I got buzzed!!!

[Skywise]

I live near Los Alamitos Army Airfield (KSLI) and it turned
out they were having a small show today. DRAT!!! Had I known...

Anyway, being so close I got to hear and see an F/A-18 do
some very low and fast passes. I'm about where normal traffic
turns onto final, so this guy was banked over on it's wingtips
and lighting up the pipes. But I digress...

Anyway, I decided to take a little jaunt on the Harley and I
found myself much closer to the field, in fact, about a 1/4
mile from the end of the runway. I was sitting in a right turn
lane when I hear the most spine tingling howl coming up behind
me. The hairs on the back of my neck literally stood up!! A
second later it turned into a growling roar passing overhead.
I looked up just in time to see a beautiful P-51 setting up
for a high speed low pass down the flightline. Oh, what a site!!

Now, I'm on a Harley with helmet and earplugs and I still
heard this thing coming up behind me.

I can only image what those on the receiving end of a strafing
run must have felt when they heard the howl of that plane
bearing down upon them.

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?

[gpsman]

Skywise wrote: <brevity snip>

> I can only image what those on the receiving end of a strafing
> run must have felt when they heard the howl of that plane
> bearing down upon them.

I've never been fired upon by aircraft but I can offer a brief
description of what it's like to have a flight of 3 F-4's come over
from behind at about 300AGL and maybe 400kts...

Very, very frightening.
-----

- gpsman

[Dudley Henriques]

"Skywise" > wrote in message
...
>I live near Los Alamitos Army Airfield (KSLI) and it turned
> out they were having a small show today. DRAT!!! Had I known...
>
> Anyway, being so close I got to hear and see an F/A-18 do
> some very low and fast passes. I'm about where normal traffic
> turns onto final, so this guy was banked over on it's wingtips
> and lighting up the pipes. But I digress...
>
> Anyway, I decided to take a little jaunt on the Harley and I
> found myself much closer to the field, in fact, about a 1/4
> mile from the end of the runway. I was sitting in a right turn
> lane when I hear the most spine tingling howl coming up behind
> me. The hairs on the back of my neck literally stood up!! A
> second later it turned into a growling roar passing overhead.
> I looked up just in time to see a beautiful P-51 setting up
> for a high speed low pass down the flightline. Oh, what a site!!
>
> Now, I'm on a Harley with helmet and earplugs and I still
> heard this thing coming up behind me.
>
> I can only image what those on the receiving end of a strafing
> run must have felt when they heard the howl of that plane
> bearing down upon them.

The combination of a Merlin V1650-7 and a Hamilton or Aero Products
propeller at between 35 and 45 inches and between 2700 and 3000 RPM have a
sound so distinctive that many who have heard it never forget it.
You could fly 1000 airplanes with 1 P51 included in the mix somewhere
directly over my head with me blind folded and I'd pick out the 51 in a
nano-second :-)
Dudley Henriques

[Jay Beckman]

"gpsman" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Skywise wrote: <brevity snip>
>
>> I can only image what those on the receiving end of a strafing
>> run must have felt when they heard the howl of that plane
>> bearing down upon them.
>
> I've never been fired upon by aircraft but I can offer a brief
> description of what it's like to have a flight of 3 F-4's come over
> from behind at about 300AGL and maybe 400kts...
>
> Very, very frightening.
> -----
>
> - gpsman

This from someone behind me at an airshow one time after the Blue Angels
"Sneak Pass" and the narrator's accompanying description of low-level,
high-speed tactical attack methods:

"Well, we can't be dead...we heard him."

In the 1940s, you could probably count on hearing the attacking aircraft on
a strafing run before he fired...but today, you're dead long before you'd
ever hear the jet (provided of course, the ordinance in question even
required flight anywhere near the target...)

Duck early, duck often.

