Flux Capacitor

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

10 years 7 months

Posts: 43

To run alongside the Perfect Airshow thread how about this for an idea. You have the ability to erase from time as if it never existed an aircraft type, in the same way Marty Mcfly had to go back and stop Biff getting his hands on the sports almanac. Which aircraft would you erase and why?

I'll begin. When I first started to attend airshows in the early eighties actual historic warbird content was small, even the Shuttleworth used to display my entry. I hated it, when it was announced I hated the words, I hate even the memory of it. My candidate is, the Max Holste Broussard. Ugly boring post war aircraft with nothing going for it. Luckily they seem to have disappeared from the airshow scene, mind you I bet they lurk still, ready to appear. Perhaps you have to say the name out loud three times?

Next aircraft for the flux capacitor please!

Original post

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

The F-35 because we would have then purchased something cheaper like the F-18 and would have saved a fortune on chopping and changing the Carrier design that now means we cannot cross deck half of the worlds carrier aircraft.
The Harrier proved the concept that you do not need a separate lift engine when it can all be done with one, you are burning fuel, reducing payload and adding cost and complexity hauling a bloody engine around that is only used for the landing.... Oddly enough the competition for the Harrier at the time was a Mirage with an extra lift engine or two that died a death... And yet we never learn and we still sign up for such over complex over budget garbage.

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 3,447

Buchon. It's not a Messerschmitt. But it is a mess. And maybe then we could avoid the half-ar**d 'combat' sequences that necessarily show the public what a low-G and stately affair a dogfight was. Controversial, I know..

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 8,505

My candidate would be the Blackburn Botha. A singularly ugly design for a British aircraft of the period. Or the Blohm und Voss BV181. Who thought it was clever to put the engine and cockpit opposite sites of the centre line?

Member for

20 years

Posts: 1,496

The Fairey Battle, I would nip back quietly and replace them all with something a bit more capable performance wise, maybe Boston /Havocs. then re-run the ill fated Maastricht raids...

Member for

14 years

Posts: 4,996

The Fairey Battle, I would nip back quietly and replace them all with something a bit more capable performance wise, maybe Boston /Havocs. then re-run the ill fated Maastricht raids...

Likewise with the BP Defiant

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 76

The Fairey Battle, I would nip back quietly and replace them all with something a bit more capable performance wise, maybe Boston /Havocs. then re-run the ill fated Maastricht raids...

Wonder what it would have been like if re engine with the Griffon? with nearly twice the horsepower it may have been viable.

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 1,751

Buchon. It's not a Messerschmitt. But it is a mess. And maybe then we could avoid the half-ar**d 'combat' sequences that necessarily show the public what a low-G and stately affair a dogfight was. Controversial, I know..

I agree.

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 3,614

General Dynamics F-111.

That way the Boeing model 818 would have won the TFX competition.

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

Buchon. It's not a Messerschmitt. But it is a mess. And maybe then we could avoid the half-ar**d 'combat' sequences that necessarily show the public what a low-G and stately affair a dogfight was. Controversial, I know..

Harsh.....it might have been a better combat A/C than the original!

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

Buchon. It's not a Messerschmitt. But it is a mess. And maybe then we could avoid the half-ar**d 'combat' sequences that necessarily show the public what a low-G and stately affair a dogfight was. Controversial, I know..

And what would they have made the film the Battle of Britain with.... German P-51's? ohh wait, that's what Hollywood would do. :D we'd use Piston Provosts or the like :highly_amused:

Member for

17 years 10 months

Posts: 877

Spitfire then when you went on to the forum you wouldn't have to scroll though hundreds pf pictures of the same aircraft to get to the good stuff!.............oh! oh! i may have poked the beast............Run!!!!!

Member for

12 years 8 months

Posts: 271

I definitely agree with Denis. I would erase the dreadful Fairey Battle from existence. The RAF could then have used the much more capable and sadly wasted Hawker Henley light bomber.

Member for

18 years 9 months

Posts: 2,766

AEW Gannet.....hit every branch on the ugly tree on the way down and actually makes the Fleet Shadower look beautiful.

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 1,528

The Wright Flyer. Powered flight would still have happened and possibly with more credit given to those aviation pioneers who wern't the Wright Brothers.

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 460

Avro Tudor ? Then Chadwick might not have met such an untimely end.

Member for

14 years 3 months

Posts: 1,205

I think I'd use my flux capacitor to go back and preserve a few "lost" types for posterity. Short Empire flying boats, Whitleys, He177, Fairey Fox, Mitsubishi G3m, Do.X, Felixstowe F.5, Miles Marathon, stuff like that.

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,536

I would erase the Comet then, maybe the Americans would have lead the airliner jet race, discovered metal fatigue,
lost a few over the Atlantic and maybe, just maybe we would all be flying in British Airliners!
Alternatively I would erase the Labour Government of the 50's and give the TSR2 a chance.

Profile picture for user 1batfastard

Member for

11 years 2 months

Posts: 3,650

Hi All,
I would second what TontT,Bager168 and hampden98 have put.
F-35 - White Elephant waste of money/F-111 - TSR-2 Would definitely have got the go ahead and The Labour government so much promise for the working person never actually realised while at the same time slaughtering our aviation industry. One other thing I would do is advise the Air ministry to take notice of Frank Whittle and his Idea for the Jet engine also a note to Westlands the whirlwind fighter needs merlin's and a note to RR produce more merlin's and forget the vulture.

Geoff. :stupid:

Member for

11 years 10 months

Posts: 352

The 60's Labour govt surely. And while we are at it I'd erase Eden's Conservative government to kill off the '57 Defense White Paper. Just for the sake of balance.

But if I have to stick to aircraft. The Lockheed 104 Starfighter. Sure it was fast. But so were a lot of other aircraft, which could also do turns. It was a death trap and was pushed on various air forces through bribery.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 9,780

There isn't much to support the theory that the Stafighter was a 'death trap' -plenty of evidence of Luftwaffe examples being lost flying at low altitude often in poor weather in Europe but when compared to the loss rate of other types it didn't compare unfavourably !