Manky Monkey
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« on: July 21, 2014, 07:36:01 PM » |
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Farnborough International Airshow's a 2 week commercial & military sales show, with an open weekend for the general public. The planes have been buzzing the area for weeks, practising for the big event.
Forum member Janie works within walking distance of the Farnborough airfield, TIG welding components for Rolls Royce engines, among other things. So she had an interest in seeing the finished products. I'm not a huge aircraft afficianado, but I've never been to this show, so when she asked if I'd like to go, obviously I said Yes please.
We had rain overnight & it was still drizzly when I picked her up at 9 in the morning. So we went prepared for a wet day, both carrying coats & her sporting her bestest wellies. Big mistake. Saturday turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far. It was just ridiculously hot, with no shade at all. Neither of us are fans of the sun & we absolutely fried in the heat.
Although I'm not big on planes, there were a couple of flying displays I really wanted to see:
The Vulcan bomber, which I've never seen in the flesh & which is being retired soon until the preservation group can raise the money to overhaul the engines.
The Harrier jump jet. Again, I've only ever seen it on TV.
The Dakota -one of the most beautiful planes around I think.
The Red Arrows -seen them fly over many a time, but never actually watched the display.
The Great War aerial display, featuring biplanes & triplanes from both sides in World war One.
Obviously, I'm very, very grateful to Merv for donating his Fuji camera to me after my Nikon died, but looking at the size of some of the set-ups the plane buffs were arriving with, I didn't hold out much hope for our efforts, Lens envy? Well it's true -it's not what you've got, but how you use it that counts, as between us, we managed to grab some pretty respectable shots.
A great, though very tiring day out. Farnborough's held every 2 years, so the next one, the 50th, will be in July 2016.
Thank you for inviting me Janie. x
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« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 08:29:48 PM by Manky Monkey »
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2014, 07:37:40 PM » |
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Too short to make the grade as an air hostess, even in her wellies.
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2014, 07:41:00 PM » |
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The new Airbus A380. A double decker airliner the size of a tower block. Apparently Boeing signed contracts at the show worth 75 billion dollars -not a bad week's work.
Photos don't convey just how bloomin' enormous this thing is.
Somewhere in there are parts made by our Janie. Planey Janie in fact.
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« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 11:27:00 PM by Manky Monkey »
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2014, 07:46:21 PM » |
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Something that big just shouldn't be able to move like it does -like seeing an elephant tap dancing.
To quote the late Douglas Adams, it "hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.”
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2014, 07:49:42 PM » |
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I've only seen airliners bank & swoop like that in Bruce Willis movies. So low & slow I was convinced it'd just drop out of the sky. Impressive.
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« Last Edit: July 22, 2014, 10:25:07 PM by Manky Monkey »
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2014, 07:54:25 PM » |
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Slightly smaller brother, the A400M. "M" presumably being for Military. Or Manky. Rather worryingly, there seemed to be an awful lot of silver Gaffer tape on this one.
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2014, 07:55:55 PM » |
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Smaller than the A380 maybe, but still elephant sized.
"Rat door"?
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2014, 07:57:31 PM » |
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And it could tap dance just as nimbly. Several rolls of Gaffer tape on those wings.
When you realise these photos were taken from the ground, not from another plane flying above it, you can see how hard it was banked over above the runway.
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« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 08:02:45 PM by Manky Monkey »
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2014, 08:00:33 PM » |
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #9 on: July 21, 2014, 08:05:19 PM » |
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Little flying things as well as big ones.
The Breitling wing walking girls were ever so slightly bonkers.
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« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 08:07:22 PM by Manky Monkey »
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #10 on: July 21, 2014, 08:06:19 PM » |
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Olds
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« Reply #11 on: July 21, 2014, 08:07:04 PM » |
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I understand the basic physics of a wing generating lift, but when I see something like the A380 it does my head in.  |
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Getting older but no wiser! Just using bigger hammers.
The answer to most problems, fire and lots of it.
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #12 on: July 21, 2014, 08:08:19 PM » |
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It's not right is it.
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #13 on: July 21, 2014, 08:09:11 PM » |
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #14 on: July 21, 2014, 08:11:31 PM » |
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Nearby British Airways jet made for some arty compositions.
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