North American P-51 Mustang flying with Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The Mustang was introduced in 1941 and has a top speed of 441 mph. The Raptor was introduced in 2005 and has a top speed of 1,500 mph (well, maybe). The extreme maneuverability of the Raptor is demonstrated here, where it is easily flying inContinue reading “Old and new”
Category Archives: Warbirds
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
From time to time nearby Scott Airforce Base hosts a fantastic air show showcasing aircraft from early bi-planes to the latest technology fughters. Here, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather tactical stealth fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force.
Waking the Beast
If someone woke you up, you would be grumpy too. Starting this Wright Twin Cyclone’s 14 cylinders is fun to watch as it kicks and backfires during the startup process. Here you see the co-pilot watch the engine as each cylinder comes in line until they all are working in unison. Once all is running smoothlyContinue reading “Waking the Beast”
Stearman
Commemorative Air Force’s P-17 Stearman. The Army and Navy both used the trusty Stearman where they were referred to primarily as a PT-17 with the Army and a N2S-3 with the Navy. Although the Stearman was challenging to fly in the hands of a student pilot with no previous experience, it allowed instructors to quickly evaluateContinue reading “Stearman”
Show Me
B-25 Mitchell “Show Me” taxis in after a short flight. Following is a PT-17 Stearman. St. Charles’ Smartt Field is home of the Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force which has the B-25, the Stearman and a TBM-3 Avenger. The Wright Twin Cyclone engines power this beast to the delight of air show attendeesContinue reading “Show Me”
The Missing Man
On the air intake on the bottom of this F-16 you will see the number 6. The Air Force Thunderbirds fly in a “five man” formation and take off that way. Plane 6 is the “missing man” and takes off alone. He briefly joins the other five to prepare for a fly-by of an airshowContinue reading “The Missing Man”
DOC
Doc is a B-29 Superfortress and one of 1,644 manufactured in Wichita during World War II. Since 1987 when Tony Mazzolini found Doc on sitting and rotting away in the Mojave Desert, plans have been in the works to restore the historic warbird to flying status to serve as a flying museum. Over the past 15+ years,Continue reading “DOC”
Hornet
The business end of a F/A-18 Hornet. Designed and built by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Missouri. This aircraft serves both on land and aircraft carrier. If you drive near Lambert Field (Lambert International Airport) you might see the Hornet’s doing test flights. A friend was a manger for the development of F/A-18. When askedContinue reading “Hornet”
F-16
USAF F-16 Viper at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. The Viper here has just left the runway and you can see the wheels just going up. At air shows, use at least a 300mm lens and a high shutter speed to capture the action. If you have a good location near the runway, you mayContinue reading “F-16”
Show Me showing off
This is the B-25J Mitchell “Show Me.” Show Me is part of the Commemorative Air Force Wing stationed in St. Charles Missouri. The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces in every theater of WWII, and remained in service forContinue reading “Show Me showing off”
Great Rivers Imaging 