Like a Homesick Angel

"Jcarr" (jcarr) 01/17/2017 at 09:40 • Filed to: Planelopnik

10

6

Found on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! :

41 years ago on January 17th, an unpainted F-15A stripped of most avionics and in a super clean configuration smashed “time to climb” records who’s top three positions were held by the Soviet MiG 25 Foxbat. Something the Americans did not particularly like.

The Streak Eagle was held in place at the end of the runway while hooked up to a hold-back bar, as the pilot applied full afterburner, the explosive bolt detonated, freeing the Eagle to accelerate down the active. Rotating away after only 400 feet of runway, the Streak Eagle pulled into a 80 degree climb while accelerating through the speed of sound, like a homesick angel with her low fuel, and minimal equipment, sporting a thrust to weight ratio of nearly 2:1. At altitudes, the Streak Eagle even beat the climb rate of the Apollo Saturn V Rocket!

The highest attempt reached 103,000 feet in altitude, after reaching a speed of Mach 2.2 at a climb angle of 55 degrees. At this altitude, the Streak Eagle’s engines flamed out, but were restarted during the descent phase.

osucycler > Jcarr 01/17/2017 at 09:45

1

Moving on up indeed!

http://www.pw.utc.com/News/Story/20150218-0945/2015/All%20Categories

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Jcarr 01/17/2017 at 09:47

0

- Major Richard I. Bong

Jcarr > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/17/2017 at 09:51

2

His P-38 is on display at the EAA museum in Oshkosh. I’ve laughed at his name every time I’ve been through.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Jcarr 01/17/2017 at 10:01

1

I honestly never thought about it until I checked to make sure I had his name right before I posted.

And immediately Ted 2 springs to mind.

ttyymmnn > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/17/2017 at 11:36

1

December 17, 1944 – Major Richard Bong becomes the top-scoring American fighter ace of WWII. Bong’s total of 40 enemy kills all came while flying the Lockheed P-38 Lightning in the Pacific Theater, and he was the top scoring US fighter pilot of the war and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for downing eight enemy aircraft while assigned to a non-combat role as a gunnery instructor. Bong was sent home in 1945 as the “ace of aces,” but was killed in August of that year as a test pilot flying a Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star . (US Army photo)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 01/17/2017 at 11:50

2

DON’T FEED THE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS :)