I knew modern jets are huge, but I would’ve never thought it was this huge compared to a P-51
Most WWII fighters were basically large engines with the smallest possible airframe fit around them. The only armaments typically carried were guns, so they were light, fast and nimble.
Human for scale.
I prefer this one with the two Lightnings together.
Two excellent airframes of their respective eras!
Crazy to think that there’s less than a century between them. Imagine where we’ll be another 80 years from now.
Crazy to also think about the cost difference between them. Adjusted for inflation the mustang was about $1 million ($50,000). About $80 million for the F-35.
Also crazy to think an F35 could wipe out a squadron of Mustangs and they’d never even gave a clue what hit them.
Im surprised that the F-35 is able to maintain lift at that airspeed. I’d imagine that they’re not very stable at low speed to increase maneuverability.
I’d imagine the cockpit is lit up like a Christmas tree with speed, AoA and stall warnings.
Hey @ken27238@lemmy.ml, would you please consider cross-posting some of your military aircraft photos to !warplaneporn@lemmy.world? Would love to have more people participating in the community.
Is this the new version of the “how it started - how it’s going” meme?
How it started would be a WWI biplane like the Nieuport 28 or Sopwith Camel, but I don’t think the F-35 can fly slow enough to fly with one of those, unless it’s the Marines’ VTOL variant.
![[OC] F-35 Lightning II and P-51 Mustang flying in formation together](https://i.imgur.com/FmAEHnc.jpg){kind=link}
