Tag Archives: LTV

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Lego Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) XC-142

From one weird aircraft to another today, only this one was real (sort of). Built in the 1960s, the Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) XC-142 was an experimental tilt-rotor vertical take-off/landing aircraft, and it really did look as odd as it does here.

It worked too, with five prototypes performing successful test flights in the mid-1960s. However with four 2,850bhp engines the XC-142 probably wasn’t a particularly fuel efficient way to transport 4,000kgs of military stuff, and thus the project didn’t prove financially viable, being shelved in 1966.

Today just one prototype XC-142 survives, but Henrik Jensen has added another with his rather excellent recreation of the tilting oddity. There’s more to see at Henrik’s Flickr photostream and on MOCpages – click the links to tilt the table.

Fighting Friday

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Lego Aircraft Carrier CVN-71 Theodore Roosevelt

This spectacular replica of the Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier was discovered on Flickr today. It’s been built by Jon and Catherine Stead and it’s… well, bloody massive!

The real Theodore Roosevelt was launched in 1984, measuring over 1,000ft long and weighing over 100,000 tons. The ship first saw operational duty in 1991’s ‘Operation Desert Storm’ during the first Gulf War, the same year as today’s second US Navy-themed post ended its active service.

The LTV A-7E Corsair II first entered service during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, flying until it was retired in 1991. Over 1,500 Corsair II aircraft were manufactured between 1965 and 1984, with 98 lost during the Vietnam War.

The neat carrier-based A-7E Corsair II pictured below has been constructed by Flickr’s Dornbi and there’s more to see of his recreation at the link above.

The Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) carrier is currently in operation off the Yemen coast as part of a weapons interception programme. You can read more about the people who are being affected by the ongoing Yemen Crisis by visiting the Red Cross Yemen Crisis page here.

Lego A-7E Corsair II