Discussion
I was driving on the M56 this week near Chester and saw a plane flying level with the motorway at the Chester end of the M56 and thought it was a 747 that had got lost on the way to Manchester. As it got closer I realised it was one of the new A380 double decker jobbies. Thing looked to big to be in the air and at the speed it was going it looked like it would drop at any time. Must have been going to Aerospace at Broughton where I beleive they make the wings. When do these go into service?
here's a thought
Was at Chester a year or so ago and saw the Super Guppy go overhead - quite low so either approaching or leaving somewhere nearby.
[url]www.tomtom-net.de/resources/guppy/guppy.htm[/url]
Could this be your man?
Was at Chester a year or so ago and saw the Super Guppy go overhead - quite low so either approaching or leaving somewhere nearby.
[url]www.tomtom-net.de/resources/guppy/guppy.htm[/url]
Could this be your man?
I thought the supper guppy had been replaced by this:
www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/stbeluga/stbeluga3.html
www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/stbeluga/stbeluga3.html
That's an Antonov An 225 and there is also only one of those as well. In fact, that picture shows it landing at Farnborough during the 1990 airshow - I know, I was there.
As sn aside, most of the building seen in the background have now been demolished.
More common is the smaller Antonov An 124 which is of similar configuration but has only four engines and a single fin and rudder. It's still a big aircraft - being of similar dimensions to the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.
The Airbus A300ST replaced the Super Guppies about eight years ago.
The Super Guppies had been used since 1973. These aircraft were originally built to ferry rocket and spacecraft components around the USA as part of the Gemini and Apollo programmes. With the winding down of Apollo in the 1972-75 period, the Guppies became surplus to requirements and a couple were snapped up by Airbus. NASA did retain one as I saw it at Ellington Air Force Base in 1981.
The Super Guppies (and earlier Guppy) were modified Boeing 377 Stratocruiser airliners. These aircraft were originally built in the late 1940s and early 1950s and were, in turn, developed from the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber.
As sn aside, most of the building seen in the background have now been demolished.
More common is the smaller Antonov An 124 which is of similar configuration but has only four engines and a single fin and rudder. It's still a big aircraft - being of similar dimensions to the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.
The Airbus A300ST replaced the Super Guppies about eight years ago.
The Super Guppies had been used since 1973. These aircraft were originally built to ferry rocket and spacecraft components around the USA as part of the Gemini and Apollo programmes. With the winding down of Apollo in the 1972-75 period, the Guppies became surplus to requirements and a couple were snapped up by Airbus. NASA did retain one as I saw it at Ellington Air Force Base in 1981.
The Super Guppies (and earlier Guppy) were modified Boeing 377 Stratocruiser airliners. These aircraft were originally built in the late 1940s and early 1950s and were, in turn, developed from the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber.
Yes indeed, I am an idiot. I would love to see one of the big ones though, they've been here a few times (the docu on Discovery shows it unloading a train at Dublin airport). As I said earlier, at the moment there is only the one An 225 in existence. It was originally built to transport the Buran Space Shuttle on its back (hence the twin tailfins). However, with the cancellation of the Buran project, An 225 production was also halted after only one example was completed. Construction of a second An 225 had commenced but the building of this second machine was stopped.
However, since the one An 225 has proved such a useful heavy lifter, construction of the other An 225 has recommenced. I do not know what stage this has got to at the moment but it ceratinly was being built a few months ago.
When flying at Farnborough, it was surprisingly agile - although it would have been very lightly loaded for its display routine.
However, since the one An 225 has proved such a useful heavy lifter, construction of the other An 225 has recommenced. I do not know what stage this has got to at the moment but it ceratinly was being built a few months ago.
When flying at Farnborough, it was surprisingly agile - although it would have been very lightly loaded for its display routine.
I saw the Airbus A380 in Dubai last week. Its there most of this week for the Dubai Airshow. On Saturday it must have been practising the airshow route as it flew the same course several times. Got a few pics although it was some distance away.
One thing I did notice was how quiet it was. It was painted in the Emirates colours. Couldn;t see it on the ground when we flew out of Dubai yesterday although sitting in the middle of BA Boeing did not make looking out the windows easy!
One thing I did notice was how quiet it was. It was painted in the Emirates colours. Couldn;t see it on the ground when we flew out of Dubai yesterday although sitting in the middle of BA Boeing did not make looking out the windows easy!
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