Kind of a grab bag Thursday Thunder this week, because that’s what caught my interest.
I wonder where Swedish aircraft fit into the triangle of “If it’s weird, it’s French, if it’s ugly, it’s British, if it’s weird and ugly, it’s Russian.” On the one hand, the Draken, Viggen, and Gripen are all undeniably good looking aircraft. On the other hand, there’s the Saab 105 and the Tunnan. I don’t know. Regardless, watching a big single-engine interceptor make a short field landing and turn around like it’s a STOL Super Cub is pretty darn cool.
Okay, Mosquito engine test. There’s nothing like the sound of a Merlin engine, and the few restored Mosquitos make some beautiful music with a two Merlin duet. This is especially cool to watch since it’s rare to see the engine cowlings off like this.
On the other side of the Warbird coin, how about some vintage radial harmonies? Among other things? Should I ever find myself visiting Southern Michigan (hey, it could happen!), a trip to the Yankee Air Museum is definitely going to be on the agenda.
Oh, and that Viggen commercial reminded me of Saab’s old “Born from jets” ads. The cars never came close to that kind of performance, but those commercials sure made me want one.
Imagine if Boeing or Lockheed Martin made cars… I think there might be a weekend humor column there!