Earthquake Or F111 Sonic Boom!!

[Honky Tonk]

Was wondering if anyone in SE Qld heard the F111 Sonic boom or knows somthing about it. Got a brief rundown from a friend but don't know the whole story.

[Obiwan]

Try here
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=20113

Apparently the pig was 100km off shore but a temperature inversion trapped the boom. Sound fair dinkum?

[A/F Armed]

I used to work at the Bombing Range at Evans Head a few years back, and was privy to witnessing 2 F111's go supersonic over the top of us at about 50ft. Blew every window in the place, lifted the roof, did a heap of damage in a split second. By my calculations they were travelling at about 300m per second. It was awesome!!! The best thing is I managed to get it on film as stills and a mate got it all on video. What an awesome weapon of an aircraft!!

[Milt]

Obiwan

Sounds like a long shot to me.

The shock wave would have been significanly depleted after 100 Km.

I've been over Mach 2.5 climbing through 50,000 ft in an F111E over Texas USA and no one noticed except me. It was awesome.

But Texans were used to calling big (BUFF) noises and sonic bangs the "Sounds of Freedom" in the 70s.

[flyingkiwi]

sorry, isnt the speed of sound 340m/s?

[Milt]

Flyingkiwi

Spot on for sea level.

295 m/sec at the tropopause at standard temperature -56 C.

[Macrohard]

Never been near an earthquake nor experienced the sound barrier being broken ...... but was sitting with the kids in the lounge room when my ears "popped" and almost simultaneously the whole house shook for about 2-3 seconds. Fortunately no damage to speak of, however my neighbour had light fittings dislodged ! I don't know what the heck it was and have my doubts about both explanations. Would anyone have a radar tape as proof?

[Obiwan]

Milt
Sounded unlikely but its apprently the excuse that defence are offering :rolleyes:

[Milt]

Macrohard

Could you advise your approximate position within a Km or 2 and how far from the coast?

Will attempt to determine the specifics.

But note that the F111 was one of ours and a reminder of the awesome capability they possess in our interests.

[ftrplt]

But note that the F111 was one of ours and a reminder of the awesome capability they possess in our interests.

so what 'awesome capability' does the ability to go supersonic provide??

[Bevan666]

so what 'awesome capability' does the ability to go supersonic provide??

When all else fails we can make the bad guys ears go 'pop'.

[VH-Cheer Up]

ftrplt

With that handle, you should be telling us...

Let me think why I would rather go supersonic...

1. Arrive over target sooner
2. Depart target faster
3. Intercept suspects faster
4. Breakfast in London, Breakfast in New York (until recently canceled by Rod Eddington and alleged popular lack of demand).

Being quick never did sled pilots any harm. When intercepted by MIGS at FL500 they showed a clean pair of heels.

Now my Dad once told me a great story about out-flying a Mosquito in an exercise where he was in a venerable Swordfish, but that is getting off-topic.

I guess the sum-up is speed DIFFERENCE is what gives the edge.

VHCU

[Milt]

Sounds like ftrplt is a young wet behind the ears boggie fighter pilot who is hacked off that he doesn't have an aircraft that can come anywhere near to catching an F111 !!!

Nor is he likely to get one in the near future.

[Macrohard]

Milt, Check your PM's.

[Lodown]

The first bang was the aircraft's shockwave. The 2 or 3 second rumble afterwards was from all the cowls and skin panels that fell off and the fan blades separating. Can any of the RAAF pigs still get to cruise @ FL500 these days?

[Buster Hyman]

so what 'awesome capability' does the ability to go supersonic provide??
It can give your SAS guys on the ground the ability to capture an Iraqi concrete factory without firing a shot!:ok:

[Milt]

Lodown

Appreciate that we are most fortunate to have in our Defence pig stye one of the more capable and high performing aircraft currently in use anywhere and that their protective umbrella is also over your head if you are fortunate enough to be Down Under.

Do you have reasons for wanting to denigrate the pigs?

Note that the engines have three fan stages in the airflow bipass around the central core and that the crews take a risk exceeding FL500 without oxygen pressure breathing.

Surprisingly they still have tail hooks, a bilge pump in the crew module, close terrain following and a spectacular dump and burn.

They are really pigs with long range trotters that can readily bring home the bacon!!

[Lodown]

Oh dear... It's just a weapon, not a date.

[Capt Basil Brush]

I live about 30kms north of Brisbane, just south of Caboolture, and our whole house shook for about 3-4 seconds. No damage, but I had to straighten some pictures on walls.

[Crogs]

I live to the north of Brisbane in Scarborough. I have been through a minor earth quake and the "sonic boom" frightened the crap out of me.

