C-27 Spartan (Unusual Aircraft Collection)

It's not often that you see a large aircraft upside down, but it's a regular part of the airshow act of this Italian Air Force C-27J Spartan.   This Spartan is the support ship for the Frecce Tricolori jet display team, accompanying them like the Blue Angel's C-130 support plane, Fat Albert.   Both support planes perform a display, but Fat Albert never did anything like this!

In spite of what you might think, most large aircraft can do barrel rolls or even loops (most helicopters can't, though the Bo-105 is an exception).   When the Boeing 707 was first flown in public, its pilot Alvin Johnston twice did barrel rolls at low altitude in front of amazed crowds.   Even more impressively, the supersonic Concorde airliner was repeatedly barrel rolled when it was being tested.

The Spartan was derived from the Italian designed G222, which also flew some wild maneuvers at airshows.   Not all of these were intentional, and certainly not the dramatic landing accident at the 2002 Royal International Air Tattoo in Great Britain which resulted in lots of sparks, flames and smoke, but no injuries.

F-14 Tomcat (World Fighter Aircraft Collection)

For many people the F-14 Tomcat will always be the quintessential US Navy jet fighter, made most famous by its starring role in the Tom Cruisemovie "Top Gun".

In this photo a Tomcat in a retro 1970s color scheme does a low-level pass immediately after takeoff with afterburners at full-power, during the F-14's farewell show at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, in 2005.

In addition to the Tomcat's own remarkable capabilities, the F-14's popularity owes almost as much to the reverence felt for its manufacturer, the same Grumman Corporation which made World War Two naval fighters like the F3F, F4F, F6F, F7F and F8F, as well as a line of post-war jet fighters including the Panther and Cougar.

Whether viewed from the side, the front or the rear, the Tomcat has some very strange looking bumps and curves, which earned it the affectionate nickname "The Turkey."   All of those unusual shapes are there for a reason, and it's a surprise for many people to learn that the plane's wings provide only half of the total lift, the rest being generated by the fuselage itself and the "tunnel" between the engines, which not only creates 40% of the lift but also helps to reduce the plane's radar signature by shielding the ordnance hanging beneath the fuselage.

Be-200 Altair (Unusual Aircraft Collection)

The Be-200 Altair is a Russian jet-powered flying boat which is being marketed as an airliner, cargo plane and water bomber.

The Altair is intended for the civilian market, especially with maritime countries or other markets which lack regular airports, but have suitable aquatic landing areas.

At $US25 million, the Be-200 costs the same amount as its main competitor in the water bomber market, the turboprop powered Bombardier CL-415 Superscooper flying boat.   Both the Altair and the Superscooper have an advantage over land-based water bombers because they can refill on any convenient lake while still moving, but the Be-200 can carry twice as much water as the CL-415, and its higher speed makes it capable of dropping water more often.

Beriev has sold several Be-200s to the Russian Interior Ministry and there have been leasing arrangements for firefighting in Italy and Portugal.   While in Portugal the Be-200 you see here hit a tree on takeoff while fully loaded with fuel and water.   Branches from the tree entered one engine and knocked it out, but the plane was still able to climb out on its remaining engine and make a safe landing.   It's not the sort of advertising Beriev was looking for, but it does prove the plane's toughness, because it's unlikely that any other aircraft would have survived such an accident.

F-15 Eagle and P-47 Thunderbolt (World Fighter Aircraft Collection)

An F-15E Strike Eagle (colloquially known as the Beagle or "bomb eagle") in a USAF "Heritage Flight" formation with the P-47 Thunderbolt "Tarheel Hal" at the 2007 Commemorative Air Force airshow at Midland, Texas.

It's a very appropriate combination of aircraft, since the Thunderbolt was a top-rate fighter in World War Two which served equally effectively in the ground attack role, just as the Strike Eagle effectively performs both roles today.

Black Shark Helicopter Gunship (Unusual Aircraft Collection)

The Ka-50 Black Shark (NATO reporting name "Hokum") is a Russian helicopter which hasn't entered full production and perhaps never will.

The Black Shark has two main rotors which turn in opposite directions, an unusual configuration which has always been favored by the Kamov design bureau, and is found in most of their helicopters, including the Ka-27 "Helix" and Ka-226 Sergei.   The Black Shark was designed as a replacement for the aging Mi-24 "Hind" attack helicopter, which became famous during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.

Like the Bo-105 helicopter, the Black Shark is fully aerobatic, able to do loops and barrel rolls and even to fly backwards or sideways at more than 60 miles per hour.   It has the same head-up display as the MiG-29 fighter and can operate in complete darkness when the pilot is using the built-in forward-looking infrared display and wearing night vision goggles.   In addition to a 30 mm cannon on the side of its fuselage, the stub wings allow it to carry a lot of firepower, comprising up to 12 anti-tank missiles and 20 unguided rockets.

The Black Shark is unique among helicopter gunships for having only one crew member, and many people doubt whether it's possible to effectively fly a helicopter and operate its weapons at the same time.

F-18 Super Hornet Vapor Cone (World Fighter Aircraft Collection)

An F-18F Super Hornet pulls a vapor cone during the 2004 airshow at Naval Air Weapons Station Point Mugu, on the coast north of Los Angeles.

In spite of common belief, a vapor cone like this doesn't necessarily mean that the aircraft is flying at supersonic speed, though it is usually associated with very high subsonic flight.   The water condensation is formed by what is called a "Prandtl-Glauert singularity", caused when a fast-moving object creates an area of low pressure in its wake.   The low air pressure causes a drop in temperature, which can force the invisible water vapor in the air to fall below its dew point and condense, resulting in the vapor cone.   This effect can also be seen during atomic bomb tests and, when the conditions are right, even when a whip is cracked.