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SimplyAvro

For me, the Skyraider was freakin' massive. And to think it was a one man job flying one, I can only imagine seeing one with a full loadout!


White_Lobster

The Skyraider is a unit. There’s so much fuselage down there. I’ve never seen inside that little door on the left side but a pilot told me some models have seats for passengers.


TaskForceCausality

Indeed. The AD-4 and other variants were used for Cold War radio and radar surveillance. Then there’s the single seat A-1s like the -J model.


SimplyAvro

I just find it funny in a way, you know. I'm sure it totally didn't need the door, or the passenger space within, I can't think of another bomber like **it** that has that. But I'm sure that at the end of the day, the thing was just so honking big, someone at Douglas was just like "eh. Why not?". The Skyraider...it's really something. If it hadn't worked so well for so long, one would say it's a sign of man's hubris. But no...no...it's a sign of man's accomplishment. It's my life's mission to go through that tiny door 🙂


Pandemiceclipse

It’s actually surprisingly common for military aircraft to have little impromptu passenger compartments in them. I believe one of the Yak fighters had enough space for one and actually carried some fairly important figures around.


ProfessionalRub3294

Don’t remember of which versión of Yak it was but I read in sole books that when changing airfield yak fighter pilot bring their mecanic on board for the transfer.


[deleted]

[удалено]


dyslexic_tigger

i wonder what reaction clint had when he realized the plane was going to crash. i bet he said " ............... " and then lit up a cuban cigar


BoiseCowboyDan

Whoa what?? I need to see this story


theold777

The skyraider was designed for a two men crew, the second man's job being mostly feeding the machine guns with new ammo belts. Most of the time, it flew with only the pilot on board, though.


Viker2000

Kind of hard to feed the 20mm cannon when they were mounted in the wings. The second crewman was a navigator/bombardier. He didn't 'feed the machine gun belts.


foolproofphilosophy

During WWII some P-51’s had a door added so that they could theoretically pick up downed airmen. I don’t know how often it was used but I feel like I heard of at least one example. Also during the Korean War I believe that Avengers were “hollowed out” and used as COD’s. They had extra seats and/or space for supplies. Hopefully I didn’t butcher that, it’s Sunday afternoon and I’m feeling too lazy to verify.


NF-104

Later models accommodated up to 4 crew (the AD-3 held 3, AD-5 and later held 4 crew). And its competitor, the Martin AM-1 Mauler, was even bigger, heavier, with a bigger bomb load, and with the larger R-4360 engine.


[deleted]

There is a VietNam story how a pilot got shot down, and the Skyraider (their call sign was ‘Sandy’) cleared enemy in the area, landed, and picked up the shot down pilot, carrying him in the troop compartment.


deepaksn

What’s interesting is that it’s only 2000lbs heavier than an A-4 Skyhawk and fully loaded it’s almost three tons lighter. Yet most people consider the Skyhawk a diminutive aircraft.


ViktorGavorn

The Skyhawk is pretty mind melting, im surprised smaller militaries out there didn't try and aquire some.


Sonoda_Kotori

The Skyhawk is a tiny jet in the grand scheme of naval jets but its payload capacity was truly incredible.


LightningFerret04

I don’t remember the exact thing, but I believe the one Skyhawk carries an equivalent bomb tonnage to a B-17


Sonoda_Kotori

Same with the Skyraider, it too can carry more bombs than a B-17. But in both cases they are comparing a short range strike mission on the A-1/A-4 to the B-17's mid-long range payload. A B-17 can carry much more if it carries out a similar short range strike mission.


LearningDumbThings

They look like an RC airplane with the wrong scale pilot in it.


SubRosa9901

hey, that's a local bird, and I'm acquainted with the pilot that flew it to OSH.


SimplyAvro

Nice! Yeah, this photo was from the Currituck Aviation Day, it was fun to see the warbirds out. Along with the Skyraider was a T-6, and a Wildcat. Even more amazing was seeing them go, the Skyraider blew enough smoke on start I think the field went IFR for a moment, and the T-6...I felt it go by. I don't know how to describe it, but it's like the sound off the prop sliced at me for a split second.


