| Grumman F6F Hellcat |
 |
After early US Navy experience in the Pacific
in the early months of WWII, and after
consultation with Allied air forces in the
European theater, Grumman began to develop a
successor to their Wildcat fighter, to be
called the Hellcat. Major design changes from
the Wildcat included a low-mounted wing,
wider landing gear which retracted into the
wings, more powerful engine, improved cockpit
armor plating, and increased ammunition
capacity.
The Navy ordered four prototypes of the new
airplane, each with a different engine for
test and evaluation purposes. Less than a
year later, on 26 June 1942, the first
prototype (the XF6F-1, with a Wright R-2600
Cyclone engine) flew for the first time.
Before much meaningful evaluation of the
various engines could be made, however, the
Navy decided to press the Hellcat into
production by fitting the XF6F-1 prototype
with the most powerful engine available, the
Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp. (This
turned it into an XF6F-3. The XF6F-2 and
XF6F-4 were never evaluated.)
The first production model, the F6F-3, first
flew in October 1942, and deliveries began
four months later with squadron VF-9 on the
USS Essex in the Pacific. Extremely robust,
powerful and maneuverable, the Hellcat was a
potent force against the Japanese, and was
credited with over three-quarters of the US
Navy's air-to-air kills in the war.
The UK's Fleet Air Arm received 252 F6F-3s
(designated Gannet Mk I) beginning in 1943.
Meanwhile, in the US, over 200 Hellcats were
modified as radar-equipped night fighters.
During the F6F-3 production run, which lasted
until April 1944, Grumman had developed an
improved Hellcat, the F6F-5, which utilized a
redesigned engine cowl, new ailerons, a
strengthened tail, and a water-injection
system for the engine, which added 10% to the
takeoff performance and increased its
armament-carrying capabilities. The F6F-5 was
first flown on 4 April 1944, and production
continued through November 1945. Over 900
more "Dash-5" Hellcats were delivered to the
UK under the Lend-Lease program under the
designation Hellcat Mk II.
Tags : Grumman F6F Hellcat WW2 Warbird Aviation Aircraft |
|
Affichage : 55928
Durée : 205 s |
| Northrop Grumman B-2 "Spirit" |
 |
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is a
multi-role stealth heavy bomber, capable of
deploying both conventional and nuclear
weapons. It is operated exclusively by the
United States Air Force. Its development was
a milestone in the modernization program of
the U.S. Department of Defense. The B-2's
second-generation stealth technology is
intended to aid the aircraft's penetration
role in order to survive extremely dense
anti-aircraft defenses otherwise considered
impenetrable by combat aircraft.The B-2
started life as a black project known as the
High Altitude Penetrating Bomber (HAPB), then
became the Advanced Technology Bomber (ATB),
and later became the B-2 Spirit. An estimated
US$23 billion were secretly spent for
research and development on the B-2 in the
1980s. An additional expense was caused by
changing its role in 1985 from a
high-altitude bomber to a low-altitude
bomber, which required a major redesign.The
first B-2 was publicly displayed on 22
November 1988, when it was rolled out of its
hangar at Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale,
California, where it was built. Its first
public flight was on 17 July 1989. The B-2
Combined Test Force, Air Force Flight Test
Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California,
is responsible for flight testing the
engineering, manufacturing and development
aircraft.The original procurement of 135
aircraft was later reduced to 75 in the late
1980s. In his 1992 State of the Union
Address, President George H.W. Bush announced
total B-2 production would be limited to 20
aircraft (later increased to 21 by
refurbishing a test aircraft).This reduction
was largely a result of the disintegration of
the Soviet Union, which effectively rendered
void the Spirit's primary mission.
The cost of the B-2 program in 1994 dollars
was reported at $727 million per plane,
however the total cost of the program with
development, spares, and facilities averaged
over $2.1 billion per plane as of 1997
according to the B-2 program office.The first
operational aircraft, christened Spirit of
Missouri, was delivered on December 17, 1993.
The B-2 fleet is based at Whiteman Air Force
Base in Missouri. Depot maintenance for the
B-2 is accomplished by United States Air
Force contractor support and managed at the
Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker
Air Force Base, Oklahoma.Originally designed
to employ nuclear weapons, modern usage has
shifted towards a flexible role with
conventional and nuclear capability.
