Tuesday, July 30, 2013

If I Was An Aircraft...


Yes, I think that if I was an aircraft, I would be the FJ-1 Fury. Now according to Wikipedia:
The North American FJ-1 Fury was the first operational jet aircraft in United States Navy service, and was developed by North American Aviation as the NA-135. The FJ-1 was an early transitional jet of limited success which carried over similar tail surfaces, wing and canopy derived from the piston-engined P-51D Mustang. The evolution of the design to incorporate swept wings would become the basis for the land-based XP-86 prototype - itself originally designed with a very similar straight-wing planform to the FJ-1 airframe - of the United States Air Force's enormously influential F-86 Sabre, which itself formed the basis for the Navy's carrier-based North American FJ-2/-3 Fury.
The point is, like the Fury, I am kind of short and squat looking. Rather workmanlike, I get the job done. But I ain't much to look at.

And like the Fury, my descendants are much more successful. They are also sleeker and much more pleasing to the eye.

Oh well. We can't all be Mustangs and Spitfires. Or F-16s or F/A-18s. Nope. Somebody has to be the FJ-1.

That's me.

14 comments:

  1. Heh me, I'm probably more like a Spad, leaking stuff, old grouchy and hauling the load the young pups can't... :-)

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    1. Don't forget: reliable as Hell and a long loiter time!

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  2. Since Old NFO took the A-1, I'll be the A-26 Invader. Not terribly fast and kinda long in the tooth these days, but always dependable and able to bring a smacking to them that need one day or night.

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    1. The A-26 is nice. Hhhmm, I'm thinking you've given me a future Friday Flyby. Twin-engine bombers! Thanks Murph!

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  3. I don't know, Sarge, I kind of think the Fury is cute. And it has an awesome name. ;-)

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    1. Okay, it's official. Michelle is now my favorite. Head of the class and all that...

      ;-)

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  4. Well, at least you have "similar tail surfaces, wing and canopy derived from the piston-engined P-51D Mustang."

    I think I'm kinda like an ol' Texan, which is (a) obsolete and (b) as close to New Mexican as I can get.

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    1. There is that.

      FWIW, I love the T-6. I've flown in the Navy version (SNJ-6).

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  5. I think that I'd be a U-2 ... slow, stealthy, far from home, watching, hearing everything, dancing 'round the edge of enemy territory, teasing them, dodging bullets and running for home.

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  6. ... no matter that I'd wish to be an F-4 ... strong, bold and bullish.

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    Replies
    1. Well, I've got an FJ-1 body and a Phantom attitude, so I hear ya.

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  7. I'm like an Intruder. Big, a bit chubby, slow and not in service anymore. :(

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    Replies
    1. And there's a book about you. So you've got that going for you XBradTC. (FWIW Stephen Coonts is one of my absolute favorite authors!)

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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