Any Aviation Fans in Here?

[organ]

Anybody into aviation as a hobby or career? What's your favorite aircrafts?

I love aviation as much as I love audio. I find myself watching cockpit DVD's more than movies. My aviation DVD collection is growing nicely. I also collect 1:400 scale models.
I think I've spent almost as much on my flight simulator rig as my audio system.

I'm more into commercial jets. My favorite aircrafts are the endangered Douglas planes. The DC-10 and MD-11. I like tri-jets a lot. The 727 and L-1011 are sexy too, especially in the old Air Canada or Delta livery. I've crossed the ocean quite a few times on the DC-10. Long 8hr flight, then a stop in Honolulu, and then another 5 hrs to LAX. I enjoyed every minute of it. Got window seat by the wing each time and I loved watching the wing flex. The sound of those GE engines on the DC-10 is music to my ears. You don't hear that sound anymore except for the few DC-10's still in service as freighters and passanger. I think Biman Bangladesh is the only airline still flying DC-10's for passanger's and KLM with their MD-11.

I will miss them when they stop flying. But I still have a blast flying both planes on my simulator.

Also interesting how the MD-11 is quite a bit automated but not to the extent of an Airbus fly-by-wire.

I feel, the jets from back in the day look more unique than the more modern ones. I just can't get over the cool factor for many of them. My favorite time for plane spotting was back in the early to mid 90's. Airport would be packed with DC-10's, L-1011, 727, 737-200, 747-200's etc. I also saw the Concord arrive here a few times (British Airways). Those were the days.

My favorite airbus are the A300 series and A330-200. Very slick looking. I think the big A380 is yucky looking.

I don't like the look of the new 787 either. The cockpit windows are so ugly IMO. Still waiting to see the A350. Of course this is just based on visuals and I'm not taking design and performance into account.

So anybody else into aviation? Share your stories and favorite planes.

[organ]

So sexy
Canadian DC-10 and Garuda MD-11



A clearer pic of the MD-11

[mhardy6647]

Yup but (not surprisingly) my tastes run towards the vintage.

Convair 240, 340, 440, 580, 880, and 990 (the 990, using the same engines as the supersonic B-58 "Hustler" delta-wing bomber, may be the most beautiful commercial airliner ever made)

Vickers Viscount

Lockheed L-188 Electra (yeah, so the wings used to break off sometimes; so what?)

SUD Caravelle (the first rear-engined jet, and a sexy French beauty she was)

You know about www.airliners.net yes? :-)

[mhardy6647]

heh, nice photos by Jon Proctor of most of my favorites on one of his web pages :-)
http://jonproctor.net/chicago-1960-1963/

(including the Lockheed Constellation - how could I forget the Connie?)

[gdb]

I try to visit the Enola Gay and her friends at least once a year at Udvar-Hazy in Virginia. I love Stearmans !

[decal]

Check out this thread right here on Club Polk.

[Vette C6.r]

I try to visit the Enola Gay and her friends at least once a year at Udvar-Hazy in Virginia. I love Stearmans !

Great place to go to . I've been there three times and it never gets old.

[organ]

Mrh,
That's great man. I like the vintage ones as well. I noticed people's preferences lean towards what "wowed" them as a child. I know this is the case with a lot of people including me. The DC-10 has been my favorite since I first flew on one. Also, we boarded using the stairs instead of jetways so you get a good sense of the scale of the plane.

Thanks for sharing the link with pics. I thought I was old school, but those pics show something completely different. Seeing LAX packed with prop planes and old jets like 707's must be amazing. I wonder if the jet fumes smelled the same back then lol.

That Caravelle iooks sweet. I'm guessing it was also the first T-tail? I know the Russians built T-tails as well. Speaking of T-tails, the Fokker 28/70/100 looks nice too. I flew on the 28 a few times.

Back in the day, I had the chance to visit the cockpit of a Canadian 767 while in flight. Amazing stuff. I haven't flown in a long time, but next time I do, I will ask the flight attendant if I can visit the cockpit after landing and get a pic there. I know sometimes they let you.

Yup, I love airliners.net. I really love how you can just type the aircraft's registration number in the search function and you get tons of pics. The forums there is great too.

Gdb,
That's neat man. Do they let you go inside?

Decal,
Thanks for the link. However, the thread is only on fighter jets. I'm not really into them. I'm into commercial aircrafts.

[decal]

I thought a plane was a plane and all amps sound the same !!!!

[tonyb]

I like Personal aircraft, like the Puffin. Ultra lights too. The DIY crowd in personal aircraft is getting pretty darn interesting.

[mhardy6647]

No, the planes with vacuum tubes and propellers are far superior to those solid state, jet jobbies.
The Russian MiGs with jets and vacuum tubes are... intriguing.

[Msabot1]

Cool thread! personally dig the old fighters! lightning,mustang,thunderbolt,corsair ect..my fav is by far the ME 262! Profile kinda reminds me of a great white shark...deadly!!

[WastelandWand'r]

Cessna 170B w 180 Horse conversion. Only plane I need. Out here anyways.
Nathan

[tonyb]

Here's a need little diy version I like. The same sized plane can be had in a jet version too.

http://www.sdplanes.com/sd1a.htm

[sda2mike]

pvt pilot here

[tonyb]

Man, I want one of these, land and take off on land or water.

http://www.seamaxamerica.com/index.php/aboutseamax

[WastelandWand'r]

Here is a link to more photos of aircraft then one could ever hope for. Also gives one a feel for the GOD's, as in the good old days.
Lets hope it works.
Nathan


http://www.mission4today.com/index.p...ish=15&start=0

[Dawgfish]

Big aviation fan here. My dad was an Air Force crew chief, my uncle is an aeronautical engineer, both of my cousins are pilots, and my granddad was a pilot. I guess you could say aviation is in my blood.

[chumlie]

Here is a link to more photos of aircraft then one could ever hope for. Also gives one a feel for the GOD's, as in the good old days.
Lets hope it works.
Nathan


http://www.mission4today.com/index.p...ish=15&start=0

Some really great pics. Thanks !!!