I stood under the one on display at Duxford Air Museum, Cambridgeshire, UK in 2010. So impressive! They had drip trays on the floor under both engines. Very loose on the ground but tightened up considerably at altitude.
Yes, I agree. Great circle routes are often difficult to envisage, but from that view it would seem more practical to head NE across Canada, skirting Russia around Vladivostok and down along the edge of Japan to Hong Kong. An international pilot may be able to tell us why this isn't feasible, but I suspect it doesn't correlate with existing approved international flightpaths.
I love the way the wing flexes as the weight of the aircraft is transferred from the wheels to the wings and lift is achieved. To this day I am still amazed at how such heavy aircraft are capable of flying! All kudos to our aeronautical engineers.
Whoops! ... my mistake, it was Aer Lingus ... still, I can't see him changing to suit the needs of the travelling public. He doesn't care much about them, just their fares.
A storm in a teacup. Just sabre rattling to see what they could achieve ... normal Cold War activity. Nothing to get mad about. I mean, what was a Poseidon doing there anyway if it wasn't muscle flexing?