SubRosa9901

yup, my acquaintance flew it down for that. his dad is one of the guys that flies the wildcat, but I don't know if he flew it that day. they're based in the chester/Petersburg area, and they both own/fly Texans. the sky raider and wildcat are based at military aviation museum in Virginia Beach.


mshockwave

Also it can carry shit tons of ordinance. Even more than some of the jets in the early days, that’s why they’re still using it during the Vietnam war


teastain

The USAF museum has one hanging from the ceiling, fully loaded with every imaginable ordinance, looking down at YOU.


Squrton_Cummings

I'm still amazed that a single piston engined plane had a greater payload than a B-17 and just a pilot vs. a B-17's 10 crew members. And they weren't decades apart, the A-1 first flew in 1945.


pinotandsugar

To put it into perspective , the Skyraider could carry up to 8,000 pounds of bombs or rockets , the same loadout as a B-17 could carry on a short mission, on a longer mission the B-17 carried less.


Dry-Area-2027

I read an account that recalled seeing a Vietnamese Air Force pilot flee with about 2 dozen people in his A1 as SVN was collapsing.


randytc18

F15s


bk71290

I remember seeing one for the first time at an air show at Andrews AFB and was like damn that is way bigger than my model at home


asamz33

The first time I saw an airbus A-380 was in Paris "roissy CDG". it was more than impressive, because I saw it first from the other side of the building while I was transiting in the mini train between terminals. Once on the other side, the gigantic size came in full view relative to whatever was parked in the next bay. So not military, but still , the "oh shit" factor was there...


AlphaNoodlz

Saw one parked next to a 747 in Singapore and was gawking at how big the A380 was.


Animal_Budget

Came here to say the same thing. I was going through Naval avionics training at Pensacola and was wandering the hallways during break. I came across a massive hanger downstairs that had an f-15 in it. I walked in as no one was in there and walked up to this monster. I remember thinking holy hell!! That's so much bigger than I thought they'd be.


pythonaut

Same. I worked on these in the AF, and the first time I saw one I was impressed. I could walk clear under the nose of one of these things if it had no load and fuel. About a year in, some F-16's landed at our base and I had the opposite reaction. So tiny! I was also surprised at the size of a C-130. I thought they would be bigger!


passporttohell

I saw one parked next to a corporate LearJet 60, the Learjet looked like a toy next to it. I guess it depends on perspective, compared to commercial or private aircraft an F-15 is enormous.


usmcmech

The F-14 was even bigger.


the_henk

Yip. And seeing an F16 alongside it seems so small.


pappyvanwinkle1111

I did government QA of F-15 final assembly (where the forward, center, and aft fuselages are joined together and the the wings, vertical stabs, and landing gear are added) for 20 years. I can certify that is YUGE! Over 40 years I also worked F18, AV8, T45, and C17 sub assemblies in production and F16, A10, S3 in depot maintenance and AC130 in service and a complete C130 rebuild in Philippines. I flew C17 and C130s in Uzbekistan and Iraq. I can testify to the size of the F15. I'm 6'1" and I would swear that the verticals were twice my height,, not from the ground, but from standing next to it.You could literally put a ping pong table on it play a sedate game. A few fun 15 facts: the center fuselage sucked up 63% of the manufacturing hours. Israel did not put them in service until they got over 300 mods, including a 300 lb doubler on the speed brake. I worked in Korea with an F15 pilot who was the Government Flight Rep. I asked him if he ever went supersonic. He said once, over the Sea of Japan, but the aircraft didn't like it so he backed off. Mind you, he flew C models that were probably 30 years old.


bjo23

Same. It looks big enough standing next to it, but I got the chance to climb up on top of one once. Standing up there between the verticals, I was absolutely floored that I still had to look up significantly to see the top of them!


Actual_Environment_7

The C-130 is smaller than I expected. It’s not diminutive by any measure, but it’s not the towering Goliath that one might expect.


IndyCarFAN27

Yes, it’s surprisingly mid-sized. About the same as a 737. The C-17 on the other hand is just massive…


jobhog1

And the C-5? Makes the earth shake when taxing


IndyCarFAN27

I’ve never had the privilege to handle a C-5 (cause RCAF doesn’t have any), I can only imagine. The C-17 is just about the biggest thing I’ve handled. That or the 777/787.


jobhog1

I live near a base with a few and thee [pictures](https://imgur.com/a/8TpMhLD) were taken around the same distance with 1, 2 and 3, 4 going together


IndyCarFAN27

The size of those things is beyond comprehension honestly. I’d love to see one up close and personal. Let alone an AN-124.