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ

[Dudley Henriques]

Reminds me of the last real "stunt" pulled by the Thunderbirds. Not allowed
any more of course :-)
On Okinawa during the old F100 team days, Fish Salmon was flying the solo
slot. Fish was a real hot rock! The team wasn't constrained by FAA rules on
Oki as it was back in the states.
It was at the Kadena airshow with the team on tour. Fish took off behind the
diamond and disappeared out over the ocean. The diamond came back in and
executed the first formation maneuver. All the attention was on the
formation and practically everybody on the base including the base
commander's pet dog had completely forgotten about Fish.
Fish had sneaked out and positioned the F100 to hack 180 behind the crowd
inbound over the mile marker passing through mach 1 just as the aircraft
overflew the crowd. He completely blind sided them all. I mean no one knew
he was there until the shock wave hit them.
The diamond cleared and in came Fish balls to the walls. It was TERRIFIC!!!!
He hit the crowd supersonic just above their heads. The boom shook the beer
cans right out of their hands.
About 10,000 people hit the deck at once! It was marvelous!!!
This Thunderbird "moment" is brought up from time to time by the old guys
after a drink or two, and I can tell you it will never happen again. But
what a moment that was!!
Ah yes....the "good ole days".
:-)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Dudley Henriques


"Jay Beckman" > wrote in message
...
>
> "gpsman" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Skywise wrote: <brevity snip>
>>
>>> I can only image what those on the receiving end of a strafing
>>> run must have felt when they heard the howl of that plane
>>> bearing down upon them.
>>
>> I've never been fired upon by aircraft but I can offer a brief
>> description of what it's like to have a flight of 3 F-4's come over
>> from behind at about 300AGL and maybe 400kts...
>>
>> Very, very frightening.
>> -----
>>
>> - gpsman
>
> This from someone behind me at an airshow one time after the Blue Angels
> "Sneak Pass" and the narrator's accompanying description of low-level,
> high-speed tactical attack methods:
>
> "Well, we can't be dead...we heard him."
>
> In the 1940s, you could probably count on hearing the attacking aircraft
> on a strafing run before he fired...but today, you're dead long before
> you'd ever hear the jet (provided of course, the ordinance in question
> even required flight anywhere near the target...)
>
> Duck early, duck often.
>
> Jay Beckman
> PP-ASEL
> Chandler, AZ
>

[Jay Beckman]

"Dudley Henriques" > wrote in message
...
> Reminds me of the last real "stunt" pulled by the Thunderbirds. Not
> allowed any more of course :-)

<Snip Fabulous Story>

Super Sabre - $10 million dollars

Pilot Traning - $1 million dollars

Flat Hatting The Crowd - Priceless!

Jay B

[Skywise]

"Dudley Henriques" > wrote in
:

<Snipola>
> The combination of a Merlin V1650-7 and a Hamilton or Aero Products
> propeller at between 35 and 45 inches and between 2700 and 3000 RPM have a
> sound so distinctive that many who have heard it never forget it.
> You could fly 1000 airplanes with 1 P51 included in the mix somewhere
> directly over my head with me blind folded and I'd pick out the 51 in a
> nano-second :-)
> Dudley Henriques

I've seen 51's at air shows, but they were always passing across
my field of view some distance away. I've got one of those high
quality sound effects CD's that has some warbird passes. But in
none of these have I heard this howl. I don't know how to describe
it. It was surreal and unreal. I'm not kidding when I said the
hair on the back of my neck stood up. My very first thought was,
"that's not what screeching tires sounds like!" Being on a motorcycle,
strange sounds get my attention really fast. It scared the willies
out of me for that split second before I realized what it was, but
I drove away with a big grin on my face.

I'd love to experience that again! :)

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?

[Matt Barrow]

"Dudley Henriques" > wrote in message
...
>
> The combination of a Merlin V1650-7 and a Hamilton or Aero Products
> propeller at between 35 and 45 inches and between 2700 and 3000 RPM have a
> sound so distinctive that many who have heard it never forget it.

Dudley, you just answered a question I've been wondering about for nearly 40
years.

I've always knew about that distinctive Merlin sounds, but there's a
secondary sound (that prop) that together makes the "Mustang Sound" like
nothing else on earth.

