Rabe explained how the "Upside Down Air Force" operated at the Newport test site. Three stations were constructed as points on a triangle thousands of yards away from each other. Warplanes that were no longer airworthy were given to RADC and bolted upside down atop 30-to-50-foot pedestals in the middle of the triangle. Radios were placed at the triangle's corners. The idea was to see how effective the plane's antennae were at various angles and with different equipment bolted [under] the wings.
"The idea for the pedestals is you rotate, tip and spin the aircraft any way you want it," Rabe said. But sometimes, if the plane wes upright, the pedestal itself would get in the way and ruin the test.
"The way to solve that problem was totally placing the aircraft upside down," he said. "With antennae on the belly of the plane and the belly facing the sky, we could rotate, tip and spin the plane any way we wanted and the pedestal would be safely below the aircraft and out of the way."
Newport was an active testing site throughout the 1980s. The "upside down" technique that Rabe and the other researchers employed was an effective way of testing that saved the government millions of dollars.
"There I was at 20,000 feet, flat on my back, a Zero above me and two Mitsubishis below me." (Actually, that's from Kiss Them for Me — and yes, it doesn't make complete sense since the "Zero" is a Mitsubishi. It was just a throw-away line to get the reporters to leave the pilots alone.)
Bombs away suits me just fine
That is awesome. Any info on what and where?
Is that Radar cross section testing?
Cant tell those things
A-10
Is that contraption for testing wing strut strength?
Or is it modern art?
I usually see them displayed right side up. This is the first one I've seen upside down. Where is this at?
It's some kind of testing rig.
It's weird seeing a plane like the A-10 loaded with external stores being inverted at the same time.
An A-10 turned anti aircraft gun. BBRRRRRRRRRTT!!!!
+John Rambo +1000 Comment of the century.
Interesting!
Rabe explained how the "Upside Down Air Force" operated at the Newport test site. Three stations were constructed as points on a triangle thousands of yards away from each other. Warplanes that were no longer airworthy were given to RADC and bolted upside down atop 30-to-50-foot pedestals in the middle of the triangle. Radios were placed at the triangle's corners. The idea was to see how effective the plane's antennae were at various angles and with different equipment bolted [under] the wings.
"The idea for the pedestals is you rotate, tip and spin the aircraft any way you want it," Rabe said. But sometimes, if the plane wes upright, the pedestal itself would get in the way and ruin the test.
"The way to solve that problem was totally placing the aircraft upside down," he said. "With antennae on the belly of the plane and the belly facing the sky, we could rotate, tip and spin the plane any way we wanted and the pedestal would be safely below the aircraft and out of the way."
Newport was an active testing site throughout the 1980s. The "upside down" technique that Rabe and the other researchers employed was an effective way of testing that saved the government millions of dollars.
http://www.oneidadispatch.com/article/OD/20110124/NEWS/301249971
👍
+Paul McWilliams Thanks
Go home A-10, you drunk.
+giantnardman Yes!!! It's both!
Anybody help this poor guy its falllinng
That is an un-manned computer controlled destroyer.
"There I was at 20,000 feet, flat on my back, a Zero above me and two Mitsubishis below me." (Actually, that's from Kiss Them for Me — and yes, it doesn't make complete sense since the "Zero" is a Mitsubishi. It was just a throw-away line to get the reporters to leave the pilots alone.)
Pull up!
is that a YA-10 in trail phase?
That is awsome
🙌🙋👍👍👍
Houston, we have a problem.
Obama's took and stole so much money from the military -that these surplus A10s are now used as SAMs A10
Great Pictures