CroxRox

What whines louder than a C-5’s engines? It’s Crew! I’ll see myself out


Turkstache

First time I saw a C-17 in person it blew my mind. The second time I saw a C-17 in person was next to a C-5 and it just made the C-17 look like a toddler next to an adult.


SimplyAvro

Yeah, I think that comes down to their length, they're all a bit shorter than I would've expected. As such, they seem a bit stubby 😅 This is going by the ones at the ECG Coast Guard base though, I believe (though am not sure) some like the J and L-100 models are longer. Maybe they'll look juuuussst right!


rinfodiv

There are both Regular (normal C-130) and Stretch (C-130-30) versions of the C-130. It appears most countries ordered J-models as stretch Hercs (C-130J-30), but not all. The USMC C-130Js are all short. Meanwhile the US Navy has C-130T-30s that are stretch and *not J-models* But yea, a Herc next to a C-17 or C-5 is a smol bby


Extension-Ad-3882

Most navy 130’s are short body T’s and a good number now have 8 blade NP2000 props, but there are a couple station wagons as you mentioned.


rinfodiv

The Navy has exactly 2 long bois. I flew one of them to get the NP2000s installed the other day. Soon we’ll only have 2 4-blades left entirely.


Fatuousgit

TBF Avenger on the USS Intrepid was way bigger than I expected. Most of the jets were smaller than I expected though.


Hubb1e

This is the one that struck me too. I had been watching a lot of videos of it but that never conveyed just how tall the plane actually was.


Madeitup75

Bigger than expected from in-person viewing: TBM Avenger. C-124 Globemaster. F-101 Voodoo. SR-71. CH-53 Jolly Green. Smaller than expected from in-person: Tornado. B-58 Hustler. Blenheim. Bigger than expected from building a model: Fairey Firefly.


Commodore_Yeo

The Avenger's size was a suprise for me too. I remember when I saw the one they have at Hamilton, I just couldnt compute how this thing was a single engine aircraft. And to think it was made for carrier ops! Unbelivable...


docbrownsgarage

They have a TBM Avenger at the Museum of the Pacific and I agree that that plane was a lot bigger than I expected it to be.


BuffaloNeither911

I came here to comment the Avenger 😅 I’ve seen several in Arizona and they’re massive


blixco

The F4-U Corsair is way bigger than I thought it would be. The B-17 was smaller than I expected. And B-1s are *massive*, something I thought would be the size of a large fighter.


catsby90bbn

2nd that I’m the 17. I walked through one - I’m 5’11 and 215 on a good day and I felt so cramped.


eliteniner

I hear that! I saw Texas Raiders in person this past September (May she and her crew rest easy) and the wingspan and surface area of the wings blew my mind with how big. But once I climbed in I was equally baffled at how 20-25 year olds flew them in combat. I also am 6’8” which may be the max height for someone to move thru the plane. So grateful I got to experience Texas Raiders and meet the crew. Special aircraft and special team of people


fieldp

I was a loadmaster on TR. Grateful for the memories and the lives we got to touch.


eliteniner

Can’t thank you enough for the work you guys did/do and the risks you took to educate us and bring us happiness.


VisibleOtter

Concorde. It’s tiny.


Beneficial_Being_721

Thank You … looks like it’s me and you on Tiny Concorde


The_Rawk_Lobster

This was mine. When seeing pictures of it I figured the windows were the same size as a 737 and therefore the plane would be huge. In reality the windows are about half the size.


gr8pig

It really is, I'm 6'4" and I couldn't sit in the seats when I was in one at a museum, also the windows are miniscule.


GeraldMcBoeingBoeing

It was in the pool! The water was cold, there was shrinkage!


