planesplanesplanes

[planesplanesplanes]

b o n k

[planesplanesplanes]

I have graduated! Technically I graduated in February, but I did it! Got my A&P cert in April!

[planesplanesplanes]

Best solder job, 10/10 no notes

[planesplanesplanes]

Update: I learned that this is a Cessna Citation 552, the last of the 15 made. Other all died in a hanger fire

They, supposedly, were used as trainer aircraft down in Florida for some navy base. They had some special radar system installed that pilots had to be trained on.

The navy stole the gauges from this plane.

They donated it to our program, but yoinked out all the internal before they did.

[planesplanesplanes]

I think she might be leakin.

[planesplanesplanes]

Just learned the reason this wrap is ripping on our lovely, crusty 727 is because there is a ✨Skydrol Leak✨

[planesplanesplanes]

One of my teachers thinks solution to every problem is a ball peen hammer. I have interacted with this man on three occasions and every time he managed to work a hammer into the solution. I think I should be threatened but it is fucking hilarious.

[planesplanesplanes]

The navy stole the gauges from this plane.

They donated it to our program, but yoinked out all the internal before they did.

[planesplanesplanes]

Painted those airfoils and we got to pick our own N-#s. I thought it was very funny.

[planesplanesplanes]

Today I got to see my favorite plane: the SR-71, otherwise known as the Blackbird.

She is lovely and so cool and leaks fuel like a fucking sieve.

The SR-71 has what is called ‘wet wings.’ This is a spy plane, it sits in the upper atmosphere (83,000 ft, commercial aircraft go up to 37,000 at the most) and it needs a lot of fuel to 1) stay up for long times and 2) fuel the really cool jet engines so they can go to super-sonic speeds. (She’s designed for Air-to-Air refueling, where you refuel the plane while still in the air. It’s metal as hell.)

So, the wings are completely full of fuel, there are no tanks, the outer skin of the wings is the tanks!

The reason she leaks is the panels of the plane itself. They are fitted a couple centimeters smaller than tight, since she flys at super-sonic speed the panels get hot and the metal panels expands while you are flying at those speeds, so they make them smaller to give them room to expand. As a result, she fucking leaks while on the ground.

When she first comes out of production she doesn’t leak, mind you. She is sealed properly in-between panels with a sealant, but as she flys the sealant breaks down. She needs resealed every how many hours and there is an actual chart put out about the Acceptable Fuel Leakage Amount per Hour. It is fucking hilarious to me. You’ve got this high tec super cool plane that’s badass as hell and its designed to leak like a fucking sieve. Like the cones in the engines? They move in and out depending on the speed of the aircraft to maximize engine output and it’s super cool, but this plane is a hot mess and it’s one of the best spy planes. Like these things are still used.

I love my Blackbirds I love them so much. My heart goes to fucked up planes. I love planes. Planes are super fucked up and I love them.

This is at the National Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. If you ever drive through Ohio, for whatever reason, I’d recommend setting aside a couple hours to go visit.

Edit: couple things.

1) these are not still used, they cost too much to fly, which means they cost a lot cause it’s the US military and if they think it’s too much, then it’s a whole fuckin lot.

2) these things use a special fuel that has a higher flash point as to not combust in the wings while in flight due to the extreme heat. As a result, it’s real difficult to get it to catch fire by itself. So they got shots of a fuel with a lower flash point on board that they use to get the special fuel combusting.

That special fuel is why it cost so much to fly these things and what increases the price so drastically. That, on top of the whole ‘other countries can detect these planes and really don’t appreciate the US spying on them so overtly’ thing is why we don’t use em anymore.

[planesplanesplanes]

Applying poly-fiber to an airfoil today, shit is pungent. Half my class fled the hanger, they didn’t bring respirators. 

[planesplanesplanes]

I’m an AMT.

By ‘AMT’ I mean Aviation Maintenance and by ‘I’m’ I mean I’m currently going to trade school to get my A&P certification.

I’m thinking about getting my NCATT too, really like avionics.