his entourage to ask him, then I'd be impressed!
BTW - how many stars has he got on his shoulder?
*violates chit-chat ethics with the hope of getting this grotty VB problem solved so that he can stop working*:p
Any ideas on this one? http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...threadid=90215
*hops from foot-to-foot eagerly*:(
ever thought that "them" are taking over!! :p
What's the "e" word in relation to?
Katie - ah, didn't know that :) Another piece of trivia:D
He is a brigadier general....just one star. He was enlisted not an officer so he was behind the curve on the promotions. He became a brigadier general in 1976. He is retired now.Quote:
Originally posted by Kzin
BTW - how many stars has he got on his shoulder?
A £2.7 Million bus station in Hong Kong had to be pulled down and rebuilt after transport bosses found they couldn't get any buses under the roof
Is that todays contribution to the trivia tome, Chris?:confused:
nope, just random something I found which was quite amusing...
I think this falls under the six P's.
Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance!
Not even single deckers :)Quote:
Originally posted by chrisjk
A £2.7 Million bus station in Hong Kong had to be pulled down and rebuilt after transport bosses found they couldn't get any buses under the roof
Either way it's funny :)
Poor Planning Prevents Parksie's Pissup
Poor Planning Promotes Parksie's Predicaments.
Proper Planning Promiscuates Parksie's Philanthropy
Pants prevent procreation
Pissing your pants does too....tends to turn off the ladies!;)
Unless they're into that :D