What the hell IS that???

[midnight rambler]

What?!?!?!

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/9/2/3/0172329.jpg

[Cebu_4_2]

The wing of a plane? Hell idonno, I haven't seen half them avatar pics you change up.

[Cebu_4_2]

It quite possibly be a camera strapped to a great white shark showing off it's new tatoo.

Idonno man.

[Joe King]

What ever it is, it looks to be open.

[Dogman]

Probably the nose of a front load cargo plane in the open position.

[Cebu_4_2]

alright wait now... you guys confuse me (not a tough job) What plane are we looking at? If it's the one in his avatar I definitely want to go for a spin in that thing!!!!

[midnight rambler]

Probably the nose of a front load cargo plane in the open position.

Right, the plane in the foreground is the AN-225, the world's largest operational* cargo plane capable of carrying 250 metric tons of cargo.

I'm referring to this one -

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/0/1/4/0293410.jpg

*the Hughes H-4 Hercules aka 'the Spruce Goose' is larger wingspan-wise, but not heavier or longer

[Golden]

Email Philippe Gindrat?

[Dogman]

An-74 ?

[Cebu_4_2]

Now that that is clarified, the black things under the plane are obviously the air brakes. The plane itself is a big mofo and I would love to take a trip to the phil with all my crap in it.

[midnight rambler]

An-74 ?

That's correct, it's the Antonov An-74, a STOL cargo/passenger transport aircraft with extremely robust landing gear which can operate out of virtually any "unprepared fields" such as grass, sand, snow, ice, etc. The An-74 utilizes the Coandă effect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coand%C4%83_effect) to improve STOL performance.

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/1/3/9/1415931.jpg

[Cebu_4_2]

Well that's not what I thought but would still like to pile my crap in there and experience it going afar.

[JJ.G0ldD0t]

thing's got more flaps than a goose on migration.

[Dogman]

thing's got more flaps than a goose on migration. They are the reason that plane has STOL ability, they help to lower the stall speed of the aircraft. And the lower the stall speed the less runway or landing length needed to land. Add some kick ass engines and the same plane can use less field to take off. It is simple, if your aircraft is moving faster than the stall speed you can fly. All STOL aircraft have big honking flaps.

The aircraft in the picture looks that way because if the flaps were all in one solid piece it would be hard or impossible to fit into the wing. So they are designed to be sorta like a window blind that when stowed they take less space in the wing. But when deployed they form a large surface structure.

Hope I got that right, still working on caffeine levels this morning.

[JJ.G0ldD0t]

Hope I got that right, still working on caffeine levels this morning.

Thanks Professor... I think you covered it just fine.;)

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[jimswift]

avatar pics

When I first saw the newest avatar this is the first image that popped in my head:

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[Dogman]

Thanks Professor... I think you covered it just fine.;)

1888


When I first saw the newest avatar this is the first image that popped in my head:

1889


Sorry!



1890

[chad]

so, are you a pilot rambler?

[midnight rambler]

so, are you a pilot rambler?

In my dreams. I just like high performance machines.

Macchi Castoldi M.C. 72, 80 year record holder, 440 MPH, all that brass you see on there (including on the wings) are oil and water radiators to cool the 3,100 HP supercharged engine with contra-rotating props -

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Macchi-Castoldi_M.C.72_2009-06-06.jpg/800px-Macchi-Castoldi_M.C.72_2009-06-06.jpg