Early Jets FTW

"Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch" (bman76) 12/13/2015 at 03:52 • Filed to: None

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Under-fuselage exhaust may not be the most efficient, but it looks awesome.

Saab J-29

Bell X-5

Mig-9

Yak-23

My hovercraft is full of eels > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 12/13/2015 at 04:07

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I saw this Tunnan in flight this summer (together with a Draken, a Viggen, a SAAB 105 and a Gripen). She’s a beauty.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > My hovercraft is full of eels 12/13/2015 at 04:15

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The Viggen and Draken are both ugly on the ground, but gorgeous in the air. The Tunnan and Gripen are pretty all the time.

6Cylinder > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 12/13/2015 at 05:44

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I love how as far as appearance goes, they were mostly just a jet engine with wings attached.

BringBackTheCommodore > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 12/13/2015 at 07:57

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One of my favorite fighter designs employed that feature:

NoneOfYourBiz > 6Cylinder 12/13/2015 at 09:17

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This is more true than most people realize.

I have some (anecdotal) evidence to support this, having worked in aviation (pilot, mechanic).

Early engines weren’t overly powerful so cutting weight was critical to performance. A streamlined body would have cut parasitic drag but increased weight and the trade-off didn’t make sense so they went with, as you’ve alluded, “a minimum amount of metal attached.”

Also, many early engines had short service intervals and weren’t overly reliable. It was more advantageous to make the engine easily accessible or entirely removable than to bury it deep inside a body. (some designs get around this by just putting engines in pods; I’m looking at you, B57 Hustler)

NoneOfYourBiz > NoneOfYourBiz 12/13/2015 at 09:41

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Ugh. “B-58 Hustler” rather. Kinja’d... can’t edit post.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > BringBackTheCommodore 12/13/2015 at 14:35

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To me the Phantom always looks like it’s beating the air into submission, not flying through it. Not my favorite, but a huge piece of U.S. aviation history.

BringBackTheCommodore > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 12/13/2015 at 18:09

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As evidenced by the second picture, and where it stands in history, I would have to agree. I’m sure many U.S. troops were thankful when the Phantom intervened with the NVA.