How about we all chill out and check out these airshow pics

[DaveKillens]

Equally relevant in the history of dedicated ground attack aircraft, the Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik became the single most produced military aircraft design in all of aviation history.



One feature that defined the IL-2 was the armored cockpit, upon which the A-10 assimilated in it's design.

[WhiteBlue]

Yes, that was a later and more sophisticated design as you can see from more advanced features like the retractable gear.



The German fighter pilots called it the concrete plane because they were so hard to kill due to the armor. Amazing that Russia produced over 30.000 of them in 4 years. I must say from aesthetic view I like the Junkers better even being the more primitive aircraft.

[flynfrog]

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 3&ct=image

It is a Junkers 87 G model tank killer. The JU-87 was probably the first mass produced tactical attack air craft. They produced several thousand of Ju-87 with several modfied variants. There is only one plane left in Europe which is somewhere in England. It was inferior in a fighter role but devastating when air superiority was established due to the precision delivery mode. The Wehrmacht developed the first integrated air/ground coordinated battle doctrine and used forward deployed coordinators to use the Stukas as air artillery.

Udet actually got the idea from American Curtiss Goshawk F11C-2 biplane dive bombers of which he purchased two for evaluation. The usual weapons were dive bombing delivered gravity bombs. Not so different to what the US Navy did with the A6 in Vietnam. The G-model was a tank killer and had two single barrel 37 mm FLAK cannons with 16 shot each. A far cry from the A10 but it says they carefully analysed the Ju-87 when they designed the A10.

Very cool airplane much like the A10 slow draggy and packing a huge gun. Sorta like walk softly and carry a big stick.

[flynfrog]

Yes, that was a later and more sophisticated design as you can see from more advanced features like the retractable gear.



The German fighter pilots called it the concrete plane because they were so hard to kill due to the armor. Amazing that Russia produced over 30.000 of them in 4 years. I must say from aesthetic view I like the Junkers better even being the more primitive aircraft.

how would you like to be the machine gunner. Ok now make sure we dont get shot down and for the love of God dont shoot off the tail

[RacingManiac]

Stuka also has the wailing siren as it goes into a dive to literally drive the enemy mad.....stroke of psychologic brilliance...

[WhiteBlue]

how would you like to be the machine gunner. Ok now make sure we dont get shot down and for the love of God dont shoot off the tail

LOL, they actually dithered a lot on the rear defense. The original prototype used to have one and it got turned into a 1 seater when Stalin authorised serial production. They quicly learned the hard way that they could not do without the rear gunner and I guess the emergency re design made for that provisional look of the rear gunner cockpit. The JU-87 Stuka also had a rear gunner which looked a lot more serious.

[WhiteBlue]

Stuka also has the wailing siren as it goes into a dive to literally drive the enemy mad.....stroke of psychologic brilliance...

Mark Webber would have loved to have one of them sirens in Q3.

[ernos5]

Love the pics WhiteBlue!

[flynfrog]

Love the pics WhiteBlue!

Whiteblue: or the cannon off the A10

[ernos5]

Love the pics WhiteBlue!

Whiteblue: or the cannon off the A10

Everything!

[xpensive]

Junkers also produced a prototype long-distance bomber, which pilot's on a test flight actually could see the lights of Manhattan before returning for home.

[flynfrog]

I always like the Russian bear. Its one of the fastest if not the fastest prop plane

[flynfrog]

that and the counter rotating props just look mean

[Giblet]

My grandfather, still alive today, flew a Lancaster bomber during WW2 for the RAF. He never dropped a bomb, as his bomber led the rest of the squadron, and dropped thousands of shards of aluminum foil that made the German's radar light up and masked the true size of the incoming bomber and escort squadron.

I know we're a tad off topic, but I'm too proud to not show this pic.

I am awed every time I see it, Grandpa FLEW that.

[flynfrog]

My grandfather, still alive today, flew a Lancaster bomber during WW2 for the RAF. He never dropped a bomb, as his bomber led the rest of the squadron, and dropped thousands of shards of aluminum foil that made the German's radar light up and masked the true size of the incoming bomber and escort squadron.

I know we're a tad off topic, but I'm too proud to not show this pic.

I am awed every time I see it, Grandpa FLEW that.

we could all use a break from aruging about FIA vs FOTA

and more arguing about whos grandpa could beat up whos grandpa



Also verry cool. My grandpa built a lot of the steel runways for planes to land on His brother was in the navy and never talked much about it.

I had a neighbor that flew the flying burritos. Its kinda sad to think most of our kids will never meet a WWII vet