See link showing that engines can be controlled to play music, in this case it's playing My Country Tis Of Thee. NOTE: This is the world's most horribly edited video, fast forward through the annoying 55 second of the car just randomly revving to see it play the song.
Computers control the beautiful sounding engines of the aircraft involved. 4 engine bombers would be able to play cords, the inline Merlins of the P-51s and Spitfires would play the melody.
There is no sound more beautiful than a massive rotary engine, except perhaps the majestic thrum of the mighty RR. The last time these beautiful masterpieces of human ingenuity worked in concert together it was to free the world from a horrible tyranny. Now they would sing together in a beautiful tribute to the brotherhood that created them.
They would play a blend of the two national anthems, fly in beautiful formation and be announced like this. "Now please stand in reverence for a time when America and the UK loved each other and put your hands over your hearts as the Air Power Ballet performs The Star Spangled Banner and God Save The Queen."
Inspired by 8's idea to have a concert with these aircraft. This is how to make them play actual music.-- doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019 Computer controlled engines. https://www.youtube...watch?v=1JPBdBIFGNQPlease fast forward to :55, I have no idea why they didn't edit this video themselves. [doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019] A study in design aesthetics. https://i.stack.imgur.com/0FzKw.jpgThough it's not a coincidence that prettier planes usually outperform uglier ones. [doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019] I don't know, I think they're both beautiful. https://www.alamy.c...-west-74156712.html [doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019] By the way, I could create simulations of this in about an hour with programs currently on my computer.-- doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019 Cease all other activity. This must be implemented IMMEDIATELY.
[+]-- 8th of 7, Nov 05 2019 I think it's going to need some very special pilots to do this. From what I've seen, you need at least a little training* even to fly in formation, without having your engine speed dictated by a musical score. Plus, the conductor on the ground is going to need a really, really big baton.
You'll also have to worry about Doppler shifts, unless each aircraft is confined to a sort of hemispherical shell relative to the audience.
[*not that much, obviously, since even pilots sometimes manage it; but some].-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 05 2019 //Cease all other activity. This must be implemented IMMEDIATELY.//
Absolutely.
//I think it's going to need some very special pilots to do this.//
Absolutely.-- doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019 A combination of changing engine speed, varying propeller- blade pitch, and USING the Doppler shift would give great range and control of "note".-- neutrinos_shadow, Nov 05 2019 //inline Merlins of the P-51s // whoa - P-51s had Merlins?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 05 2019 Designed around an Allison originally but lacked high altitude performance. The inclusion of the mighty Marlin made it the best prop fighter plane of the war.
I've stood next to these as they start up. If the experience doesn't make your spine tingle you haven't got one.
Gotta be said, the cooperation of our cultures created the most beautiful thing to ever take to the skies.
Now in the discussion of which fighter played the most important roll in winning the war, there are arguments for the Hurricane, Spitfire and Mustang. (each had their roll) but they all shared one thing: the magnificent, mighty Merlin.-- doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019 <Coughing & spluttering, slosh of spilt pint of beer/>
Pardon us, but we are not aware that the U.S. had any significant rôle in the design of the Supermarine Spitfire.
The P-51 is indeed a superlative fighter, but beautiful it is not. It is a crop-winged battleaxe compared to the supremely elegant, rapier-like profile of R. V. Mitchell's astonishing elliptical wing.
You can't pull tbe wings off a Mustang in a dive. It has a wide undercarriage track, making it forgiving to land. It has slightly better forward visibility when taxiing. It's fast, rugged, agile, and has astonishing range.
But on purity of line and aesthetics, it's an Ugly Sister compared to the eye-watering beauty of the Spit ...-- 8th of 7, Nov 05 2019 Well, I would have to say that the Spitfire was the more beautiful plane. But then that's just me.
I'd best shut up now, because [8th] will be wanting to quote numbers built, total kills, kills per plane, range versus agility (backed up by numbers, obvs), operational ceilings and climb rates. No doubt he will also point out that the valve timing on the Merlin had its roots in the Gumbolten "Big Furze" reciprocating steam engine as modified by Sethwick & Sethwick for superior performance on the East Anglian mountain railways. (Personally I doubt that, but there are arguments on both sides.)
