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machspeed.bsky.social
Jets Please
@machspeed.bsky.social
130 followers 120 following 150 posts
Enjoyer of: Art, Music, Photography, Aviation, History, Science, Books, Satire, Oxford Commas, and Pie.
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machspeed.bsky.social
Spooky Noseart
AC-130U "Total Carnage" s/n 89-0509

#spooky #AC-130 #gunship #noseart #photography #USAF #aviation #avgeek
Noseart of a floating skeletal grim reaper character in a dark gray cloak with tattered ends. Arms outstretched to each side, bony hands with index fingers extended with a stream of red, yellow, and orange flames converging downward. The skull has a red left eye and a red crosshair over the right eye. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 3:27 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Spooky aircraft.
S/n 89-0509 "Total Carnage" AC-130U

#spooky #airshow #AC-130 #gunship #noseart #photography #USAF #Aviation #avgeek
USAF AC-130U Spooky gunship "Total Carnage" on display at an airshow. Pictured from the left side of the nose looking rearward. People are lined up to enter for a tour. The gray aircraft features noseart of a skeletal grim reaper character with red, orange and yellow flames shooting downward from the fingertips of two outstretched hands. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
November 5, 2025 at 9:39 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
A Pair of Angels

Blues #5 and #6 making smiles for the crowd. USN Blue Angels F/A-18C Hornets.

#BlueAngels #F-18Hornet #airshow #aviation #photography #NASPensacola
Two Blue Angels streak past in F/A-18C Hornets. Brilliant blue with golden yellow trim, the Blues always look nice in a sunny sky. One sports a large yellow #5 on the tail, the other a #6. Photo 2016 by @machspeed.bsky.social
July 19, 2025 at 6:14 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Curtis F6C-1 Hawk

This is such a gorgeous airplane!

#aviation #photography #museum #CurtisHawk #Hawk #NASPensacola #biplane
Curtis F6C-1 Hawk biplane in shiny silver. Seen from the left side. Undergoing restoration at the time, the rear of the plane is covered in a clear tarp. A beautiful airplane. Nat. Naval Aviation Museum NAS Pensacola. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
July 12, 2025 at 9:27 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Curtis F6C-1 Hawk

Rebuilt P-1 Hawk (identical Army version) depicted as Navy F6C-1. Undergoing restoration in 2015 at Nat. Naval Aviation Museum @NAS Pensacola. Not sure if it's still on display.
Anyone been since reopened?

#aviation #photography #museum #CurtisHawk #Hawk #NASPensacola #biplane
Curtis F6C-1 Hawk biplane in shiny silver livery with yellow on top of upper wing. From the 1 o'clock postion just right of the nose. Undergoing restoration at the time, the rear of the plane is covered in a clear tarp. A beautiful airplane. Nat. Naval Aviation Museum NAS Pensacola. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
July 12, 2025 at 9:16 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Hawker Sea Fury FB Mk. 11

Not a great photo, but I like it.

#aviation #photography #avgeek #airshow #SeaFury #Hawker
Hawker Sea Fury FB Mk. 11 flying past with bleachers and spectators out of focus in the foreground. There is a Blue, white, and red RAF roundel on the the fuselage with the number 153 over vertical black and white invasion stripes. Prop blur will cost you extra. Eglin AFB 75th Anniversary airshow April 11, 2010. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
July 10, 2025 at 11:49 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Highly recommend watching the documentary With the Marines at Tarawa. Very powerful. If I'm not mistaken it is the first footage to show riflemen firing and their targets in the same frames.
Screen capture from the documentary With the Marines at Tarawa showing US Marine riflemen firing on Japanese soldiers rushing out of a bunker. Too graphic for American film standards, this film was personally approved for release by President Roosevelt.
July 9, 2025 at 5:53 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Visited the Airforce Armament Museum at Eglin for the first time in years. While some recent restoration work on outside displays had me scratching my head...

