Daily Archives: September 26, 2009

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My Favorite Jets: MiG-15

 

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MiG-15

 

 

The Mig-15 looks like what an early jet of the Soviet era should look like.  It’s amazingly pure and simple, compact, and memorable with it’s early jet age aesthetic. From the circular front intake to the swept back wings to the bare metal surfaces, this MiG reminds us of an era when jet technology was new and airframe design for jets was rapidly evolving. Small and looking slighty brutish next to the American F-86 Sabre, the MiG-15 is like a caricature of what a black and white TV era jet plane might look like. The structure and the paint or camouflage added to the Soviet “proletariat” look while the F-86 had the look and image of an American movie star.

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My Favorite Jets: Boeing C-17 Globemaster III

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Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
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C-17 Globemaster III

Military transport aircraft aren’t sexy and sleek but they are impressive due to their sheer bulk, mass, and awesome load carrying capability. It was during this past weekend’s NASCAR race at Dover that I watched a C-17 do a fly  and my interest in cargo planes came back.  I remember the old C-5 Galaxy which was so huge that it was almost ungainly. Then there’s the tried and true C-130 Hercules – the AK-47 of cargo planes.  But watching the C-17 on TV moving through the air, I thought it was time to write a short piece on Creativity is Free. From the gigantic gaping fuselage designed clearly for maximum volume to the broad wings and huge engines, the Globemaster is designed for pure purpose. The canopy windows look tiny in comparison to the plane’s total volume further emphasizing the massive scale of this airlift heavyweight. External pods for landing gear clearly communicate a big and slow feel. It’s interesting too that several science fiction air/spacecraft seem to be inspired by this airplane including the Transformers Cargo Plane below.