Just some cool photos...nothing more, nothing less...

[The Big Gimper]

Here, hold my beer. I want to take a selfie of me and the balloon.



Text: So rays from the sun are “collimated” (parallel) meaning the U2’s shadow should ~match its actual size. Taking the 65’ length of the U2 and seeing it is about half the diameter of the balloon, you get ~130’. This matches the “3 school buses”
number given by the DoD (40-45’ each).

Also: The balloon is roughly 2 U-2's (1 U-4) long, equivalent to 3 school buses, 265 Standard Bananas or 1.4 blue whales. Hope this helps

Finally: Our Best Look Yet At The Chinese Spy Balloon’s Massive Payload
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/our-best-look-yet-at-the-chinese-spy-balloons-massive-payload

From the above article: The bulbous shape of the front end of this shadow had raised a question about whether the aircraft from which the selfie was taken could actually have been a two-seat TU-2S trainer. DOD

Four eyes are better than two.

[Frank3k]

Also, those solar panels were putting out serious power. 16 panels - if each puts out 3kW, the array is putting out around 48kW. A typical house only uses 6-8kW a day.

[Old Wombat]

So, the payload is, basically, a sub-orbital satellite.


The bulge at the front of the shadow is the starboard wing tip. The U-2 is banking around the balloon, so the wings are flexed "up", which means you can't see the shadow of the port wing but there is obvious sunlight on the tip of the starboard wing which would cause the "bulge" in the shadow.

That doesn't mean it's not a TU-2S trainer but the bulge in the shadow is not a product of the second canopy.

[The Big Gimper]

Also, those solar panels were putting out serious power. 16 panels - if each puts out 3kW, the array is putting out around 48kW. A typical house only uses 6-8kW a day.

They may have given up battery weight for payload hence the large solar panel array.

I'm very surprised given the extreme right-wing behaviour of a certain individual that they were not using a Tesla Powerwall. <<s**t emoji>>

[GTX_Admin]

I'm very surprised given the extreme right-wing behaviour of a certain individual that they were not using a Tesla Powerwall. <<s**t emoji>>

 

[The Big Gimper]

[Ifor]

Must be one of the most, if not the most awesome aircraft of all time. When I was in the mob, it was said they ha to disable the ALS as it caused the breaking up of the runway at Scampton. Was that right?

[The Big Gimper]

I wonder if these were the pilots?

[The Big Gimper]

[GTX_Admin]

[GTX_Admin]

Image of the concorde taken during a total eclipse on June 30, 1973 flight AF001 immat F-WTSS. Flight carried out by scientists and led by pilot André Turcat.

[perttime]

VL D.27 Haukka II, late 20s.

[GTX_Admin]

CFBV

[M.A.D]

A nice pic of PLAAF J-10C

MAD

[GTX_Admin]

CFBV

[GTX_Admin]

[M.A.D]

There is irrufutably a popular trend of performing flare launching for wow factors in photos in Western air forces.
A question if I may, what's the effect of ingesting a flare through the air intake?

MAD

[Old Wombat]

Instant grounding & demotion of the pilot stupid enough to fly outside the planned routine, & possible dismissal.

[Kerick]

A magnesium flare into the engine I suspect would be very bad.

[GTX_Admin]

Instant grounding & demotion of the pilot stupid enough to fly outside the planned routine, & possible dismissal.

 

[GTX_Admin]

[davecov]

I so love this thread. I spend hours looking at the wonderful images and it really feels like I go down a rabbit-hole not knowing when I will appear again!

Keep up the great work - even if it does lessen the amount of time I have for actual modelling!

Dave

[GTX_Admin]

 

[GTX_Admin]

[GTX_Admin]

A time sequence of a total solar eclipse.