How many unguided air-to-air rockets does it take to bring down an aircraft? Turns out, far more than you'd think! Let's talk about the unbelievable Battle of Palmdale in 1956. 🧵 1/4
On August 16, 1956, a USNavy F6F-5K target drone took off from NAS Point Mugu and immediately went rogue, heading straight for Los Angeles. In mad panic, the Navy called in the USAF. Two F-89D Scorpions, America's most advanced interceptor, scrambled to take it down. 2/4
Dec 16, 2024 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Did you know that during the 2003 Iraq War, USAF and USN pilots feared USArmy Patriot missiles more than Iraqi SAMs? Why? During the conflict, Patriot missiles gained a notorious reputation for misidentifying friendly aircraft and shooting them down. 1/4
As the ground war intensified, Patriot missiles tragically shot down an RAF Tornado and a Navy F/A-18, killing their crews. The reason? Faulty IFF technology and system automation, which struggled to distinguish allies from enemies in the fast-paced, chaotic battlefield environment. 2/4
Mar 14, 2022 • 10 tweets • 11 min read
A 10 tweet thread on the indomitable Fairchild Republic A-10 Warthog, the "flying tank". Enjoy! 1/10 #avgeeks#aviation#aviationdaily#USAF#Warthog
A Warthog pilot sits in a "bathtub" of titanium armour, at places up to 38 mm thick and weighing 544 kg. This is proof against direct hits from 23-mm cannon. 2/10 #avgeeks#aviation#USAF#Warthog
Mar 7, 2022 • 6 tweets • 8 min read
Tomcat musing: a short thread on the "dowdy" parts of one of the most glamours interceptors of the world. 1/6 #avgeeks#aviation#aviationdaily#Tomcat#TopGun#USNavy
Did you know that when the F-14 stretches its wings fully forward, the fuselage slots into which the wings retracted are sealed with inflatable airbags? The airbags use bleed air from the TF30s to inflation! 2/6 #avgeeks#aviation#TopGun#Tomcat