Comments by "Big Blue" (@bigblue6917) on "Ed Nash's Military Matters" channel.

  1.  @billdyke9745  Trouble is the rest has followed.
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  2. The Hurricane was libel to water damage. So they thought it would be better to build the Hawker Sea Hurricane instead. This interesting because, as we know, the Japanese did a floatplane version of the Zero with some 327 being made.
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  3. Thanks, Ed. One thing I love about this site is that it fills in the blanks on aircraft I have heard about but would love to know more. Part of the problem with the French was that much of the aircraft earmarked for supporting Dien bien Phu were suddenly taken away for another operation, which meant they were not available for support at Dien bien Phu which was so desperately needed. A case of French muddled thinking. America did not make that mistake with Khe Sanh. The Soviet Su-25 looks very similar to the failed rival to the American A-10. It's thought that a Soviet spy satellite photographed that aircraft but missed the A-10.
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  4.  @michaelbizon444  I supposed we'd have to do back the the flying apartment to do Art Deco.
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  5. Sometimes mother knows best.
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  6. Keep an eye on your Germans
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  7. While the rest of us.🤨
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  8. I've also noticed a few aircraft from this period where without the markings you'd be hard pushed to tell which navy it flew for.
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  9. I love the 1930s aviation industry. Another day, another aircraft. Or three.
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  10. There has been the sound of some serious back peddling there. It now turns out they can stay in service. But they are also buying some two seater turboprop aircraft for fighting in places like Afghanistan instead of using the A-10
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  11.  @jbepsilon  How to get yourself banned from an entire planet.
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  12.  @JanBruunAndersen  that brought up a smile. The Chinese military have the ability to do just that because it is so corrupt. So both sides will be adding their percentage
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  13. I understand the Russians had a secure phone called Era. This would help them talk to each other without being listened in on. The reason it is not working is because they destroyed the Ukrainian phone masts which they needed for their phones. The latest death of a Russian general was discovered on an expletive laden call between two people from the FSB. Which was not secure. Do they have a WhatsApp group do you think. A US expert has been looking at photographs and footage of the Russian trucks which have flat tyres. From what he has said the problem comes about because the trucks have not been moved for a long time which means that with the heat from the Sun and other weather factors has made the tyres fragile and subject to splitting. He believes these trucks have not been moved for a year.
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  14.  dimapez  y that time they could have bought them from Britain.
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  15. Seeing that there was another excellent video of Ed's coming up I was suddenly reminded of a book I had years ago. It was a small book full of aircraft like these. Aircraft that were just a little bit late, or never made it to production or were very limited in number. Always found it an enjoyable book. One thing we can see in all of these videos is the importance of timing. If the Woomera had just been a few years early it could have been a very useful aircraft to have if it was working properly. I do wonder about using it as a torpedo bomber as the external fuel tanks do look a bit close together. Was the Woomera the first aircraft to use remote turrets? I know the B-29 used them but was it the first?
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  16. So not the famed Football War.
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  17. @JZ's Best Friend It's classified.
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  18. I did know about this aircraft but this fills in much of the missing details. Thanks.
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  19. Well the XC-99 is not just a forgotten aircraft but one I've never heard of. And as I have been interested in aircraft for many years that takes some doing.
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  20. Growlers would be a good addition but I was under the impression that they take time to get the dedicated crews trained up. I know the Russians just treat it as another mission, like flying ground attack or as escort, which is one f the reasons they lost so many aircraft to SAMs
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  21. The Mixmaster. Think I've got one of those in the kitchen. Actually I do know about Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster. Looks a handy aircraft for speed and range. But, as always, timing is everything. Pity it did not turn up in1942. Also I think if they lost the turrets and relied on speed like the Mosquito the top speed could mean only German jets could have caught her.
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  22. The most produce. Yes I do know that. It looks like it was the first to make the famed 25 sorties.
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  23. I have come across this aircraft before so it is good to get further details about it. When I first saw it I looked at the nose and thought it was designed by Junker as it does have something of the Stuka about it. The German navy seems to have made the same mistakes about its composition that were made by the Kaiser before WW1 in trying to compete against the Royal Navy with surface ships. Back then the submarine was an unknown entity but after WW1 they had a better understanding of how to use them. And it's not like Hitler planned to take on Britain anyway.
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  24. The down side of in-depth research is is you get too in depth with the research. The downside you ask. Okay. You've got me there.
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  25.  @20chocsaday  One of the things with the TSR 2 was that they wanted it all singing and all dancing. Whereas something more realistic, and much less expensive, could well have worked for the role it was to be used for. The plus side is that many lessons learned from the TSR 2 were carried forward with the Tornado.
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  26. I had wondered what happened to the Fairey Delta as she showed such promise. So it is good to finally find out. Thanks Ed. Of course the best and most famous delta wing aircraft has got to be the Avro Vulcan. It had a phenomenal power to weight ratio which meant that at 60,000 feet it could out turn many fighters aircraft of its day. There was a joke that if it had a gun it could dogfight any Soviet fighter of the 50s or 60s.
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  27. A very stunning looking aircraft. It was a while ago but I seem to remember reading that its method of delivering its nuclear weapon was to fly over the target then once it passed it to do a loop and tossed the bomb over its should just as the aircraft reached the top of the loop. The aircraft would complete the loop before flying off at high speed just as the bomb landed. Just imagine being on the ground at the target and watch the aircraft fly passed, then just as you thought you were safe you watch it do a loop and lob the bomb back your way.
