Sunday, September 6, 2026

Complex Build


 

7 comments:

  1. Grumman X-29 experimental jet from the mid '80s. IIRC only 2 or 3 were built and the wings tended to twist increasing the angle-of-attack which made for interesting handling.
    Al_in_Ottawa

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  2. I watched them build the mockup in Bethpage, Long Island with the nose section of and F-5. At that time, there was a single full scale mockup, and two operational flying versions. They were moved to Calverton, Long Island and that was the last place I had seen them. The hangers had armed security so you could not get close but you could see them. The wings were so thin that the actuators for the control surfaces were mounted on the underside of the wings.

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  3. This is what happens when engineers get bored. Let see if we can build an airplane that flys backward!

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    Replies
    1. The very first powered aircraft had the elevators up front.

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  4. Looks to be an early shaker/vibration test, you can see them stuck here and there on the vehicle, but not a lot of accelerometers. The vehicle is in just anti-corrosion primer, not NASA white.

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  5. They got this plane from IKEA and read the pictures on the assembly instructions wrong.

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    Replies
    1. And they had more extra parts than usual.

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