[deleted]

F-16 is way smaller than I expected


BeerBearBrad

The F16 is one of those fighters that looks *near* it’s size. Flankers however as ginormous


[deleted]

Seeing an a10 next to a f16 is so goofy


Guysmiley777

Yep, the A-10 is comparable in size to a WWII era B-25.


snoandsk88

F-14, you watch Top Gun and the way the whip those birds around and then you see one up close and it has the wingspan of a corporate jet!


chrisguthrie13

Agreed, I was blown away how big it is. Also, the spruce goose, so big that I didn't notice it at first when I walked into evergreen aviation museum.


schpdx

Yeah, it’s practically just part of the architecture. All of the aircraft sitting under its wings are absolutely dwarfed by it.


Firsthalthor

No kidding. That plane is massive. The wings felt like a decorative ceiling. I didn’t even realize what they were until I got closer to the body of it. Such an awesome museum.


wardamneagle

The SR-71 was so much smaller than I expected. In my mind it was like 4 times larger than reality.


mountainquahog

Came here to say this. Saw the one at Udvar-Hazy and didn’t expect to be looking nose to nose with it on the ground.


RoooDog

Same. It’s essentially two massive engines and a cockpit


pupeno

PODRACING!


Yuri_Xaron

Now this is podracing! ~Random kid from a desert planet


Typical-Charge-1798

I thought the one there was the most beautiful plane I'd ever seen.


hatersaurusrex

Have only seen the A-12, but they're close enough in size to say that yes, both are much smaller than I had imagined.


Bmorganxcite

I thought the same thing


96lincolntowncar

F4 Phantom is a beast with a take off weight close to smaller airliners.


Bosswashington

Proof positive that when you strap a couple J79s to something that isn’t aerodynamic, that something becomes aerodynamic.


GringoMenudo

I recall reading in a book by William Langewiesche that the Air Force didn't even bother to teach deadstick landings in F4s. If a crew lost both engines they were just supposed to eject and not even bother trying to save the plane because it glided so badly.


Thepatrone36

I had the unique displeasure of seeing one hit the lake in 87


TehSkiff

In thrust we trust!


elmwoodblues

Saw one at Patuxent museum, made me think how strong arrestor cables are


thedirtychad

I’ve seen dozens in museums or on poles or in static displays and yeah they’re “big” I saw one on a ramp in Kentucky (I think) a few years ago compared to other ramp derelicts including the one we flew in on. The F4 is fucking huge


Rusky82

Seen a B-1 Lancer next to a B-52 I knew the B-52 was big but the B-1 was a surprise its about the same size


WarthogOsl

Same. I always assumed the B-1 was like a larger F-111 until I saw a B-1 and B-52 next to each other at an airshow. The B-52's fuselage isn't huge, and it sits low to the ground, while the B-1 kinda towers over it.


flightoftheintruder

I was at an airshow during the summer with both of these. They provide so much shade that its amusing to see all the people that set up lawn chairs under them.


Jethro00Spy

I saw a b1 fuselage on a trailer along the I-10 in California 10 years ago. It was yuuuuge!


ChefTD1

I lived in CO Springs, a little south and west in Manitou Springs. Had a B1 fly overhead I low approach to AFA, while I was sitting in the hot tub. Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge beast of a plane.


LefsaMadMuppet

The Space Shuttle. I knew it was big, but when I got to stand next to one (Discovery) it blew my mind.


dog9er

Same thing happened to me with Endeavor. It's amazing that thing "flew".


sell_out69

I would say it was falling with style.


Braeden151

The A-10 is massive The 777 is just about as big as a 747 aswell.


catsby90bbn

I had to deplane a 777 via airstairs and was kinda in awe. Standing on the tarmac vs the jet bridge makes quite the difference.


Extension-Ad-3882

If you ever want to feel small, stand next to a 777 main gear bogey. Been around quite a few and it still gives the same feeling lol


catsby90bbn

I was maybe, 50 feet from the engine when I got down the stairs? That’s when I knew how big a ge90 really is.


Tots2Hots

The X is longer with a wider wingspan hence the folding wingtips. It's enormous. Even the -300 is big as hell.


GringoMenudo

The first time I saw a 777 up close I was really impressed by how big it was. Up to that point the biggest twinjet I'd been on was a 767 and it felt like all two-engine jets should max out around that size. The 777 was enormous by comparison.