Also, what damned fool gave [8th] a full pint? You know what happens.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 05 2019 //supremely elegant, rapier-like profile of R. V. Mitchell's astonishing elliptical wing//
The Spitfire might do better on the fashion runways of Paris but it was the Mustang that owned the skies over that city when the Nazis needed an ass whippin'. As Goring said "Mustangs overhead, Nazi party's dead." (Or words to that effect) Spitfires are great if they bring the war to you, but when you need to bring the war to them... well.
While we're at it, might mention the plane that really won the Battle Of Britain. I'll give you a hint: nobody's calling this thing pretty. Especially the Luftwaffe pilots who retired after meeting one of these. I shouldn't need to mention the name, but it might have been the main thing that saved England from invasion.
But the Spitfire was prettier so it gets to be prom queen. Prettiest plane? Maybe. Most beautiful? Mustang.
Takes more than a pretty cowling to earn my heart.-- doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019 // the plane that really won the Battle Of Britain //
Ah yes, the Cierva Autogyro ...
Bet you don't know why.-- 8th of 7, Nov 05 2019 Mmm, did Super Hitler crash in one making way for the backup Hitler we beat?-- doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019 You have two guesses remaining.-- 8th of 7, Nov 05 2019 Did one crash INTO Super Hitler?
My third guess is one rolled over his toe so if that's not it I give up.
Meanwhile, see link. This should be a study for design students in pretty vs ugly. Very similar, but a bump here, a different line there. One is a classic, one is the ugly sister. (link)-- doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019 // Cierva Autogyro//... carried some kind of important cryptanalysis information to Bletchley from the Polish?-- Frankx, Nov 05 2019 Chain Home.
In the run-up to war, Fighter Command needed to test and exercise its new RDF (Radar) network. Although squadron-sized units of both fighters and bombers were available, there were problems of precision, and precision was vital.
But what was possible was to send out a ship to a very precise point, determined by both celestial navigation and reference to fixed buoys and landmarks. An aircraft could fly over such a vessel, but what was needed was a reference that could be maintained for a sustained interval.
Enter, stage left, clad in RAF livery, a Cierva/de Havilland autogyro. With its large rotor, it presented a magnificent target for the RDF stations, and it could orbit, almost hover, right over a fixed point for long periods, changing its altitude on request. As a result, operators could be trained against a small, highly predictable but real target in an accurately known position. What's more, an odd little light aircraft, apparently on some sort of navigation training mission, didn't look like a threat to anyone and dudn't attract unwanted attention.
When cameth the massed ranks of Reichsmarschall G's Luftflotten, the boys and girls in light blue, hunched over their basic but thankfully well-calibrated CRTs, did a first class job of passing raid information back to the control centres. Backed up by the foolproof and accurate - but short range - network of the Observer Corps, there was normally enough timely and accurate information to allow the fighters to be placed in the best positions for devastating attacks.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you the de Cierva Autogyro, the unsung and almost unknown hero that made the Battle of Britain winnable.-- 8th of 7, Nov 05 2019 Well I'll be damned.
We'll move the Hurricane to #2.-- doctorremulac3, Nov 05 2019 Very good! Something to do with Chain Home would have been my next guess, but I couldn’t think what.-- Frankx, Nov 05 2019 <Applies drop of oil to trapdoor hinges/>
Boys, would you care to step through here into our Little-Known Facts About WW2 Gallery ? It's not open to the public, you know ...
<Smiles, nods, surreptitiously grasps trapdoor release lever/>-- 8th of 7, Nov 05 2019 //Enter, stage left, clad in RAF livery, a Cierva/de Havilland autogyro// Could they not afford a balloon?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 06 2019 //can't pull tbe wings off//... I thought that was a problem for the 109, not the Spitfire.
IIRC, the Merlin had a problem with negative g’s, solved by “Miss Shilling’s Orifice”. But the airframe was good for near-supersonic dives.-- Frankx, Nov 06 2019 random, halfbakery