Building It - Military Aircraft Assembly Lines

"f86sabre" (f86sabre) 03/23/2014 at 18:39 • Filed to: Planelopnik, building it

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Douglas F4D-1 Skyray - Every aircraft has a beginning. Unlike cars and household items aircraft are still largely hand built. Even today. This photo dump shows some classic aircraft in their early stages.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Boeing B-52 Super Fortress

Consolidated B-36 Peacemaker

North American B-58 Hustler

North American XB-70

Republic F-105 Thunderchief

Grumman F-14 Tomcat

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Lockheed C-130 Hercules

Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

Lockheed Martin F-22

And finally...

Lockheed SR-71

oldirtybootz > f86sabre 03/23/2014 at 18:43

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This is likely at Calverton, correct?

f86sabre > oldirtybootz 03/23/2014 at 18:52

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Yes

vdub_nut: scooter snob > f86sabre 03/23/2014 at 18:56

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Have some more B36

ttyymmnn > f86sabre 03/23/2014 at 18:56

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Nice collection of photos. I'll leave this here since it fits the theme.

oldirtybootz > f86sabre 03/23/2014 at 19:26

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I pass it every day on my commute.

f86sabre > vdub_nut: scooter snob 03/23/2014 at 21:00

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Never too much B-36.

McMike > f86sabre 03/23/2014 at 22:20

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I had no idea the C-130 was still in production.

f86sabre > McMike 03/24/2014 at 08:50

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Yup. Still going strong. The VW of the aviation world.

McMike > f86sabre 03/24/2014 at 08:54

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Hercules Hercules Hercules!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt9vHu…

OK, there is no longer an "insert video" option, and this is what I'm left with?

Now, it may decide to embed right after this edit, but it's frustrating. How am I supposed to make Nutty Professor jokes about airplanes if this keeps up?

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > f86sabre 03/24/2014 at 16:08

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So much naked titanium. From Russia with love courtesy of the CIA and some dummy corporations. Also I'm jealous of everybody in this picture.

user314 > f86sabre 03/24/2014 at 18:35

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These are C-141A's being modified into C-141B's. The A's tended to hit max volume before they hit max tonnage, so fuselage "plugs" fore and aft of the wing were inserted, adding 23 feet to the planes. A mid-air refueling receptacle was also added.

user314 > McMike 03/24/2014 at 18:40

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Yep, C-130J's, in various models, are still being produced.