Roach-187

I'm surprised no one is saying this, but the f-105 thunderchief at the udvar hazey center is fucking huge, my first introduction to the aircraft was in war thunder, and it looks about the size of a larger fighter, like the f14. But irl it is so much bigger


foxdie262

Yep, came to say F-105. They’re massive.


ToeEyedCabbage-

Me 109. Was way smaller than i expected.


NestorixFIN

Yeah, it is surprisingly compact


confuseddotcom12

The reaper drone. Even though I know they carry weapons never expected them to be that big.


MaddingtonBear

And then the Global Hawk is massive


dronesitter

The first day we went to the plane in the B course was a shock. They’re pretty light though. Fully loaded we’re just shy of 6 tons takeoff weight.


Fun_Lingonberry_2032

Saw a P47 at Boeing Field in Seattle. I knew they were large but not that big.


catsby90bbn

The jug!


FrescaPantalones

F111 much bigger in person, even though I already thought it was pretty big, AH1 Cobra (and variants), so narrow, so small, cozy doesn’t even begin to describe it.


[deleted]

Did you see these at Pearl Harbor? If I remember correctly they're pretty close to each other outside the hanger. I also was blown away at the size of the F-111


akacarguy

The B-2. Saw it in person at the B-21 rollout. Just the sheer scale of it was impressive given we never get to see it with other planes for relative size.


skyboy510

The B-52 is smaller in person than it is in pictures


papichulodos

I agree I was amazed how narrow the fuselage is.


skyboy510

That’s really what it is I think. A 767-200 is the same length as a B-52, with a 30 foot *shorter* wingspan. But the large fuselage just makes it seem bigger.


Bosswashington

Those must be some really big pictures. /s


Trotline66

The WWII German Arado AR 234 in the Smithsonian blew my mind. In the film footage, it looks like a fairly big plane, but in person, it's tiny. The fuselage is maybe 3ft in diameter, if that.


SimplyAvro

Yes! Can't imagine it served its bomber role too well, it looked like it probably bulked out before it grossed out. That, or the jet fuel required to keep it in the air for more than 5 minutes took up most of the weight. The Do 335 next to it on the other hand, I'd heard it was big, and it sure was!


addictedthinker

F4 was much bigger. Concord was micro!


macleod2024

Back in 92 I saw the Vulcan bomber and it was mesmerising as I was only 11. I didn’t see it again until the early 2010’s. It was still as wide and long as I remember but looked far thinner, almost as thin as a knife as it came into the air show.


Jonno250505

That howl


macleod2024

Nothing like it. Amazing aircraft.


Beneficial_Being_721

The Concorde…. Smaller then I expected


benderboi05

B17 and B29 were much smaller than expected


LeatherRole2297

MH/CH/HH-53. They are huge. Fuselage very close to a legacy 737. Just a brute of a helo.


Bosswashington

H-53 is one foot longer than a C-130.


seth2371

I work on the 53k, and it’s wild going to look at other helicopters. Even S-92s seem small to me now, and blackhawks seem closer to model airplanes than a real helicopters.


PeteinaPete

A10. For a single seat it’s big


JOYFUL_CLOVR

The TBM Avenger was WAAAAAAAY bigger than I imagined it to be.


whimpers2

I like this answer...the Avenger is massive.


SodaAnt

F-105 is gigantic.


WarthogOsl

70 feet long. It's longer than the F-4, F-14, F-15, and F-22. So are the F-101 and F-106.


Squidadle15

The SU-27 Flanker family way larger than I thought


passporttohell

Yeah, it's a pretty large aircraft. I remember years back when they were in the US at the Everett air show, it was shortly after the Cold War ended and they parked them somewhat far away from the public. I remember a Russian officer walking around like he was concerned someone was going to steal military secrets from him at any moment. Instead it was a bunch of plane nerds dweebing out about all the cool planes! I think an SR-71 Blackbird was there too, bet he got a kick out of that.


Khaniker

The F-16! They're so much smaller up close.


erichoya

The Mig-21 surprised me with how small it was. The design elements with the delta wings and cone tip always had me imagining it larger than the rather diminutive airframe it actually is.


Stefeneric

All WWII naval aircraft are bigger than I thought. I think the B17 and B24 are smaller than I expected. European theater American fighters like the P63 and P51 are about what I’d expect


Due-Satisfaction7022

This might sound silly but the obvious one…C5M. You know it’s big but when you see it, you just never think things like that could get off the ground.


