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Subject: 
Re: Secret Agent Theme for 2001? (was: Re: New S@H Catalog)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Mon, 11 Sep 2000 08:16:19 GMT
Reply-To: 
ssgore@superonline.!spamless!com
Viewed: 
789 times
  
James Powell wrote:

...When I used to work for an airport maintenance service, my boss commented
that the CIA really liked using little Cessna like planes that had an
incredible lift to wingspan ratio and could fly at 35mph. I got to watch one
take off one day and it took off on a length of runway shorter than my
driveway. In terms of being able to drop into somewhere and get back out, short
of a helicopter, these little planes were perfect (and undoubtedly are cheaper
and more fuel efficient than a helicopter... and a good bit quieter). A 50 foot
clearing would be plenty to park one.

This would be a Pilatus Porter, which you can see in action in the movie "Air
America" (and yes, that is how they used to fly them!).  There is plenty of
photos of Buffalo (I think...that or Caribou) being flown in and out of a
baseball diamond too.  Just because a Helo can land vertically, does not make
it the best choice to use.

The US also had a one of a kind Herc that was modified to do the same stunt!
The photos used to be on the CNN web page, but I'd think they are gone now.
Herc's can definitly operate out of 1200 ft strips quite nicely...witness the
tests the USN did with them, landing on a carrier, and believe me, a herc can
carry a _lot_ more than any helo.

James

17 tones (metric) normally, 22 tones during wartime, and up to 30 tones
max. (requires special order). They are from the TOs (IIRC), so should
not be unique to TAF.

They were quite good at STOL (without any external boosters or
something), though they were empty when I saw them.

Selçuk



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Secret Agent Theme for 2001? (was: Re: New S@H Catalog)
 
(...) that the CIA really liked using little Cessna like planes that had an incredible lift to wingspan ratio and could fly at 35mph. I got to watch one take off one day and it took off on a length of runway shorter than my driveway. In terms of (...) (24 years ago, 8-Sep-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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