> You could fly 1000 airplanes with 1 P51 included in the mix somewhere
> directly over my head with me blind folded and I'd pick out the 51 in a
> nano-second :-)

[Dudley Henriques]

"Matt Barrow" > wrote in message
...
> "Dudley Henriques" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> The combination of a Merlin V1650-7 and a Hamilton or Aero Products
>> propeller at between 35 and 45 inches and between 2700 and 3000 RPM have
>> a sound so distinctive that many who have heard it never forget it.
>
> Dudley, you just answered a question I've been wondering about for nearly
> 40 years.
>
> I've always knew about that distinctive Merlin sounds, but there's a
> secondary sound (that prop) that together makes the "Mustang Sound" like
> nothing else on earth.
>
>> You could fly 1000 airplanes with 1 P51 included in the mix somewhere
>> directly over my head with me blind folded and I'd pick out the 51 in a
>> nano-second :-)

Most of the actual sound the ear picks up from an airplane is caused by the
prop. In the case of the Mustang, with a Hamilton Standard propeller, you
have a prop with an 11 foot 2 inch diameter. Naturally a prop this size has
a tip speed problem so in a stock Merlin its geared down to a .491:1 through
a reduction gear to the engine RPM. At 3000 RPM , the prop is actually
rotating at 1473RPM. Its mostly the sound the prop makes as it works the air
coupled with the exhaust tuning through the tubes that gives the 51 its
distinctive sound. There's also a contribution through the radiator that
adds just a "touch" to the mix.
My conception has always been that its a moaning sound; sort of like a low
pitched moaning wail.
Dudley

[Kingfish]

Dudley Henriques wrote:
> Most of the actual sound the ear picks up from an airplane is caused by the
> prop. In the case of the Mustang, with a Hamilton Standard propeller, you
> have a prop with an 11 foot 2 inch diameter. Naturally a prop this size has
> a tip speed problem so in a stock Merlin its geared down to a .491:1 through
> a reduction gear to the engine RPM. At 3000 RPM , the prop is actually
> rotating at 1473RPM. Its mostly the sound the prop makes as it works the air
> coupled with the exhaust tuning through the tubes that gives the 51 its
> distinctive sound. There's also a contribution through the radiator that
> adds just a "touch" to the mix.
> My conception has always been that its a moaning sound; sort of like a low
> pitched moaning wail.
> Dudley

I've only heard a Mustang flyby once and it was memorable. I went to
the Corsairs over Connecticut roundup last year and heard a few low
passes by a 4-ship that gave me goosebumps. Gotta love round engines.
The owner of my company flew P-51s in WW2 based at Martlesham Heath.
They'd transitioned from the P-47s (early D models with the razorback
canopy) to the -51 and their type training consisted of a copy of the
AFM and a few spins around the patch and they were mission qual'd.
Yikes.

[Dudley Henriques]

"Kingfish" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Dudley Henriques wrote:
>> Most of the actual sound the ear picks up from an airplane is caused by
>> the
>> prop. In the case of the Mustang, with a Hamilton Standard propeller, you
>> have a prop with an 11 foot 2 inch diameter. Naturally a prop this size
>> has
>> a tip speed problem so in a stock Merlin its geared down to a .491:1
>> through
>> a reduction gear to the engine RPM. At 3000 RPM , the prop is actually
>> rotating at 1473RPM. Its mostly the sound the prop makes as it works the
>> air
>> coupled with the exhaust tuning through the tubes that gives the 51 its
>> distinctive sound. There's also a contribution through the radiator that
>> adds just a "touch" to the mix.
>> My conception has always been that its a moaning sound; sort of like a
>> low
>> pitched moaning wail.
>> Dudley
>
> I've only heard a Mustang flyby once and it was memorable. I went to
> the Corsairs over Connecticut roundup last year and heard a few low
> passes by a 4-ship that gave me goosebumps. Gotta love round engines.
> The owner of my company flew P-51s in WW2 based at Martlesham Heath.
> They'd transitioned from the P-47s (early D models with the razorback
> canopy) to the -51 and their type training consisted of a copy of the
> AFM and a few spins around the patch and they were mission qual'd.
> Yikes.

