At the last Old Warden event I bought a 50 year old copy of ‘Evidence in Camera’ (not bad for 50p!)
In the chapter, ‘The last stages in Europe’ the Me 163 is described as being able to climb ‘like a homesick angel’
This is a phrase I have heard for the last few years about the Eurofighter Typhoon and which I thought was fairly original. Clearly not!
Just curious how many other aircraft have had that said about them? 🙂
By: J Boyle - 1st October 2011 at 19:53
A favorite of mine for the 70s: “Climbs like a 727 whose crew’s been promised the rest of the day off.”
By: Dunbar - 1st October 2011 at 18:45
There’s a million of them…
In the same class as ” landing as smooth as a cat p!ssing on velvet”…”nothing on the clock but the makers name” etc.
I love ’em all:D
By: J Boyle - 1st October 2011 at 13:58
As far as I’m aware, ‘climbing like homesick angel’ is/was a fairly common americanism that stretches back to WW1. Anything with a decent rate of climb seems to have been worthy of the phrase, from the P51 to the Neiuport 28.
Agreed.
It was a common term “back in the day”.
I’ve heard it used a great deal in period accounts describing general aviation aircraft from the “golden age” of the 30s.
Sounds like something you’d hear pilots say in a pre-war film…without a trace of sounding corny.
BTW: Supercruise is, as pointed out, going supersonic w/o afterburner.
I’ve never heard it used to describe the rate of climb.
By: AdlerTag - 1st October 2011 at 13:40
As far as I’m aware, ‘climbing like homesick angel’ is/was a fairly common americanism that stretches back to WW1. Anything with a decent rate of climb seems to have been worthy of the phrase, from the P51 to the Neiuport 28.
By: avion ancien - 1st October 2011 at 13:29
Nothings new, take the USA and it’s useage of the term ” Supercruise”
Huh, and there’s me thinking that it’s got something to do with the Piper PA-12!
By: bazv - 1st October 2011 at 12:06
Was the term ‘Homesick Angel’ originally coined for the Me 163 ??
ISTR reading that some years ago…
You can certainly see why when it goes into steep climb 😀
By: Nashio966 - 1st October 2011 at 11:40
I always thought the americans just used the term “Supercruise” to give the impression it was a world first and they were the only people to have ever managed it 😎
Just a careful repack and rebrand it american 😀
By: TonyT - 1st October 2011 at 11:34
This is a phrase I have heard for the last few years about the Eurofighter Typhoon and which I thought was fairly original. Clearly not!
EE Lightning too…. I’m sure its a fairly well used phrase for anything with a good rate of climb.
Nothings new, take the USA and it’s useage of the term ” Supercruise”
The F/A-22 is the first American fighter aircraft with the ability to supercruise, or fly at supersonic speeds without using the afterburner.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/f-22-raptor4.htm
The Lightning I believe could do that too………. just a lot earlier 😀
By: JT442 - 1st October 2011 at 11:28
EE Lightning too…. I’m sure its a fairly well used phrase for anything with a good rate of climb.
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October 1, 2011 at 10:49 am