DC-3 had an impressively long service life in the US Air Force, as well as being an incredibly successful civilian carrier. Variants on the original C-47 served all the way through Vietnam; some were even fitted as gunships (designated 'Spooky') to fill that role until the AC-130 was ready. Off the top of my head, I'm pretty sure several AC-47's were kept in service for use in special operations, but were kept strictly off-the-books. I'd have to look that one up though.

I wish I had the space for a proper collection of airplane models... I've got a pretty good list of what I'd like to have on display if I could. Unfortunately, that won't be happening until I've got my own place, much like many other things I'd like to do or have...

way back when, when I were a lad,I flew a few times on Dan-Air Comets (60s, 70s)

very narrow and noisy, but still more legroom than in modern cattle class, and you could smoke back then! (although of course, at that age didn't smoke)

we also flew to Corsica on one of these..
now that was a heap of junk! Nord Noratlas, the aircraft that traumatised my mother so much that she never flew again. Which was a good thing because she was a pain in the butt on planes.

many years ago in N Africa we flew on one of those converted Russian bombers, I can't remember now if it was an Antonov or a Tupolev, but it still had a glazed nose for the bomb-aimer and the seats were made from canvas. I think it was Libyan or Algerian

I've been inside a C-5A, it wasn't flying though. Impressive, but I preferred the Short Belfast

before the modern widebodied airliners, we flew on stuff like the 707, DC-8, DC-9, BAC 1-11, Hawker-Siddeley Trident, Vickers Viscount, Vanguard, and the VC-10. I really liked the VC-10 and some are still in service with RAF as VIP transports and tankers, iirc. ex-British Caledonian, I remembers eeing them parked up one time flying into Prestwick on a diversion (ATC strike at Manchester)
beautiful aircraft

(not to be confused with the Douglas DC-10, which was a disastrous widebody that occasionally just fell out of the sky; bad design, lots of people dead - I flew on a Laker one but never went on one again after the Paris and Chicago crashes. It did however end up being a very reliable aircraft after the design flaws were ironed out, but I could never fly on one again - in fact i still check what plane I'm supposed to flying on and if it's ever a DC-10, I change to another flight or a different airline.) I generally feel safest on a 747 (as long as I don't eat the food!)

other interesting planes and stuff:-

back when i was a jack tar, I'd often scrounge a ride on one of these, the Westland Wasp

and once in a Westland Lynx, but only from shore - they were too big for the old bucket I was on.

Also, in Zanzibar we were taken for a spin in a floatplane, and for the life of me I can't remember what sort it was - American i think, possibly French, but I don't know the type. Huge radial engine and a big float underneath, bit of a heap but the guy really threw it around the sky. i was terrified, couldn't wait to get my feet back on the ground, or even the water. Exhiliarating take-off and landing, if a bit on the wet side (i've never ahd to bale water out of a aircraft in flight before)

on a couple of occasions I flew on these, Sud-Aviation Caravelle, and I was rather impressed - very comfortable and quiet.

unlike these which were horrible, I rattled to Romania once in one, cheap holiday in communist Eastern Europe. Coming back, one of the engines caught fire and we had to make an emergency landing! I'm surprised that it even had an inside toilet.
Tu-134, but not sure?

I went into a Concorde once or twice, but never flew in one; very narrow, smaller even than the old Comet, but then since you were across the pond in a couple of hours, i suppose that didn't matter as much as being stuck in cattle class on a 747 for 7 hours.

but from an experience p.o.v, this was my favourite, the Viscount.
even in the 60s and 70s they looked and felt obsolete, but they were so comfortable, quiet, and you actually felt safe and happy to be in one, great big windows iirc that you got a good view out of, and the trolley-dollies were good old sticks who made sure you were warm and had enough tea, and didn't mind you taking pictures or going up into the pilot's cabin - never get to that again these days. I also rather liked it's successor, the Vanguard, but they were mostly used for cargo, I think. It was a long time ago.

I always wanted a ride in one of these, the Lockheed Constellation, but alas, they were just before my time.

and there was the microlighting in recent years, but that's another thing entirely!

@ Insurance Guy - did business class even exist before widebodies? All I can remember is that it was just economy or first.

@ Rankor - now now, you can't go around blithely dropping that you were in the USAF way back when without giving us the beef! when and where, and what did you do?



Edited by - Tawakalna on 10/21/2007 8:32:46 AM

Taw i am pretty sure they had single wing aeroplanes that could fly higher than 1000ft by then, so he probably didn't see too much gore from the air if he was in such a position

you on the other hand, i can see behind the stick of a Sopwith Camel, strafing gerry's lines and giving him 'what for', all the while imprecating their mothers and fathers incestuous ways

well, that was a REAL real aeroplane, although myself I'd have preferred the SE5a or the Spad, but the Camel was a damn fine aeroplane. As you say, ideal for shooting up Hun trenches on a Sunday afternoon, and It would get you home for tea and scones.

I listened to a marvellous serialisation recently on Radio 4's "A Boom at Bedtime" - Jed Mercurio's "Ascent" which tells the story of Soviet pilots who flew their Mig-15s in Chinese markings during the Korean War. It wasn't 'arf bad at all, might even go out and buy the book. Fascinating story, not brilliantly written but well-paced and utterly absorbing. There's even a flash game based on it, Ascent game

hey taw when i was in scottland we were in a boat by loah ness when a couple of british buzzed the top of the boat it was breath taking.

I figured Taw would be flying around on one of those carpet thingies, you know the ones with the tassles? Hee hee





Long as he stays over his sand box, he can't get lost though

Edited by - Finalday on 10/21/2007 9:19:03 AM

well richard, I was in Scotland myself the other week, and on the way up, going past the lakes and over Shap summit, 2 Tornado GR4s came over the motorway at barely 200 feet (I reckon) and then not long after the same with a Hawk trainer (which are very fast indeed) The RAF is always practising nap-of-the-earth flying, they are very good at the low-level stuff. Presumably these were from the conversion unit at Lossiemouth

On one occasion, coming back from Old London Town, I was rather surprised to see 2 Tornodo F1s and a Hercules tearing up along the line of the motorway, jinking and weaving. Apparently they did this for quite some way, later on investigation of what I presumed was soem sort of training flight, I found out that they were, so it was claimed, after a UFO. As I don't believe in UFOs, I imagine that they were doing something sneaky with secret aeroplane designs or new equipment. It was all very odd indeed.