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| Fairchild Republic
A10 "Thunderbolt" At one time it was very common to see a pair of
these "Tank Busters" practicing evasive flying at low level through the Welsh
valleys. As far as I am aware there are no longer any A10's based in the United
Kingdom. Considered by some to be a very ugly aircraft it is also known as "The
Warthog". The maximum speed is 449 mph at sea level, the range 620 miles and
the ordinance load is 16,000 lb. plus a 30 mm multi- barrel gun. The A10
performed superbly in the Gulf Conflict, and is able to survive in extremely hostile
conditions. |
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| The McDonnell Douglas F 18 Hornet
is without doubt one of the finest combat/strike aircraft currently available. It
has greater all-round capability then any previous single-seat combat aircraft.
Power is provided by two General Electric F404-GE-400 turbofans, these give a maximum
speed (clean) of Mach 1.8 and a combat ceiling of around 50,000 feet (15,240 m) The
Hornet makes extensive use of advanced graphite/epoxy composites in its
construction. It employs a fly-by-wire control system, this combined with other
advanced features gives exceptional manoeuvrability. |
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| Boeing B 52 Stratofortress Now in service for
more then forty years, no other bomber has come near to equalling this remarkable
record. The B 52 has a crew of six and carries a combined load of 66,000 lbs. of
ordinance in both internal and under-wing stations. It has a range of 8,500 miles,
and a maximum speed of 595 mph (960 km/h). The wingspan is 185 ft (56.38 mm) The
overall length is 157 ft 7 in (48.03 m). The height is 40 ft 8 in (12.40 m) and the
loaded weight is 448,000 lb. (221,500 kg) Both G and H models remain in
service. The G model has four 0.50-calibre guns in the tail turret, the H model has
a 20mm (0.78") gun also mounted in the tail turret. Power is provided by eight
Pratt & Whitney J57-P-43WB turbojets providing 13,750 lb. (6,248 kg) each.
Modified G models can carry 8 to 12 harpoon missiles in under-wing clusters. It is
likely that this magnificent product from the 1950's will reach its 50th anniversary in
service. |
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| Lockheed F 104 Starfighter. First entered
service with the U.S.A.F. in 1958, this is still one of the fastest fighters ever
built. It remains in use by both the Italian and the Turkish Airforces. |
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| The Lockheed TR-1
first flew on 1 August 1981 deliveries started to Beale AFB one month later.
Operated mainly in Europe the Side-Looking radar is able to look deep into enemy territory
without leaving friendly airspace. It is a direct decendent of the U-2R which first
flew in the 1960's. |
