Doesn’t mean it can’t do airshows…
And ANY airplane can be rolled, most of them even successfully… 🙂
The part I loved though, was when they sent all the cameras scurrying when they went full AB on all four engines at the end of the runway…
I’m thinking that was a ‘tad’ windy and warm!
And here’s another ‘big’ airplane being barrel rolled…
This one actually is sitting in Udvar Hazy today! 🙂
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
The Chinese are not happy that the US deployed a squadron of B-1B Lancers to Australia. It was always (and remains) a very potent weapons system that was and is unheralded.
The Russians tried to copy it (Backfire and Blackjack) and were able to match the look, but never the performance.
Good luck on your travels.
Hey Old NFO;
Yep Udvar Hazy is worth another trip. How about a blogmeet there? Just an idea? The Lancer is a very good system and it is overshadoweded by the B2.
Bob, that blogmeet could last days. And I’d give my right nut (not needed any more) to be a participant!
Oh, the Lancer may be a big girl, but she was never ugly.
You think the B1 is ugly??? It’s gorgeous! And the 707 ain’t bad looking either.
“Just because it’s big and ugly…”
From the title, I thought this was going to be a post about hillary…
+1
Memories: Stationed at Edwards AFB, night shift on F-16 flightline. Standing outside the building several nights, staring at the east end of the main runway, watching the strobe of the taxiing B-1. Then after a few minutes, the light from the “cans”, then the roll of thunder as it accelerates down the runway.
And watching a ‘Bone land sans nose landing gear…
Almost as much fun as experiencing the sonic boom of various Space Shuttles returning from mission to Edwards…
Sigh.
Re: Blowing away the cameramen
“Stupid is as stupid does!” WTF were they thinking? Wait, they weren’t. Nevermind.
Aw, man…I loves me some B-1.
And A+ on a blogmeet.
sweet
I would love to fly in the B1B
Mmm, warm and windy and jet-fuel-exhausted scented. Much better to remember in nostalgia than the initial experience, but if you’re far enough away, not bad.
Ed- Yep, a special feeling!
LL- True, and thanks!
Bob/WN- We might be able to do that! 🙂
Scott/Rich- LOL, just poking fun…
Tim/WSF- ROTF…
WN- Ah yes…
Juvat- Agreed! 🙂
Murph- Okay
Randy/Rick- That it is!
Dot- LOL, true but you DO get warm! 🙂
I saw this performed live. Most impressive. I was watching from the starboard (opposite) side from this video. As the plane came to a halt, a crewman wearing a headset opened the aft starboard door and stuck his head out to ground guide as they went into reverse.
RHT- That IS impressive, and I’m betting they were empty, with minimum gas aboard! 🙂 We used to do that with P-3s too!
You have to remember that the B-1 think’s it’s a fighter yet. no one ever told it that it’s a bomber.
Heck it has a stick instead of a yoke!
Club- Good point, I’d forgotten that!
Ah, blast memories. Azalea Festival Air Show circa 1971. On the hill that would soon be part of Interstate 64 where it parallels Granby Street in Norfolk. My father and I and perhaps as many as 20 other people watched the air show looking over NAS Norfolk. Toward the end of the show the not yet type accepted (still wearing orange) F-14 roars at us down the runway, hits full burner and lifts its nose to the heavens. He hit near vertical directly above us. When we recovered from the blast and noise, none of us were on the hilltop or remembered how we left it. I do remember barrel rolling down the dirt at some point in the process. WOW!
Dad said someone rolled one of the bombers over North Africa when he was there in WWII. He said pretty much every rivet was popped when it landed.
Those first two appeared to be old time barrel rolls! The last one actually looked like a fighter roll, left aileron,top rudder, forward stick, opposite top rudder, neutral stick an I’m done.Really impressive!
.45ACP- LOL, yeah jet blast WILL do that to you!
Brigid- I’m betting they didn’t keep 1G all the way around, probably a 3-4G pull…LOL
Ev- That they do! And yes impressive!
Jet blast. That will be my next story. The people in that video weren’t near enough for the full effect.
A friend of mine used to roll his D-18 Beech. I was standing in the doorway between the cabin and the cockpit on a post maintenance test flight when he did one. I initially put my hands on the ceiling to brace myself, when I realized what he was doing. Then I let go because it was a nice smooth coordinated barrel roll and there was no need to do anything but just stand there and enjoy the ride.
Hh Bubba!!!
Back a few cases of Beer ago, quite a few, I was workin’ for Douglas A/C in LGB at the Beginning of the “ACES II” Ejection Seat Program in the Parachute Rigging Dept.!!(ACES II Seats are in the B-1B!!) the Test Program was a “Blast!!” ‘Got to pack chutes that went to 600 Keas!!! I got to do the Post Flight Forensic inspection of the Canopies for one test!! The nylon looked like it had been placed under a “Hot Iron” but that good old “7020” Nylon worked its’ voodoo and held it together!! Fun Times, whenever we had to go do some “Flight line work” on A/C at Palmdale, we tried to schedule it for Wednesday as that was when the “Black Bird” Flew!! And we got to watch!!!
You got Beer, I Got the stories!!! And they are all true!!
If it has (2) ea. wings, Round Engines, and “Conventional Landing Gear,”
It’s Got To Be GOOD!!!!!!!
III%,
skybill-out
PS For a “Rush” go to http://www.airtrash.com and go over to the “message board” scroll downto “Bill Deli” checks in!!” 8.5 years since I blew out my right deltoid and had to put my”Skydiving”on the “Back Burner!!” So I had to do a “Check Ride” with one of the “Hot Shots!!” I didn’t “Scare him too much” so he signed me off!! l!!! Did I have any fun?? When I landed and tried to talk to people, I was “Hoarse!!!!” Oh Yeah, I had a “Good Time!!” This one was # 3848.