The prime contractor, responsible for overall
system design and integration, is Northrop
Grumman Integrated Systems Sector. Boeing
Integrated Defense Systems, Hughes Aircraft
(now Raytheon), General Electric Aircraft
Engines and Vought Aircraft Industries, are
members of the aircraft contractor team.
Another contractor, responsible for aircrew
training devices (weapon system trainer and
mission trainer) is Link Simulation &
Training, a division of L-3 Communications
formerly Hughes Training Inc. (HTI).Link
Division, formerly known as CAE - Link Flight
Simulation Corp. Link Simulation & Training
is responsible for developing and integrating
all aircrew and maintenance training
programs.
* Crew: 2
* Length: 69 ft (20.9 m)
* Wingspan: 172 ft (52.12 m)
* Height: 17 ft (5.1 m)
* Wing area: 5,000 ft² (460 m²)
* Empty weight: 158,000 lb (71.7 t)
* Loaded weight: 336,500 lb (152.6 t)
* Max takeoff weight: 376,000 lb (171.0
t)
* Powerplant: 4× General Electric
F118-GE-100 turbofans, 17,300 lbf (77 kN)
each
* Maximum speed: 410 knots (764 km/h, 475
mph)
* Range: 5,600 nm (10,400 km, 6,500 mi)
* Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
* Wing loading: 67.3 lb/ft² (329 kg/m²)
* Thrust/weight: 0.205
Tags : Northrop Grumman B-2 spirit bomber usaf su-27 MIG-35 Sukhoi airplane russian fighter war boeing airbus 747 a380 sky jet |
|
Affichage : 46646
Durée : 123 s |
| Grumman F3F-2 "Flying Barrel" |
 |
In 1935 the U.S. Navy placed an order with
the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation,
then of Farmingdale, for the design and
construction of a new fighter, the F3F. Based
on earlier Grumman biplane designs, the F3F
was faster and more maneuverable than any
Navy fighter to date. By 1937, due to the
slow development of the early monoplane
fighters, the Navy ordered more F3Fs, this
time an improved model, the F3F-2. The F3F-2
was strong, fast, maneuverable, and was
considered a wonderful aircraft to fly. Its
pilots considered it the ultimate biplane
fighter; in fact it was the last biplane
fighter produced in the United States. With
its silver fuselage, yellow wings, and red,
white, and blue markings, it was among the
most colorful military aircraft ever built,
but it heralded the end of an era.
By 1939 all U.S. Navy and Marine fighter
squadrons flew Grumman biplane fighters
exclusively. Of the 164 F3Fs built, 140 were
still in service, as trainers in United
States, at the time of the U.S. entry into
World War II in December, 1941. Today the F3F
is an extremely rare aircraft, with but two
original surviving examples.
General characteristics
Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 23 ft 2 in (7.06 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 0 in (9.75 m)
Height: 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m)
Wing area: 260 ft² (24.15 m²)
Empty weight: 3,285 lb (1,490 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 4,795 lb (2,175 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Wright R-1820-22 "Cyclone"
9-cylinder radial engine, 950 hp (710 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 229 knots, 264 mph (425 km/h)
at 15,250 ft (4,658 m)
Cruise speed: 150 mph (130 knots, 240 km/h)
Range: 980 mi (850 nm, 1,600 km)
Service ceiling: 33,200 ft (10,120 m)
Rate of climb: 2,800 ft/min (14 m/s) at sea
level
Armament
Guns:
1× 0.30 in (7.62 mm) M2 machine gun, 500
rounds (left)
1× 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine gun, 200
rounds (right)
Bombs: 2× 116 lb (52.6 kg) Mk IV bombs, one
under each wing
Tags : Grumman F3F-2 Flying Barrel dive bomber biplane airplane aircraft aviation history |
|
Affichage : 17640
Durée : 154 s |
| Grumman F4F Wildcat (Martlet) |
 |
In 1936 the US Navy evaluated a number of
designs which were competing to be the Navy's
new carrier-based fighter. Grumman built a
design which, after several re-designations
and airframe modifications, won the contract
and eventually became the F4F Wildcat. The
prototype, the XF4F-2, first flew on 2
September 1937. The prototype of an improved
version, the XF4F-3, was renamed the F4F and
was ordered by the Navy in August of 1939.
The first five aircraft off the assembly line
were sent to Canada, with the next 90
(designated "Martlet Mk I" going to the 804
Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm
where, in December 1940, two Martlets made
history by becoming the first American-made
aircraft to down a German plane in WWII.