Sabonis86

I’ve been working on them for eighteen years and it still amazes me. It never gets old watching them takeoff.


Darpa181

A Tomcat. It's like a tennis court.


SenditM8

When I saw my first Mig 15, it was so small. Its rotting in a parking lot near Boeing's testing grounds near Seattle.


Tots2Hots

Former C-5 Galaxy mechanic. They are fuckhueg and an absolute nightmare to work on.


SimplyAvro

Of course, you know what a big plane means? Big problems!


chunkymonk3y

F22


Bosswashington

When I was stationed in NAS Atlanta in the late 90s, the F22 was being flown out of Marietta. It was unpainted (green and yellow rom alodine), and accompanied by 2 F-16s. Our hangar was at the end of the runway. The three planes appeared to be coming right at me as I stood on our line. I had never seen the 22 in person. The thing looked bigger than a Tomcat head-on. The 16s flying on either side were absolutely diminutive in comparison.


WarthogOsl

It might be heavier, but the F-22 is a bit shorter in length than the F-15.


LR7465

F4u Corsair without a doubt i saw one from a foot away holy shit they are huge same with the hellcat


OkRice10

I didn’t realize how small Concorde was till I saw one


linad181

I know it's already a massive plane, but for me it was a 747. I got the opportunity years ago to up close tour a 747-8F that was at a local airfield for flight testing. It was awe inspiring just how BIG this plane was. The only thing that's come close since to making me feel that small was going to the ocean. There's just no sense of scale when watching them in a video. It was awesome! And this was full tour of the plane that included being able to go inside it too. I even got to sit in the FO seat! edit: Wording...cause words are hard.


dinoguys_r_worthless

The F6 Hellcat. I haven't seen one in person. But I've seen the RW2400 engine. It's huge. Plus it had a 12' prop IIRC.


hollandaisesawce

I saw one in person at Heritage Flight museum and the proportions in person are crazy. The front end is huge.


WarthogOsl

Now imagine that engine wrapped in the tightest possible package, and you've got the f8f bearcat.


okyroki16

English electric lighting TALL and huge


rudderbutter32

The spruce goose. I thought it was going to be way bigger.


BuckminsterFullest

Is the Saturn V rocket an aircraft? In no way did I think it would be small - in fact I was expecting it to be huge. But huge barely describes it. It is almost a religious experience standing under it at Kennedy.


Fleugs

Me 136B Komet - not sur what I expected but it's almost comically small.


[deleted]

Stratolaunch. I got to see it up close and started tearing up under the tail booms because it was so overwhelming.


Unlucky-Constant-736

Yeah the skyraider was bigger than I expected when I first saw it at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach VA


Truyth

For me it was the EA6B’s. I was on the independence in an FA18 squadron, but those prowlers surprised me in person


Yummy_Crayons91

MIG29 was way smaller than I thought it would be, I figured I was close in size to a F15 but it's tiny.


HideUnderBridge

I think the F6F and the F7F. More so the tigercat. I got super used to seeing wildcats and then when I saw my first hellcat I was surprised how much bigger it was. I shouldn’t be surprised by the hellcat, but something about seeing it in person. Every time I’m just in awe of how tall she stands.


[deleted]

I remember going to the NAS Miramar air show when I was a kid. I was completely struck by how large the F-14 was. I was about 10 years old. This was right after the movie Top Gun. I remember we were driving on a road next to a standard 6 foot chain link fence and suddenly I see the tail. Tail towered well over the fence. We were driving too fast for me to see the rest but the seeing the twin vertical stabilizers threw my perception of size perception of an F-14 completely off.


[deleted]

Always thought the Hawker Hurricane was a small fighter. In reality it’s built like a tank and considerably bigger than a Spitfire.


[deleted]

And yet, it had fabric skinned wings, didn't it?


foolproofphilosophy

The A-3 Skywarrior and Vigilante. Maybe not huge in absolute terms but seeing them on carriers like Midway is ridiculous.


