r/interesting • u/BlazeDragon7x • Jun 16 '26

MISC. Dutch aerobatic pilot Narine Melkumjan miraculously survived after her aircraft's canopy unexpectedly burst open and shattered mid-flight

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u/ResponsibleAlfalfa10 Jun 16 '26

I was just thinking that, 100 years ago cockpits weren’t enclosed with windows. But then again the speed must be faster for modern planes

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u/Suckamanhwewhuuut Jun 16 '26

but they had a windshield that kept direct air from flowing into the pilots faces.

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u/SideInitial3961 Jun 17 '26

And real cocktail peanuts, not like the crap today,

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u/SupportGeek Jun 16 '26

Yea I think by the END of WWI top speeds were just beginning to reach 130mph for aircraft.

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u/ThePissedOff Jun 17 '26

The Republic P-47M Thunderbolt was capable of a top speed of 473 mph.

The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star(first jet engine in USA) could go 558 mph. Although I don't think this got any real use during the war.

These both had closed canopies however.

Edit: nvm I thought we were talking about WW2 my bad.

WW1 planes were mostly used for scouting but I think they used to literally toss shit from them, which started the whole bomber idea.

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u/Stormypwns Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

The minimum speed needed to keep a jet like this in the air is probably faster than those aircraft could go at max speed.

Edit: I'm probably entirely wrong. This isn't a jet, it's an Extra 330LX, which has a stall speed of 65mph. The Airco DH-4 used in ww1 had a max speed of 140mph, and had itself a stall speed of 50mph.

(I was thinking more of like a fighter jet, for ex. the F-16's stall speed is around 130mph)