They now have an F-102 Delta Dagger! (Have all century series fighters except F-106)

#aviation #museum #F-102DeltaDagger #centuryseries
F-102 Delta Dagger interceptor parked in the grass at Airforce Armament Museum at Eglin AFB. The aircraft is awaiting restoration and a sign saying "Work in Progress Keep Out" is visible in front of the jet. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social F-102 Delta Dagger outside at Airforce Armament Museum at Eglin AFB. The aircraft is awaiting restoration. Seen from the left side of the nose looking back across the airframe showing old style red, white, and blue USAF roundel and orange tail fin. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
June 27, 2025 at 9:22 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Raptor in a Blue Sky

F-22 Raptor 08-4152 over the Gulf of Mexico May 2024.

#aviation #photography #aviationphotography #F-22Raptor #airshow
Topside view of F-22 Raptor fighter jet passing to the left in a blue Sky. White vapor trails stream from the wingtips with vapor just starting to form over the right wing. Shock diamonds are visible in the exhaust. May 5, 2024. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
June 26, 2025 at 6:54 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Yak-9

#aviation #airshow #Yak9 #warbird
7 o'clock view of Yak-9 fighter plane on display in an aircraft shade. Painted green with a large red star on the fuselage and tail fin. April 2010. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social Side view of Yak-9 fighter plane in an aircraft shade. Painted green with a large red star on the fuselage and tail fin. April 2010. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
June 21, 2025 at 7:50 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Four Generations in a Blue Sky

Happy Father's Day

#aviation #photography #legacyflight #P-51Mustang #F-4Phantom #F-15Eagle #F-22Raptor
Legacy flight with P-51 Mustang, F-4 Phantom, F-15 Eagle, and F-22 Raptor flying in a vertical stack. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
June 15, 2025 at 6:31 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
"We're putting the band back together."

If I were wealthy, we'd have this band playing again.
Probably have to call them The Blue's Angels for trademark purposes 😆

#aviation #photography #museum #A-4Skyhawk #skyhawk #BlueAngels #NASPensacola
Blue and gold Douglas A-4F Skyhawks of the Blue Angels on display hanging in formation from the ceiling at The National Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
June 4, 2025 at 7:27 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Yuck. These got compressed pretty badly by putting them all up together. Let's see if individually is better?
P-51D Mustang fighter with yellow and black checkerboard pattern on the nose and multiple aerial victory marks on the side. This plane has been painted to represent WWII ace pilot Arthur Cundy's "Alabama Rammer Jammer". Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
May 22, 2025 at 6:34 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
That name though.

Former RCAF P-51D Mustang represented as flown by USAAF 1st Lt. Arthur Cundy, WWII ace.

#photography #aviation #P-51Mustang #Mustang #warbird
P-51D Mustang fighter with yellow and black checkerboard pattern on the nose and multiple aerial victory marks on the side. This plane has been painted to represent WWII ace pilot Arthur Cundy's "Alabama Rammer Jammer". Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social P-51D Mustang fighter with yellow and black checkerboard pattern on the nose and multiple aerial victory marks on the side. This plane has been painted to represent WWII ace pilot Arthur Cundy's "Alabama Rammer Jammer". Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social P-51D Mustang fighter with yellow and black lettering and multiple aerial victory marks on the side. Painted to represent WWII ace pilot Arthur Cundy's "Alabama Rammer Jammer". Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
May 22, 2025 at 6:23 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Nice. Here is the upgraded variant redesignated CGM-13B Mace. Looks like they kept the same tires for the soft ride.
CGM-13B Mace missile on launch trailer at the Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin AFB. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social Close up of the launch trailer "oversize tires for a soft ride".
May 19, 2025 at 4:52 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Nothing to see here.
Just an empty aircraft shade 😎

YF-117 "Scorpion 5" TC 79-0784. I believe it was being used to test paint for the F-22.
Photo 2007. Apparently destroyed a year later to prove an excavator could do the job?! 😱

#photography #aviation #history #avgeek #F-117Nighthawk #YF-117
YF-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter sitting under an aircraft shade. Eglin AFB 2007. The small "Scorpion 5" patch is visible on the fuselage above the engine inlet. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
May 16, 2025 at 8:43 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Last known photo of James Smith Jr just seconds before he was swallowed whole by a ravenous Phantom.
Be safe out there.

