BAM'n'IVM

I tried it, it didn't look right to me. I dunno.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/26/spaceport.blast/index.html Two dead, four injured at a test site.

Managed to get a once-in-a-lifetime photo the other day... Actually, it's a photo of 64-17979 I took at Lackland AFB, with the landing gear edited out, reflections in the paint modified, and superimposed over the sky at last year's Fort Worth Alliance Airshow, with some subtle blur effects added. But I like it.

Notice the turboprop engines on that DC-3. Dunno if you can still all it a C-47 with those.

The Texas badge - looks like the airframe went through some kind of maintenance at the San Antonio Air Logistics Center. Probably some kind of mid-life upgrade or something.

What is the story with that Cessna/truck crash? I've always figured it was a movie stunt or something.

It's interesting that the Marines have the shiny ones with the F-22 style metallic paint, while the USAF has plain ol' two-tone gray...

And for that, blame L. Ron Hubbard!

Sounds like it would actually be harder than converting an F-4 from the way you word it. Can you elaborate? As for the idea of F-14s coming back...not happening. The Navy has taken great pains to make sure they stay gone.

It hasn't been that restrictive at the airshows I've been to in the past year or two. Maybe we're more relaxed in Texas.

I think the answer to the "third aircraft" question is, did they fly in pairs or threes on attack runs? Excellent work so far.

Ah, you beat me to it!

I believe that kind of crash came to be known as the "Sabre Dance". Unfortunately, it wasn't uncommon with the Hun.

I really, really like the first shot of the two A-10s. It's a really cool composition.

Yeah, it's the History Channel re-creation. I'm pretty sure no film exists of the actual incident other than still photos of the F-15 safely on the ground with a shredded gash where its wing should be.

It's not, it's pining!

It's probably pining for the fjords.

What's confusing about that?

Relying on the RIO to fire the gun would be pretty impractical I'd think - you'd want the guy who's in charge of pointing the airplane to be the one who pulls the trigger on a weapon that only shoots straight to the front...Can't you just hear the cockpit audio? "OK, fire! Fire dammit! No! Wait! Stop shooting! OK, fire! NO! Yes! Dammit, Goose!"

It's been posted several times. Search is your friend. Still an incredible story.

Great pics. Curious though - anyone know the story on the Avenger with no rear-firing turret? I'm not real "up" on my WWII aircraft knowledge, but I thought that turret was always there on an Avenger.

I'd love to see that 924th TFG/704th TFS Phantom cleaned up all pretty and put on the Heritage Flight circuit.

Crap - I read the story but not the headline. Damn. I was hoping.

Any word on whether the pilot got out or not? The article's pretty ambiguous on that - probably with good reason.

More of the same details: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,280794,00.html