Aircraft
Good Morning Oshkosh
The United States Air Force’s Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy, a transport plane that ranks as one of the world’s largest aircraft, greeted visitors at the EAA AirVenture 2019 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Shortly after this photo was taken, they allowed visitors to walk through the plane. The angle of this photo makes the plane seem much smaller than it is. This is a behemoth! The cargo compartment is 121 ft long, 19 ft wide and 13.5 ft high. It is capable of hauling nearly every type of military equipment. The nose and aft cargo-bay doors open the full width and height of the cargo bay to maximize efficient loading of over-sized equipment. Full-width ramps enable loading double rows of vehicles from either end of the cargo hold. Aside from the cargo hold, the plane also has an upper deck that can accommodate 75 pasengers.
The lens flare, created by the sun in the background, was an unexpected artifact in this shot. I’m not sure I like it. On one hand, it’s kind of cool. On the other, it’s kind of distracting.
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Queen Monoplane
They don’t make them like this anymore. This is the Queen Monoplane – a part of early aviation history. As you can see by it’s markings, it was used to deliver mail. It is part of the historic aviation displays at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The E.A.A. museum is a very cool place to learn about the history of aviation. You’ll find historic aircraft and information from the Wright Brother’s flyer to spacecraft. They have a great Warbirds exhibit.
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All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Indoor Aerobatics
Look up! Above the lobby of the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, WI you will find three acrobatic aircraft hanging from the ceiling. These are not models. They are the original, full-size aircraft – the famous Christen Eagle I stunt planes – flown by the U.S. Aerobatic Team that won the 1972 World Aerobatic Championship. The Christen Eagle I was built specifically for the Eagles Aerobatic Team.
You can learn more about these iconic, colorful aircraft at the EAA website.
You can also view a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
High Flying Five
These vintage Navy planes were part of the air show at this year’s E.A.A. AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. I think it would be very cool to fly with a group like this.
I’m not positive about the type of aircraft, but I think some might be the North American SNJ-4, an advanced trainer for WWII aviators. (It was also called the T-6, the AT-6, and the Texan.)
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Zeros
Three vintage fighter planes circle back for another simulated strike during a reenactment of the attack on Pear Harbor. This was part of a spectacular air show at the 2013 EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Though I’ve had little opportunity, I could really get into aviation photography. I am not a pilot, but I love to fly and love all type of aircraft.
These planes are Japanese Zeros. Here’s some info gleaned from Wikipedia…
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was usually referred to by the Allies as the “Zero”, from 1940, the year in which the aircraft entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was “Zeke”.
When it was introduced early in World War II, the Zero was considered the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range. In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a dogfighter, achieving the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1, but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled the Allied pilots to engage the Zero on more equal terms.
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EAA Fireworks – 2013
It’s no secret, especially to those who follow this blog, I like fireworks. This is one of my favorite fireworks photos.
The fireworks are pretty cool, but my favorite part is the people. The people are my favorite part because of where they are. If you look closely, you’ll notice airplanes parked among the people.
This is a view from the fireworks display at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s 2013 AirVenture – held every year in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
To see the planes and people better click on the image to view a larger version.
Colorful Classic Fly By
One of the awesome aspects of the annual EAA AirVenture is the amazing variety of aircraft you can see – up close and flying by.
I love the variety of color and the precision formation of this fly by.
To be honest, I was tempted to clone more of these planes into photo to fill the frame…but decided to leave it as I photographed it.
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Winged Warrior Memoirs
This photo speaks of a bygone era of air combat. The blue jet in the center of this image is a Grumman Tiger F11. This one sports the markings of the US Navy’s Blue Angels. It was flown by the Blue Angels in their 1968 season.
Alongside the Tiger, you’ll see a MiG-15 (black) and MiG-21 (silver) – all on display at the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas.
I won’t take a lot of space here to detail the distinguished history of these aircraft. Instead, let me direct you to the Combat Air Museum’s website where they have a great deal of information on these and other classic warbirds they proudly display…
http://www.combatairmuseum.org/index.html
(Select “Aircraft On Display” from the menu on the left.)
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