#aviation #photography #airshow #F-4Phantom #avgeek #noseart
Image of the nose of a very shiny F-4 Phantom jet with a smiling shark toothed grin and eyes. A person is partially obscured behind the nose of the voracious predator. The Phantom is poised to gobble up the snack size human. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
May 5, 2025 at 4:59 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Angels in a Blue Sky

There is something special about the blue and gold on a clear sunny day.

2009, flying the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet. The Blue Angels transitioned to Boeing F/A-18C the following year.

#aviation #photography #BlueAngels #F-18Hornet #airshow
A trio of blue and gold F-18A Hornets of Blue Angels US Navy demonstration team fly in tight formation, streaming white smoke in a clear blue sky. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
May 2, 2025 at 7:08 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
You don't quit a patch like this!

Bombing Squadron 2B "High Hats" redesignated many times and is now VFA-14 "Tophatters". Formed in 1919 - the US Navy's oldest active squadron.

BFC-2 Goshawk at the National Naval Aviation Museum
#aviation #photography #NASPensacola #museum #Goshawk #history
1/2
BFC-2 Goshawk, early US divebomber. The arm that swings the centerline ordnance clear of the prop in a dive is visible. A silver bi-plane with bright green engine cowling, vertical green stripe behind the cockpit, and red tail fin. A dashing black and white top hat squadron patch is painted on the side of the plane. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
April 30, 2025 at 6:57 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
LTV A-7E Corsair II, aka SLUF (Short Little Ugly... umm... Fella 🤣) Not fair! It is gorgeous.
On display at the National Naval Aviation Museum NAS Pensacola. This aircraft flew 39 combat sorties during Operation Desert Storm.
#aviation #photography #museum #NASPensacola #SLUF #A-7Corsair
LTV A-7E Corsair II strike jet on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum aboard NAS Pensacola. Photo shows the large engine intake under the nose, ordinance on a yellow loading dolly, and an ejection seat in a glass case. Various squadron insignia are partially visible in the background. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
April 14, 2025 at 6:34 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
I've loaned many books trying to introduce people to the Chosin Reservoir campaign in Korea. This one cites most of those books but is more accessible for novice military history readers. Accurate and readable. Very good!
#militaryhistory #books #Chosin #KoreanWar #history #FrozenChosin
Cover of book On Desperate Ground: The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle by Hampton Sides. A good book for novice military history readers. Based on many good histories and first hand accounts without getting too textbook-ish.
April 12, 2025 at 8:20 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Sometimes you look at an F-104 Starfighter and you just have to say

They really did that, huh?

#aviation #photography #museum #F-104Starfighter
Nose-on view of F-104 Starfighter jet parked in front of trees at a museum. Shows how tiny the wings are and why it's sometimes referred to as a "missile with a man in it". They actually put people in this sci-fi lawn dart! Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
April 4, 2025 at 6:26 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Hornet and Corsair in a Blue Sky

F/A-18C Hornet joins up with a FG-1D Corsair.

#aviation #photography #airshow #F/A-18cHornet #Corsair #Warbird
F/A-18C Hornet and a FG-1D Corsair flying side by side in a deep blue sky. April 2010. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
April 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
Hornet in a Blue Sky

McDonnel Douglas F/A-18C Hornet performs knife edge pass showing off those beautiful curves.
#aviation #photography #airshow #F/A-18cHornet
F/A-18C Hornet performs a knife edge pass through a deep blue sky, providing an underside view of the aircraft. April 2010. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
April 1, 2025 at 7:57 PM
machspeed.bsky.social
F/A-18C Hornet of the VFA-106 Gladiators East Coast demo team takes off at Eglin AFB 75th Anniversary airshow April 2010.

#aviation #photography #airshow #F/A-18cHornet
F/A-18C Hornet rising above the tree line seconds after takeoff. Landing gear is already retracted but the doors haven't closed yet. Eglin AFB 75th Anniversary airshow, April 11, 2010. Photo by @machspeed.bsky.social
March 31, 2025 at 10:46 PM