[Milt]

Footprint Reports

Keep the reports of locations of the sonic boom footprint coming together with positioning within a Km or so.

Any windows broken?

[John Eacott]

Sonic booms were reasonably common over UK until banned by the fun police (early 60's?), so the "double thud" wasn't a real issue around the outer London suburbs. Living in Cornwall before wandering out here, Concorde occassionally dropped the tail end of a boom over the Penzance area, again not a real issue, except to the miserable gits amongst us :rolleyes:

However, the F4K that went supersonic at <100 feet on a low pass off Ark Royal certainly got everyone's attention!!! I was practising Egyptian PT in my pit on 2 deck, and thought the ship had blown up: especially when I stuck my head out into the passageway, which was full of "smoke" - which turned out to be dust and asbestos bits shaken loose from the pipes and crevices down the passageway: duly noted for when I go down with asbestosis ;)

The F4 driver was in deep poo, until his claim that the MM read M0.95 was verified and the instrument declared U/S. Gutsy fly past, though, if only I'd been on deck with a camera :ok:

[Milt]

John Eacott

Back in the late 50s had just dropped a full load of inert 500 pnders, through cloud cover, from a Vulcan into Lyme Bay off southern England. Went down to have a look below cloud and found a carrier close to my drop zone. It should not have been in that controlled restricted area.

Flew a landing approach with gear down almost to touch down then slammed engines during a steep pull up. Hope I didn't singe anyone.

Did you ever hear a description of the event from someone on the carrier.?

[John Eacott]

Milt,

Along with various Shacklebombers, Nimrods & one brave soul in a Lightning :eek: Some stories were fiction, some fact, but yours must have been a sight to behold :cool:

Any idea which carrier, and where are the photos......;)

[Milt]

John Eacott

When on long final on the carrier, name I cannot recall, I could see that the guns were firing, hence the reason for it being in Lyme Bay. What were carriers in service July 57?

Guns went tight at about 2 miles so I dared to continue approach.
I didn't have a camera but I hope the usual recording of aircraft approaches was activated. Didn't pick up a mirror.

If I'd had a hook I could have had a shot at taking the carrier back to Boscombe.!!

[McRippy]

speed of sound at 50ft isa 333.34 m/s

[mr hanky]

Dropping a boom from 100km offshore is no problem, if you're pointing towards the coast with the right atmospheric conditions. I know, cos I've done it from 160+ km at 10000'. The seismologists were on the phone by the time we landed, to confirm it was a Pig and not an earth tremor - followed a day or so later by some Defence legal people because some clown was claiming I broke all his roof tiles and wanted reimbursement. Strangely enough he was the only one in the entire Brisbane area whose tiles had allegedly just been broken; also strangely enough there'd been a really nasty hailstorm about a week before...

[THREEGREENS]

Was standing on the flight deck of HMAS MELBOURNE one night between Oz and NZ on exercise when 2 F111's flew past at about 100' at over Mach 1.......none of us saw the planes in the dark but we did think the damned ship had blown up from under us!!!!..
The Officer of the Watch soon after made a broadcast..."For those that are interested, 2 F111's just did a supersonic flypast...." What an understatement........those jet-jocks had the interest of 2000 jack tars who were ALL wondering what the hell happened!
Absolutely amazing sh*t!:ok:

[ftrplt]

They would not have been supersonic, if they were you would have had people in hospital.

Thats not to say they wouldnt have been close!!

[Chimbu chuckles]

ftrplt I have an Mpeg I downloaded from somewhere showing an F14 going between the carrier and one of it's escorts. Altitude <100'.

They're a maximum of 200 mts apart...and he's is definately supersonic...one very loud crack as he passes between the ships...the decks of which are lined with hooting and hollering, camera armed septics.

Why would the pigs have hurt people in the HMAS Melbourne case when everyone in the Mpeg seems to be thoroughly enjoying the show?

Pretty spectacular how the shockwaves are disturbing the water just behind the aircraft too.

[THREEGREENS]

Don't wish to spoil your day ftrplt, but I have been witness to one other Mach 1 event and didn't need hospitalisation then either.......whilst standing on a dirt track way out the back of Charleville, again on exercise, this time with the Army, an F111 did a fly over, complete with sonic boom and shockwave, and none of us were hurt........other than a few brown stains on certain bits of undergarments for those who were not aware of what was happening!!!!:\ This time the aircraft was about 500'AGL and was most definately on the other side of the barrier...no question about it!:p Again, a sight to behold and one hell of an experience.......:E pity the only people who get to see this stuff now are the residents of Iraq!:)

[ftrplt]

oops, mis-read it as flew OVER the flightdeck at 100ft supersonic. That would hurt!!