Pictures from Oshkosh 2006

[Roughrider]

Here are some pictures from Oshkosh last year. I was going through my picture folder, and thought you guys might enjoy a few. this one is geared toward our British friend.






I was amazed how big the Lancaster was, that was the first time I had seen one.

[beaky]

Airventure...
I'm going this year, if I have to quit my job to do so.

More pics, pleeeeez...

[ozzy72]

Nice! Any more of the Merlin engined Spit?

[C]

I was amazed how big the Lancaster was, that was the first time I had seen one.

About the same size as a B-17, but with a sizably bigger bomb bay, the only downside of the B-17's design...

[Brett_Henderson]

Airventure...  
I'm going this year, if I have to quit my job to do so.  

Me too..  This year the Cardinal will get a gear service the night before I leave  ::)

[CSM]

that looks so cool, i wish we had something like that over here that wasnt 4000kms away from me

[Omag 2.0]

Nice collection... I'm probably gonna step on some toes here, but I think a spitfire with a 5-bladed prop, bulky nose and bubble canopy still looks weird...  ;D

[Keep It Simple]

I was amazed how big the was, that was the first time I had seen one.

About the same size as a B-17, but with a sizably bigger bomb bay, the only downside of the B-17's design...

True.

In addition....
The official specs of the B-17

[C]

True.

In addition....
The official specs of the B-17  said it could carry a 16,000 lb bomb load.
However, this was just an enginering fantasy.

When you factored in a 10 man crew, a full load of fuel, the masive amounts of defensive ammo needed, the B-17 could/would only carry about a 5,000 lb bomb load.

The  Lancaster's bomb load was also restricted by the same weight trade offs and the result was that fully loaded, they both carried simular bomb loads under the same conditions.

The Lanc did have the advantage of no having the physical limitations of the B-17s bomb bay - consequently was about to carry things such as the 4000lb "Cookie", and the enormous "Tallboy" (12,000lb) and "Grandslam" - all 22,000lbs of it!

[Keep It Simple]

True, the  Lancaster' could carry bombs with bigger physical dementions.

Having actually toured the inside of a B-17 I was struck about just how small the actual bomb bay is.

[C]

Having actually toured the inside of a B-17 I was struck about just how small the actual bomb bay is.

Just a quirke of the design - I suppose when the B-17 came to the drawing board in the mid 30s the idea was to have a high tonnage of bombs made up of several smaller units - the larger munitions not coming til several years later. To be fair it was a bit of luck for the British that we'd tended towards long, shallow bomb bays in our heavy fleet rather than short and tall ones, as were more common with most other nations.

[Roughrider]

Nice! Any more of the Merlin engined Spit?

They only had the 2 spitfires there, and I posted the better shots of them. It was hard to get a good picture, people were all around them, and you couldn't get a shot with out someone in it. What was amazing to me is that we counted 21 Mustangs. It was Mustang fans heaven.

[Roughrider]

that looks so cool, i wish we had something like that over here that wasnt 4000kms away from me

That was my 1st time there, I was there for 4 days and I think I only saw about 25% of the aircraft. I heard someone say that there was more that 12,000 aircraft on the ground. So the way I figure it I have to go back for the next 3 years, and then it will be time to start over.

[BFMF]

A bit late, but you redeemed yourself with the Spitfire photos...

I really need to visit Oshkosh sometime. What time of the year is it held?

[Roughrider]

Its always the last week of July.