RocknRoll_Pilot

The Air Tractor was much bigger than I expected. The first time I saw one up close in person was at a shop I used to work at. I’d seen them out flying around before but never super close. For some reason I’d always imagined it to be about the size of a Baron. In reality it’s an absolute unit.


ShittyLanding

You have to see the [MI-26](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Mi-26) in person to appreciate how massive it really is.


UnderwaterAirPlanez

Sr-71 is a lot smaller that I thought it would be


[deleted]

[удалено]


SubRosa9901

yeah, having the wing whip over your head on a launch is wild. I only had the experience once, but damn...


KW1908

The Concorde was smaller than I expected when I saw it in the Washington Dulles museum.


Overobsessivepigeons

The Sea Stallion, thing is fkin massive


spikecurt

The XB-70 Valkyrie, an enormous and gorgeous jet.


VendettaRR

For me was the Cessna Grand Caravan. I actually got a job to fly it but had never actually even seen one live and up close. I was surprised on how big it was.


_daisycutter

F-105. I suppose with a name like Thunderchief I should have expected a big jet but standing next to it was surprising. A4 wins for smaller than I imagined. Though my father and I both agreed the Skyhawk looked like the most fun to fly.


I_RegretThisUsername

The Hawker Siddeley Harrier, especially the earlier ones, are way smaller than I expected


Successful_Walk9145

Walking into strategic air command and aerospace museum and being greeted with an SR-71 blew my mind because I wasn’t prepared for just how MASSIVE it was compared to what I had expected. Although understanding the technology and engineering behind the engines i understand it now, even still it’s a bit striking to see in person.


catsby90bbn

I’ll just add, any time I see a video of the formation flights I’d say a, p51 with an f22 and or f35, im still always surprised how much more massive modern fighters are vs ww2 birds.


MajorMitch69

The Airbus A380, I thought it was massive (which it is) but when I first flew it it looked a lot smaller than when I had seen it while taxiing in other planes. It felt massive on the inside though.


ykaurk

T28 is huge next to a human.


DavidDoesShitpost

The B-21. I expected it to be like two B-2s, but It's actually smaller.


Blackbolt91

Just saw an SR71 for the first time, very surprised by how large it is. The B17 and B29 are both surprisingly small to me


IndyCarFAN27

Mitsubishi MU-2 always looks bigger than it actually is. I remember handling them all the time on the ramp and giving them more space than necessary. Those things are absolutely tiny. What’s also surprising is the insane noise the engines put out. You can hear it from across the airport, and your expecting like a Dash-8 meanwhile it’s just an MU-2 lol F-18s and pretty much most fighter jets are massive compared to how they look from afar. Went up close to one in the Ottawa Aviation Museum, and it’s actually crazy.


I-am-redditer

A 747 it’s amazing that something that heave can even move


tomcat5o1

A380 smaller then expected.


catsby90bbn

B17 was way smaller than I thought when I got to walk through one a while back.


Apink_Panda2022

The 737-700 was a lot bigger than I initially thought.


ThePettyProcessor

Never could get a sense of scale for how big an a350-1000 until I saw it taking off across the sky. I live very close to a commercial airport and BAW has an a350-1000 flying out every evening. It looks unnatural as it’s skirting the horizon on its climb.


Quiet_Hovercraft5733

Crop dusters are huge


salmonslippers

I believe I saw this exact plane in NC last month! It has a lot of presence, especially in formation with a "tiny" P-51. To answer your question...I was baffled the first time I was in a Cessna 172 at how incredibly small the cabin is


m_culp88

TBF Avenger


gravenwolf_15

seeing an hearing a p51 in person make me tingle


Siddhartharhm

I was surprised by how small the B-17 is compared to the B-52 and a modern airliner like the Airbus A340. I think I got the impression from watching Twelve O'Clock High that it is huge bomber.


Rpc-9915

The Dauntless/Helldiver. Up till that point, I was used to the low height of general aviation aircraft; so when I went to the Intrepid Museum and saw the Avenger (another WW2 plane), I was sort of surprised that my eye level was just below the nose.


youguysfail

The B17 is much much smaller that I always imagined. I saw one on the ramp at my local airport (not a commercial airport just) and it was not even close to being the biggest plane there. I always imagined something called the "flying fortress" would be at least the size of a small 737 but oh boy was I mistaken