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  28. It is somewhat ironic how WW2 advanced some aircraft designs such as jets. while others like this one came to an end. I think we'd all like to have seen it fly. Without the wings collapsing. A couple of insect related aircraft stories for you. There is a story that Dr. Ernst Heinkel, the German aircraft designer, once told Hitler that the it was impossible for the bee to fly, but because as the bee did not know this it could fly. When I first came across this my thoughts were that the fact that the bee flies would suggest the Heikel was wrong. Turns out Heinkel was wrong, yes there's a surpise. High speed video has shown that not only does the bee fly but that it's method of flying is so advanced that we are not likely to replicate it anytime soon. Story number two. And here's one you may be able to make a video on. Post WW2 Britain built a research aircraft using something taken from some flying insects. In the past some insects had four wings but today only have two. A short stub of the original wing is still there and acts as a counterbalance to the remaining wing. So when the remaining wings beats down the wing stubs move up as a counter balance. This helped that insect with stability. So with the idea in mind it was thought that this could help with keeping aircraft stable when they fly. So they tried it out. The aircraft took off and once in the air the test pilot switch them on. Now it has been some time since a read about this so some of it is a bit sketchy. But as I remember it the stabilisers immediately cause great difficulties for the test pilot which left him struggling to fly the aircraft as the stabiliser was causing a lot of vibration. What's more he could not switch the stabiliser off so all he could do was extremely carefully fly the aircraft in a circuit until he could land it. He said it was the most terrifying experience he's ever had in his life. And no it was never flown again.
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  29. Definitely comes into the unsung hero category.
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  30. Not sure how I missed this one. When the Royal Air Force approached North American to build some of Curtiss's aircraft for them North American showed the RAF their ideas for a fighter. The RAF said yes but found it to be underpowered. So they took out the Alison engine and but in the Merlin in its place. So the aircraft went from being the A-36 to the P-51. And we all know what happened next.
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  31.  @hughgordon6435  Sounds about right. I did come across something on YouTube about there being a special pipeline which runs from a nearby port which is supposed to supply they fuel for a hypersonic aircraft. I think it's hypersonic.
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  32. Not to worry. The crab people will get them. Tried to add an emoji but for some reason there is no half human and half crab emoji. You don't think the sea otter people got to them do you.😮
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  33. Back in the early 60s the West was shocked to see the first Tupolev TU-22. The supersonic bomber. Turns out the biggest threat was to the crew as of the 311 they built 70 of the crashed. On the up side the air conditioning ran on what was effectively vodka.
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  34. It's interesting how the best piston engined aircraft ever produced came right at the end of the war but were just as piston engines were being superseded by the jet engine.
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  35.  @NoName-ds5uq  As I said. Once you've found its niche just stand back and leave them to it. It would have been interesting to have seen the CA-15 in action.
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  36.  @EricIrl  It's been all down hill since Eric Bloodaxe. Eric got something of a bad reputation for other Eric's after him.
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  37.  @xmeda  And watching you undercarriage fall off.
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  38.  @jaxxmadine  It didn't but they count those passing through.
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  39.  @nowthenzen  I thought that was the Welsh
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  40.  @skepticalbadger  That's rather confusing. Are they a singing group or is that a reference to they do not bathe very often. Or possibly a mention of the fact they are not noted for being deep thinkers. Or is that all of the above plus several more which cannot be mentioned in polite company.
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  41.  @xgford94  Nope. That would make them way to close.
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  42. So the population of Montana
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  43. Another peep behind the hanger doors of aviation history and those might-have-beens. They are now getting their 15 minutes of fame. I would be worth your while taking a look at many of the post war projects, many of which are quite astounding.
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  44. You may enjoy Ed talking about paint drying but thing of it from his point of view. He has to watch the paint dry without the benefit of his narration.
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  45. When I saw the photograph I thought it was some sort of flying radar for the fleet
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  46. Douglas: We've got this great new jet. The Skylancer. US Navy: Nice. Just put it at the end of that line of other great new jets, will you. Talk about right aircraft wrong time.
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  47. Interesting that the Fury got 20 mm cannons while the Sabre still used the 50. calibre machineguns. This despite the fact that towards the end on WW2 the USAAF recognising that the machinegun no longer had the stopping power it once had.
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  48. Actually the film was shot in Italy and is their latest pasta. Just need to get the size right.
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  49.  @kentl7228  True but once one was shot down and the realisation that the monster could be slain set in the level of fear was not the same. Also the Zeppelins were never as effective as it was thought they would be. For one thing most nights the wind came from the west which made it a headwind for Zeppelins flying towards England. And if it was a strong headwind this would often mean they would be diverted to other lesser targets. This made them less effective as far as Germany was concerned. And as soon as the Gotha bombers were available in sufficient numbers Zeppelin raids were stopped. Interestingly one of those involved in the fight against these raids was General Hugh Dowding who as Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding would lead the Royal air Force during the Battle of Britain.
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  50.  @rob5944  Funny you should mention the head wind blowing the aircraft backwards. The earliest British and French WW1 aircraft were very slow and did have this problem while returning from flying over German lines. The only way the could return to their own lines was to tack across the wind like a sailing boat. The Luftwaffe was to all intents and purposes as tactical arm of the German army with a limited strategic role. I have to agree with you about the effect of strategic bombing on civilians. Actually this was known much earlier from the Zeppelin and later Gotha bomber raids on Britain in WW1. Something often missed about the raids on Britain in WW1 was that much of what was put in place to deal with them meant that Britain was much better prepared for the Battle of Britain
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