There's always room at the table for the round engines :-) I have to say
that flying the F8F had its moments for me as well.
As to checkouts in single engine fighters; you're right; if you're lucky, as
I was, you get some time in a T6 flying it from both the front and the back
seats to get used to the visual cues around the nose during taxiing,
takeoff, and landings. Then you take the Dash-1 home and read it from cover
to cover, then you climb in and go for it! :-)
Dudley Henriques

[Vic7]

I was taxiing to depart from John Tune (Nashville, TN) last year when a beautiful P51 landed and turned onto the taxiway directly in front of me. I have never before or since been so aware of the paltry limits of my insurance coverage.

A few months ago I was with a group flying gliders for a week at Uvalde. A fellow who runs a Citation mod business on the airport has another beautifully restored P51. One morning they were repositioning the plane. The fellow driving the tug stopped her along side us and let us walk around up close and drool. I noticed that painted on the nose was "Glamorous Glen". I asked the tug driver if this had been Yeager's plane or was just painted that way. He replied, "Mark and the General were hunting down around Encinal last year. When he heard that Mark had bought a Mustang he told him he should paint it up this way."

How cool would that be?

V7

[nrp]

Max goosebumps for me was listening to quiet rumble of an idling B-24
next to me at Oshkosh - but it was all spoiled when some damn F-??
started a takeoff roll. Sacreligious!.

[John Baker]

Yeager's X-1 was called " Glamourous Glennis" after his wife. Not
"Glen", as mentioned below.

John Baker


Vic7 wrote:
> I was taxiing to depart from John Tune (Nashville, TN) last year when a
> beautiful P51 landed and turned onto the taxiway directly in front of
> me. I have never before or since been so aware of the paltry limits of
> my insurance coverage.
>
> A few months ago I was with a group flying gliders for a week at
> Uvalde. A fellow who runs a Citation mod business on the airport has
> another beautifully restored P51. One morning they were repositioning
> the plane. The fellow driving the tug stopped her along side us and
> let us walk around up close and drool. I noticed that painted on the
> nose was "Glamorous Glen". I asked the tug driver if this had been
> Yeager's plane or was just painted that way. He replied, "Mark and the
> General were hunting down around Encinal last year. When he heard that
> Mark had bought a Mustang he told him he should paint it up this way."
>
> How cool would that be?
>
> V7
>
>
>
>

[Tater]

Skywise wrote:
>
> I can only image what those on the receiving end of a strafing
> run must have felt when they heard the howl of that plane
> bearing down upon them.
>
I dont need to imagine :)

was with my uncle and dad in the pickup exploring logging roads in the
wisconsin Falls MOA arispace when some SOB decided it would be fun to
practice a straffing run at a ground vehicle.

ok, If it was me, i would have done the same thing, so I guess he wasnt
a SOB :)

Parents live in the Falls MOA and have seen lots of stuff fly overhead.
c130s refueling overhead. F14 and A10s in dogfights. seeing the tops of
fighter jets while they were airborne (fairly hilly area, with jets
doing NOE flight)

[Viperdoc[_1_]]

I've had the opportunity to do low level flight as well as air to air and
air to ground training in the Falls MOA in F-16's.

There's nothing like hearing that 20mm Vulcan cannon going off a few feet
from your head! Of course, most of the air to air training consists of
missile launches beyond visual range, but there's also nothing like air to
air combat on the merge. Pulling sustained 8-9g turns while trying to
maintain visual contact with closure rates of over 1,000 knots- talk about
getting a sore neck!

[Dana M. Hague]

On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 17:48:55 -0500, John Baker
> wrote:

>Yeager's X-1 was called " Glamourous Glennis" after his wife. Not
>"Glen", as mentioned below.

You are correct, but nobody said anything about the X-1. The P-51
Yeager flew in the war WAS marked "Glamourous Glen", not "Glennis".

-Dana
--
--
If replying by email, please make the obvious changes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Morgans[_2_]]

"Skywise" > wrote

> Now, I'm on a Harley with helmet and earplugs and I still
> heard this thing coming up behind me.
>
> I can only image what those on the receiving end of a strafing
> run must have felt when they heard the howl of that plane
> bearing down upon them.

Don't forget that what you heard was a good bit more mild, than when they were
doing that in "the big war."

Then, they had real 140 octane gas, ran the supercharger at a lot higher
settings, and didn't care if they burned out the engine frequently. Another was
waiting to be put in, any time it was needed.

