***The OFFICIAL aviation pics thread***

[lincolnboy]

[Sgt Beavis]

Those Bear bombers look puny next to the Stratofortress.

[F8LSVT]

Those Bear bombers look puny next to the Stratofortress.

Cause 'Murica!

[71chevellejohn]

There's a bunch of cool pics here -

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/all-these-jaw-dropping-airplane-images-were-taken-by-th-1721264161

[Darren M]

Great find!! Thanks!

[inline 6]

Some great pics in there

[likeitfast55]

Some very cool pics in there, thanks for sharing.

And this is why you do not fly through hail.................. A320.

[turboford]

Airplanes don't like hail.

[likeitfast55]

Neither do pilots.

[bird_dog0347]

Out of curiosity, how do the pilots know it's hail? Would you rely on the tower to alert you to the danger of hail or should the plane be able to detect it with it's own instruments?

[Craizie]

Why are just the windows and nose damaged? Why not other leading edges?

[likeitfast55]

Hail is difficult to see. It comes out of a very narrow portion of the CB. Similar to a facet of water being turned on and off. Radar will attenuate sometimes, but the shafts are very narrow in comparison to the thunderstorm being painted by your radar. Now add that into night time working your way around a rapidly building cell.........
A lot of the hail we encounter in the air never makes it to the ground(melts). Some of the newer more sophisticated wx radar will attenuate the hail shafts, but unfortunately the older stuff is in our planes. It is like trying to keep up with modern PC's. Newer technology is being developed every day. The airlines are cheap and will not pay for retrofit every year or so. Too much $$$.

The windows are more damaged because they are flat surfaces and took a lot of the force. The nosecone and other fiberglass surfaces are beat to hell. The metal fuselage was able to withstand more punishment. I bet if you were close enough to run your hand across the metal parts, it would feel like a golf ball. This looks like a nickle size hail encounter.

[68RR]

engines are nice and clean now!!! LOL!

[likeitfast55]

A B-29 engine run at night. This motor hasn't run in over 50 years. What a beast.

I think I re-posted this, oh well. That sound is awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=244&v=KtfBPjXSorg

[TorqueJunkie]