The musings of a madman...

Maiden Voyage - 1940 Introduction - 1942 The "P" stands for "pursuit," and we all know that Mustangs are supposedly pretty fleet-footed horses. Hell, Ford would even name their flagship car after this plane 20 years later. The P-51D was outfitted with a supercharged V-1650 engine and 3 pair of Browning .50 in machine guns. Yes, by the time one of these guys was on you, you were pretty much FUCKED! Top speed of 437MPH, cruising speed of 362 and stall speed (meaning when the wings are ineffective at keeping it in the air) of 100, they went into service, as named above in 1942, gained stronghold and dominance on the competition in 1944, and remained in SERVICE (as in people USED them!) until 1984. For a 1930s-designed plane to still be used THAT long says big things for it's utility and effectiveness. Sometimes nowadays you can catch them on The Speed Channel -- or on ESPN at 3am -- dolled up in Red Bull logos weaving in and out of 20-foot cones in the water in rac...

Uncle Sam sent down the requirements in 1996 and Lockheed was on the job... In 2001, they delivered the "Joint Strike Fighter," a multipurpose craft set to be able to provide air support, fighter roles, tactical bombing and air defense... What you might NOT know is that this sumbitch can take off and land from vertical. Youtube it, it is a sight to damned behold. The demonstrator arrived in 2000, and the maiden voyage was 2006. My understanding is that this is to be the premier craft for its role(s) until 2040, unless the Mayans were right after all. Again, I will not bore those who do not care with technical specifications that they can find through a simple Google search, but I WILL offer that Northrop Grumman, who was in on the design of the plane, offers that in the new tools of fighter jets, that "maneuvering is irrelevant," as the plane uses radio frequency awareness to remain locked on ALL craft in the vicinity, has a display in the pilot's helmet, and we...