The first US Navy F4F-3 was flown on 20
August 1940, powered by a Pratt & Whitney
R-1830 engine with 1,200 horsepower. The
subsequent F4F-4, incorporating several
improvements including folding wings, six
guns and self-sealing fuel tanks, was
delivered in November 1941. It was then that
the name "Wildcat" was first given to the
F4F. As war raged around the world, the
Wildcat's reputation and utilization grew
immensely. It flew with the US Navy and US
Marines in all of the major Pacific battles,
and in North Africa with the Navy.
In mid 1942, Grumman realized that it needed
to concentrate on the production of its new
F6F Hellcat fighter, and so it contracted
with the General Motors Company to build the
Wildcat under the designation FM-1. The first
FM-1 flew on 31 August 1942, and over 1,150
of them were produced, hundreds of which went
to the Fleet Air Arm as the "Martlet Mk V."
General Motors next developed an improved
version, called the FM-2 ("Wildcat Mk VI" in
the Fleet Air Arm), which was powered by a
Wright R-1820 engine with 1,350 horsepower.
It featured a taller vertical tail than the
FM-1. Over 4,700 FM-2s were built before the
Wildcat was eclipsed by the more capable
fighters which appeared later in the war.
Tags : Grumman Wildcat F4F Martlet WW2 Fleet_Air_Arm Royal_Navy Warbird Aviation Aircraft |
|
Affichage : 15970
Durée : 193 s |
| Grumman F8F Bearcat Flight Demonstration - MONSTER Radial Sound !!! |
 |
This video was taken at the 2006 airshow at
Jacqueline Cochran Airport in Thermal,
California. This Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat is a
member of the Southern California Wing of the
Commemorative Air Force and is based in
Camarillo, Calif. Their Grumman Hellcat also
attended the show. These aircraft attend most
SoCal airshows, even the very small ones.
This is at no small expense. Thank you very
much!
This is my favorite Grumman "Cat" and I think
the video really illustrates Grumman's
"smallest possible airframe built around the
P&W R-2800 engine" concept. What a beast!
This thing is ALL engine. This aircraft was
run at a substantially higher power setting
than what you would normally see at an
airshow, much to the benefit of us warbird
enthusiasts! Enjoy the great sights and
sounds. I got a little buffeted by the prop
wash and also had to wash the oil droplets
off my lens filter after the engine startup.
Ah, y-e-s!
The town of Thermal was not so named because
it is the most temperate spot in California,
but is rather often the hottest place in the
USA in the summer. Thermal is located
approx. 33 miles southeast of Palm Springs
and is in the central bowels (and I do mean
bowels) of the California low desert :).
However, this airshow is held in November and
the weather is just delightful. This is a
relatively small, predominantly
warbird-oriented show and being in SoCal,
many nearby warbirds attend. Definitely
worth going to if you live in SoCal or are
visiting! Warbirds from the Planes of Fame
Museum (Chino, Calif.), the Palm Springs Air
Museum and the Southern California wing of
the Commemorative Air Force attend, along
with modern U.S. military aircraft and other
historic, privately-owned warbirds (see my
other videos).
If you'd like, please also check out my other
warbird videos. Thanks and happy warbirding!
Tags : WW2 WWII Grumman Bearcat Spitfire Chino Zero P-38 Mustang Hellcat P-51 P-47 P-40 B-17 B-24 B-25 Duxford Japanese Harley |
|
Affichage : 206834
Durée : 149 s |
| Grumman Duck |
 |
Grumman Aircraft Co. (fondly known as the
Iron Works) and their sister company,
produced Ducks for the Navy and Coast Guard
from 1933 to 1946.
Their primary mission being search and
rescue, Ducks were used during WWII in the
Zone of Interior and combat areas including
the Aleutians, the Pacific and the
Philippines due to their ability to handle
rough water.
The Grumman J2F Duck was a single-engine
amphibious biplane. It was originally
designated as the Grumman G-15.
The Duck's main pontoon was part of the
fuselage, making it a flying boat despite the
similarity to a conventional landplane which
has been float-equipped. Like the F4F
Wildcat, its narrow-tracked landing gear was
hand-cranked.
Tags : Grumman Duck Warbird WW2 USN Aviation Aircraft |
|
Affichage : 8577
Durée : 506 s |
|
|
|
|
|
