Aircraft Identification Thread

[Argonaught_]

You are correct sir! - You have control =)

South Africa produced it under license and we used it for many roles.


The South African Defence Force employed Impalas during campaigns against the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) and Cuban expeditionary troops in Angola between 1975 and 1989. Impala pilots typically flew at 550–650 km/h at a height of 15 m to avoid Angolan air defences. Over the course of the South African Border War, one was downed by an SA-7, another returned with an unexploded missile in its exhaust.

The aircraft had many advantages over expensive supersonic jets. Although slower, it could operate from relatively primitive airfields and strike swiftly. The South African Air Force (SAAF) used up to 6 x 120 kg or 4 x 250 kg bombs. The main armament consisted of 68 mm SNEB rocket-launchers (four x 6 or two x 18), and two 30 mm autocannon (with 300 rounds). These cannons were the real bonus for the Impala Mk II, helping to give a superior performance compared to earlier two-seat versions. The latter could also carry a pair of 30 mm DEFA guns in under-wing pods. However, dual capability as trainer-attackers was better appreciated, as was the availability of six hard points and so dual-seat versions were far more common. Six squadrons were equipped with the Impala Mk II in the SAAF during the 1970s and 1980s. Prior to Operation Moduler, most Impalas were withdrawn from their operating bases in South-West Africa, leaving the work to Mirage IIIs and Blackburn Buccaneers.

Taken from Wikipedia

We used them in our aerobatic team - The Silver Falcons (similar to the Blue Angels or the Red Arrows but with a cooler name)

The Impala was a truly great aircraft and South Africa didnt have many issues with them.

There was one major accident though :
An aircraft that had slipped through the paper work and had missed its wing spars being strengthened or something was part of the silver falcons display in 1993 and welp the fatal result :


More pics of the Silver Falcons

Then (Atlas Impala)


https://i.gyazo.com/ea00112cc4dacd09...a715c35906.png

Now - Pilatus Astra
https://i.gyazo.com/c994bf270f8cb4fc...7dccda542a.jpg
https://i.gyazo.com/522f2b00be0a8031...a9359b806a.png
https://i.gyazo.com/89ef709c7a21c2c3...d4b0ad364b.png

By far one of the best paint schemes for an aerobatic team
(unable to upload more images due to exceeding limit lol)

The Dc-3 in Silver Falcons colours had a fatal accident when flying doctors to Nelson Mandela if I recall - The flew through some bad weather and smeared the aircraft on the Drakensberg mountains.
A sad day to loose so many people and a beautiful plane.


I will stay out of the next one until nearing the 24 hour mark =)
Regards,
_Argonaught_

[UAREBBQ]

It sure is a great plane the Impala(or whatever name you want to use) :). Anyway time for the next pic. This one I admire greatly, It's an "experimental" aircraft (that's the hint)

[BoomBoomStick]

NERDS .........


how the hell do you even find these planes just by a pic?

I knew by the shape that KI77 had to be a jap and i saw that yak11 and knew it had to be a rusian LA or yak but still how do you find it ?

[AndyinBrum]

Here's some Aircraft Rex quizzes for you. I got 100%

https://www.buzzfeed.com/tomchivers/...jPmB#.fwe77jQ9

https://www.buzzfeed.com/tomchivers/...els-13-skipper

[Argonaught_]

Bbq - a truly interesting plane - Will give more information when someone else answers it

BoomBoom - Yes we are nerds - nothing wrong with it =)
You identify key points of the aircraft and then go to google and you learn about planes =)
This is all easy mode though - People on pprune (professional pilots rumor network) do it a lot more hard core


From this silhouette below:
http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/...um172250-1.jpg

you can CLEARLY make out that it is the Kawasaki C-2 number 201 - first prototype.

Or that this :
https://i.gyazo.com/be7ec09f68a71c01...5bde1a18c5.png

Is clearly the once off Hillson Bi Mono Slip wing experimental, of which only one is built and pictures of are extremely rare.

They went through 1500 pages and 31 150 posts and it was closed because it got too full - I am pretty sure there is a second thread which by now must also be pretty full. I participated for a while but dayum it is hard when you get a silhouette of a ww1 era biplane prototype.

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...challenge.html

Andy good links - I got Full marks for the first one and 1 wrong in the second - I over thought the Halifax and Lanc one - Went with the Hali

[AOD_Whaleco]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-47

Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut

[UAREBBQ]

Yay, Boom joins the nerds. Yes, the Su-47,you are correct Boom.

It was me, not Boom

[UAREBBQ]

I have no experience in planes, all I do is try recognize what country its from and all the important features it has, and then just google it.

[Argonaught_]

The Su-47 is a mean machine - It looks bad ass and first flew in 1997. It was used to test extreme maneuverability as well as a bunch of other things.

A bunch of what they learned from the Su-47 has been put into the Sukhoi PAK FA. It is probably the only aircraft that can claim to be on par with the F22 in the world. But that opens a whole can of worms so lets leave it at this saying

"There only winners in a war in which the Sukhoi PAK FA faces off against the F22 are the defense contractors, no one else."

The scary thing about the Sukhoi PAK FA is that unlike the F22, they will be selling them to other countries - India seems to be working on a joint project with the Russians.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi/HAL_FGFA

Regards,
_Argonaught_

[UAREBBQ]

The Su-47 is probably my most favourite plane, mostly because of its unorthodox design. The PAK FA will be a beast machine(or is one already) when it comes out. Now Russia will have next generation planes and tanks(t14 armata). Well I'm off to bed now. Boom, you can now choose a new picture if you so wish.

Till Tomorrow,
BBQ

[AOD_Whaleco]

The new one, a rather easy one:

[Lt_FellaWhite]

It was Whaleco that answered right, so he has the controls.
Argo, while I do like the name Silver Falcons, I think Thunderbirds sound better. ;)

[UAREBBQ]

HAHA, Why did I think it was Boom? I should really go to sleep, I'm making so much mistakes, I'm so sorry. I wasnt even able to edit my posts. xD Also, another mistake I made was when you click the su-47 pic it shows the png file name which has the answer in it. xD Anyway I, being young and yet blind, need to get some sleep.

[Lt_FellaWhite]

That would be the Convair B-58 Hustler. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-58_Hustler

It's a rather ugly aircraft in my personal opinion, but it was very unique in terms of the ejection system and was the first to employ a bunch of different technologies. It was also the first Mach 2 capable bomber that the U.S. had.

Here's the next one:



I do love my big planes.

[UAREBBQ]

the Messerschmitt ME 323, What a gigantic beast.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_323

I have no time to post a pic, so the first one to put one up, takes my place. :)

[Argonaught_]

Alright if its an open house - I will take control.



This could actually be a hard-ish one for people that have not been following aircraft recently.

So here are a few tips.
It uses a PT6A Turboprop engine.
This is big news for us SAFFERS!

Regards,
_Argonaught_

[UAREBBQ]

The AHRLAC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AHRLAC_Holdings_Ahrlac
I have to say, Argonaught, this is an amazing aircraft you put up. It's cheap, but it's remarkable. the design I love and apparently it can take down helicopters and also take most helicopter's places.

[Argonaught_]

Yeah it is and awesome plane - designed and built in South Africa and now Boeing is helping us develop a militarized version. So if that is the case - It could be a world beater.

[UAREBBQ]

Ok, time for a very special one. Technically it's an aircraft(don't say it isn't), but it flies a few inches off the surface off the water.

[Argonaught_]

Pff thats not a plane - that's a fuel efficient jet ski