Now, THAT's a formation...

[treadigraph]

Saw these on Warbird Information Exchange (http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=72239&p=634770#p634770) and thought they deserved an airing here - thank you to Duggy009 who posted them on WIX and tells me they are public domain.

Can you imagine the glorious sound?

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1352x1080/b_36_b_47_c_97_rc_121_b_57_b_45_b_66_b_52_c_131_c_119_c_124_ f_86_f_86f_f_102_f_94c_f_89_t_33_f_80_and_rf_84f_in_formatio n_2_562c1c847ec52fb1c7744982f65d6e05ef90d930.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1371x1080/b_36_b_47_c_97_rc_121_b_57_b_45_b_66_b_52_c_131_c_119_c_124_ f_86_f_86f_f_102_f_94c_f_89_t_33_f_80_and_rf_84f_in_formatio n_1_81d89c45406716b4e589253a6bef2c0396fc9504.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1363x1080/b_36_b_47_c_97_rc_121_b_57_b_45_b_66_b_52_c_131_c_119_c_124_ f_86_f_86f_f_102_f_94c_f_89_t_33_f_80_and_rf_84f_in_formatio n_a3049da7750f21a06e7042913f64cab8a3ae4d36.jpg

[sycamore]

Can you name them all though...?

[treadigraph]

Tricky, how about...

RB-69? Looks a bit too colourful though...
B-57, B-66
EC-121
C-97, C-124
B-47, C-119
B-36, C-131
B-52
F-86D, F-84F Thunderjet, RF-84 Thunderflash, F-102
F-94, F-89, F-80??, T-33, F-84F Thunderstreak, F-86A, F-100

The "F-80" (red jet) must be something else but I can't think what!

[sycamore]

Think your rb-69 might be an AJ-1,and the `colourful F-80 ` is a T2V....if they are possibly from a Test establishment.....

[Quemerford]

Think your rb-69 might be an AJ-1,and the `colourful F-80 ` is a T2V....if they are possibly from a Test establishment.....

The 'colourful F-80' is a QF-80.

[Quemerford]

Original Caption: "…Formation of planes: Consolidated B-26, Boeing B-47, Boeing C-97, Lockheed RC-121, Martin B-57, North American B-45, Douglas B-66, Boeing B-52, Consolidated C-131, Fairchild C-119, Douglas C-124, North American F-96, North American F-86F, Consolidated F-102, Lockheed F-94C, Northrop F-89, Lockheed T-33, Lockheed F-80, and Republic RF-84F."

Strangely that caption is incorrect too, because there is an F-86D/L in there too!

[Quemerford]

Bigger images. Note that there is no RB-69 or AJ-1.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1522x729/342_c_k_1837a_683a5c29348ad7833bf666ce4a468b10d353863c.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1316/342_c_k_1837b_e5a9ad360534a4670d1adc4961eac0b411cec418.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x680/342_c_k_1837c_dabd6e6ab3431ea1da37382229c5daf92ed7957a.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x851/342_c_k_1837d_a07c91193d8bee12439aeb9ae0ff86390274ad9e.jpg

[treadigraph]

Ah, B-45! AJ-2 or A-26 were my first thoughts, assumed it was piston!

Quemerford, your caption doesn't mention F-100 which is what I think is leading the fighter formation?

[Quemerford]

As I mentioned, the caption is missing the odd bit!

[rotorfan]

The lousy interface on the tablet means the advert on the right slides over the pic when I zoom in, but I was pretty certain that was a 124 in the lead in Pic 2. My dad flew them around much of the world for many years in the USAF. Said he had dozens of engine shutdowns in all those years. :uhoh:

[Jhieminga]

I'm pretty sure that the second photo shows: B-36, B-52, B-47, Convair 330 (or similar), KC-97, C-119, EC-121, C-124.

[Quemerford]

C-97 and C-131.

[washoutt]

Amazing pictures! I wonder what the common denominator airspeed was for all these airplanes. Some flew at their maximum, others at their minimum. Or did they all fly at different speeds, and were the photo's taken at just the right time, that they all were positioned in formation? Anybody an idea?

[Checklist Charlie]

Amazing pictures yes, imagine the sound.

CC

[pax britanica]

One of the most incredible pictures on aviation I have ever seen , such a shame digital quality wasnt around to record a sight we will never see again, all those different types.
Which leads m to add to the thoughts of an earlier poster who said how on earth did they work out the positioning so that the formation could fly safely and accurately when you have fighters mixing it with lumbering giants like the B 36 -interesting just how much bigger than the B52 that monster was,

[TCU]

Picture 3 gives a tiny glimpse of the photo-ship wing tip. KC-135/707 possibly with the sweep and static wicks?

[sycamore]

Probably why it`s got a little `fish-eye` distortion towards the B-36.....

[DaveReidUK]

Original Caption: "…Formation of planes: Consolidated B-26, Boeing B-47, Boeing C-97, Lockheed RC-121, Martin B-57, North American B-45, Douglas B-66, Boeing B-52, Consolidated C-131, Fairchild C-119, Douglas C-124, North American F-96, North American F-86F, Consolidated F-102, Lockheed F-94C, Northrop F-89, Lockheed T-33, Lockheed F-80, and Republic RF-84F."

Strangely that caption is incorrect too, because there is an F-86D/L in there too!

Not to mention the "Consolidated B-26" !

[treadigraph]

What's a North American F-96? :} I see F-96 was the original designation for the F-84F Thunderstreak...

[Quemerford]

What's a North American F-96? :} I see F-96 was the original designation for the F-84F Thunderstreak...

Strange that - it is indeed an "F-96" but by the time of the formation would have been officially an F-84F for up to five years. Strange too that the RF-84F (RF-96) got its correct title.