I would really love to hear a maximum boost and high RPM takeoff, and "really"
wide open low pass. That must really be something!
--
Jim in NC

[Bela P. Havasreti]

On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:53:40 -0500, "Morgans"
> wrote:

>
>"Skywise" > wrote
>
>> Now, I'm on a Harley with helmet and earplugs and I still
>> heard this thing coming up behind me.
>>
>> I can only image what those on the receiving end of a strafing
>> run must have felt when they heard the howl of that plane
>> bearing down upon them.
>
>Don't forget that what you heard was a good bit more mild, than when they were
>doing that in "the big war."
>
>Then, they had real 140 octane gas, ran the supercharger at a lot higher
>settings, and didn't care if they burned out the engine frequently. Another was
>waiting to be put in, any time it was needed.
>
>I would really love to hear a maximum boost and high RPM takeoff, and "really"
>wide open low pass. That must really be something!

Go to the Reno Air Races, and at least in the Gold heats, you'll hear
Mustangs/Merlins pulling up to 140+ inches of manifold pressure (more
than double the original war emergency maximum power rating and
approaching triple the maximum manifold pressure allowable with 100LL
fuel).

Bela P. Havasreti

[Kingfish]

Bela P. Havasreti wrote:
> Go to the Reno Air Races, and at least in the Gold heats, you'll hear
> Mustangs/Merlins pulling up to 140+ inches of manifold pressure (more
> than double the original war emergency maximum power rating and
> approaching triple the maximum manifold pressure allowable with 100LL
> fuel).
>

I'm guessing with that kind of boost, they're running something a
little hotter than avgas : ) Otherwise, the CC would be picking up
pieces of Merlin after each run? I read Rare Bear uses specially mixed
160 octane fuel.

[Orval Fairbairn]

In article om>,
"Kingfish" > wrote:

> Bela P. Havasreti wrote:
> > Go to the Reno Air Races, and at least in the Gold heats, you'll hear
> > Mustangs/Merlins pulling up to 140+ inches of manifold pressure (more
> > than double the original war emergency maximum power rating and
> > approaching triple the maximum manifold pressure allowable with 100LL
> > fuel).
> >
>
> I'm guessing with that kind of boost, they're running something a
> little hotter than avgas : ) Otherwise, the CC would be picking up
> pieces of Merlin after each run? I read Rare Bear uses specially mixed
> 160 octane fuel.

Most likely, as pure naptha has an octane equivalence of about 160.

[Morgans[_2_]]

"Tater" > wrote

> Parents live in the Falls MOA and have seen lots of stuff fly overhead.
> c130s refueling overhead. F14 and A10s in dogfights. seeing the tops of
> fighter jets while they were airborne (fairly hilly area, with jets
> doing NOE flight)

Here, in the quiet foothills of NC, a couple years back, there was heard (by
thousands in and around town) a low, low rumble, then combined with a roar,
merging into the unmistakable roar of powerful jet engines.

Nobody knew what it was, but I, and many others went outside to look into the
night sky, and see if we could figure out what was making the noise. It went
on, and grew, to its unmistakable crescendo, for at least 3 or 4 minutes.

The event was the talk of the town. It seems everyone heard it, and wondered
what it was. It was not until a few days later, I talked to someone who lived a
bit further out in the hills, and they actually saw what was the source of all
the noise. It was a B-1 making a NOE run up a nearby river valley, then
powering up into an afterburner climbout.

It shook a lot of people up.

It was....magnificent!
--
Jim in NC

[Morgans[_2_]]

"Bela P. Havasreti" > wrote

> Go to the Reno Air Races, and at least in the Gold heats, you'll hear
> Mustangs/Merlins pulling up to 140+ inches of manifold pressure (more
> than double the original war emergency maximum power rating and
> approaching triple the maximum manifold pressure allowable with 100LL
> fuel).

You're right. I'll have to do that, one of these days. Anyone want to pick me
up, on the way by, one year? <g>

I think that goes to common purpose, and OK with the FAA, right? (please keep
the reply to _that_ in the other thread! )

Until I get there, I can only imagine!
--
Jim in NC