Raptors Take Shelter From The Storm

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 09/08/2016 at 09:22 • Filed to: planelopnik, nasa

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When TS Hermine threatened the East Coast last week, the Air Force needed a place to shelter a few F-22s for safe keeping. So they turned to NASA, who not only had a hangar at their Langley research facility that was hurricane proof, it was also big enough to stash 13 Raptors from nearby Langley AFB, along with a C-130 from Wallops Island Flight Facility and a number of other aircraft. At over 85,000 square feet, the hangar had been built back in the 1950s to house the monster Convair B-36 Peacemaker and could withstand a Category 2 hurricane. Fortunately, TS Hermine largely puttered out before reaching the Virginia Peninsula. But the Air Force was pleased that their $1.8 billion investment was secure. And NASA was glad to help. For a little perspective, the $1.8 billion wrapped up in those Raptors represents 10% of NASA’s annual budget.

Via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ; NASA photo by David Bowman

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 09:34

4

I am always impressed at how well the Air Force plays Airplane Tetris.

vondon302 > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 09:41

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That budget part at end wow! Puts it all in perspective.

Ash78, voting early and often > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 09:52

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I love the single-engine GA aircraft tucked in there. It's like seeing you own car in a valet lot full of Lamborghinis and a Hummer H1.

Nothing > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 10:18

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I was at Langley for 4 years. It was always cool to go out to the “mile long building” and watch the planes come in from deployment. You felt like you could reach up and touch them.

ttyymmnn > Nothing 09/08/2016 at 10:35

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I lived in Norfolk for many years and never made it to the Va Air & Space Center. It was a beat place to live though, always seeing the Navy and AF planes overhead.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 09/08/2016 at 11:27

1

The Navy does it better. Especially back in the day with the Tomcat.

Spaceball-Two > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 11:50

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Nice to see some OV-10's getting sheltered too.

ttyymmnn > Spaceball-Two 09/08/2016 at 12:01

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Dat Falcon 20 doe. Looks good in that test livery.

Spaceball-Two > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 12:02

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Is it test livery or hold over from the Coast Guard?

ttyymmnn > Spaceball-Two 09/08/2016 at 12:15

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Not sure. Could be old USCG with the fuselage stripe removed.

For Sweden > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 12:53

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When you’re friend’s on liberty and you invite him over but he brings a bunch of moto-bros from his unit

Rock Bottom > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 14:19

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I was just in that hangar at Langley last summer. Pretty neat and reminded me of the monsters I used to haunt at NASA Ames. Have some Hangar 2 for fun:

Rock Bottom > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 14:21

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Old coast guard livery Would make sense. I know they acquired it from the USCG a few years back.

ttyymmnn > Rock Bottom 09/08/2016 at 14:42

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Damn. That’s a big room. A cathedral to aviation.

Rock Bottom > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 14:51

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It’s no Hangar 1! Unfortunately, she was stripped of her skin a few years ago and is now just an empty shell of her former self.

ttyymmnn > Rock Bottom 09/08/2016 at 14:52

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Why did they strip it?

Rock Bottom > ttyymmnn 09/08/2016 at 15:13

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The skin was partially made of asbestos, I think. I know at one time there were rumors that Google wanted to re-skin it and use it to house their corporate fleet, but I have no evidence to back that up. I do know that several historical groups have been trying for years to preserve Hangar One as a monument to the airships it was originally built to house. I’m a natural pessimist with very little faith in the government (who owns the structure), so I fully expect them to demolish it in the name of risk reduction or cost savings or something.

Spaceball-Two > ttyymmnn 09/10/2016 at 20:14

1

Paul Allen has acquired and restored a Thud.

I’ll get some more pics up soon but thought you would appreciate it

ttyymmnn > Spaceball-Two 09/10/2016 at 20:23

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Damn. I need more money. That's awesome. Will it be on the air show circuit?

Spaceball-Two > ttyymmnn 09/10/2016 at 20:29

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It’s not certified to fly yet. They mentioned they were working on getting up to spec. I also saw his Mig 29

ttyymmnn > Spaceball-Two 09/10/2016 at 22:53

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Are any of his other a/c certified? Or is he building more of a museum? That picture of the Thud really gives a great idea of how big those things were.

Spaceball-Two > ttyymmnn 09/11/2016 at 00:20

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Most are. Hes got a f190d (Dora) that is 1 of 14 built that he cannot fly as it is the only surviving model. Every week try he is usually some sort of flying and car agiw.