Mra4 At Eglin

[backseatjock]

One of the new BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4s is having a six week holiday in Florida having touched down at Eglin AFB after its first transatlantic hop earlier today.

During its six week deployment, the type's first outside Europe, the airraft and its systems will be subjected to environmental trials, undergoing a series of climatic tests in extreme temperatures, ranging from -40C to +45C.

The trials are being undertaken at the US DoD's McKinley Climatic Laboratory, the largest facility of its kind in the world, which will allow testing at any temperature and with engines running.

Engineers are due to test systems integrity in conditions ranging from the bitter cold of Alaska to dry desert heat of Arizona and will run simulations of day/night cycles as well as testing under high humidity and solar radiation conditions.

A team of 45 personnel, drawn mainly from BAE Systems, but including RAF, MoD, DPA, DQAG and QinetiQ have flown out to support the testing.

This is by far the most challenging deployment undertaken by the MRA4 to date and should go some way to demonstrating the maturity and reliability of the platform's systems at extremes of temperature.

[boyassassin]

During its six week deployment, the type's first outside Europe, the airraft and its systems will be subjected to environmental trials, undergoing a series of climatic tests in extreme temperatures, ranging from -40C to +45C.
[/QUOTE]

Surely that temp range will limit the aircraft, given the extremes of temps in the current theatres of operation?? :confused:

[movadinkampa747]

-40C


???????? Florida. Sounds like an excuse for a holiday to me.

[airborne_artist]

Still a bit humid there, and the hurricane season is in full flow. Bad planning. Dec through April is best in FL.

Only time I went there for Betty was in July - 110 during the day, but ice cold in the air-conned night clubs come sundown :E

[L J R]

I hope they personally asked a 2* to approve the travel

[BEagle]

Oh Eglin! Sorry, thought you'd written Elgin!

[Hoots]

The old and the new were parked up beside each other for a few hours at Brunswick the other night. The wing and engines sure look a lot bigger closer up. I would have thought by now that it could have made Eglin in one hop, guess they are still working on the endurance or AUW side of things.

[BossEyed]

???????? Florida. Sounds like an excuse for a holiday to me.

Undoubtedly. A 'climatic laboratory' is unlikely to be anything other than a plush waiting room for Hooters. It even has hot and cold (http://www.eglin.af.mil/em/virtualtours/mckinley/index.htm) running barmaids. :8

If only the Amesbury Sauna (http://www.qinetiq.com/home/defence/test_and_evaluation/singlesitefacilities/bd_facilities/eth.html) was big enough for the party supplies of beer and buffalo wings...

[Two's in]

You can't help thinking that if it was Llanbedr and not Florida, it might not have taken 45 personnel to watch it go through a shake and bake chamber. Still thank goodness Joe Taxpayer isn't picking up the tab on this one - Oh wait a minute...

[TWnotAT]

Sorry we missed you lot in Brunswick. We had retired to the bar when you came in for QTR. :rolleyes:
For info, the aircraft behaved impeccably well during the 3 days transit out, via Lajes, Brunwick to Eglin. :D
Remember it is still early days in the test prog. and some of the fuel tanks are not cleared for use yet. (We are already approaching/passing MR2 endurance, so you will need hammocks and pillows by the time all the fuel tanks are in use!) Navigation requirements meant we couldn't hop the pond in 1 go.

Still, it's nice to go back to old haunts. Did anyone get a piccie of the MR2 sat beside the MRA4?

[Dimmer Switch]

Hoots : I would have thought by now that it could have made Eglin in one hop

Can you imagine how much food that'd have needed !!!!!!:confused:

[althenick]

Oh Eglin! Sorry, thought you'd written Elgin!

Me too BEagle I was begining to think that the Buccaneer Service Station had got itself another "Gate Gaurd" :hmm:

[Hoots]

TWnotAT

some of the guys took some piccies at Brunswick, although the light was starting to fade. Thanks for answering my question regarding fuel, sure looks an impressive beast. Good luck with the testing.

[RileyDove]

Can't help but think the 9 1/2 hour journey non stop to Sanford (Orlando) seems a sprint in comparison to the Mighty Hunter's three days ! Are there some good places to spend rates or something?

[TWnotAT]

RileyDove,

...not fuel constraints as such..navigation constraints that still remain within our flight test limits.
Remember this was the first time the MRA4 had been let loose over the pond. Given a little bit more time there will be a sharp increase in range and versatility of the aircraft.

You take for granted the operating envelope of the MR2. All new aircraft have to be carefully extended through a prolonged test environment to ensure we safely approach the design limits of the aircraft (airframe and sensors). It doesn't happen overnight, but I can assure you it is gathering pace and before long the MR2 will look rather dated in comparison.

Can't wait to see you guys after a 14+ hour trip!

[ComJam]

Beags

The -40c bit is quite easy to achieve in Elgin, not sure about +40 though :}

[ORAC]

navigation constraints that still remain within our flight test limits So who forgot to pack the sextant....

[TWnotAT]

hehe,

Sextant, Morse key...all gone i'm afraid :eek:

We have to rely on numerous GPS/INS, and other modern methods!

Anyone got any pics of them both together?

[Charlie Luncher]

DS
14 hours and a probe is just silly you will need a trailer to carry the extra Mars Bars and sugary lard balls.
13 hours is bad enough as all the fruit and salad (sp?) goes off so you have to eat the proper stuff:ok: .
Were you the RAF officer quoted during Fanrborough ref curry :D
Charlie sends

[Dimmer Switch]

Charlie,

You know me, rarely ever forward of the galley (all that complicated kit makes me nervous), so of course I take a keen interest :ok:

Also, on the first point, they do King Sized Mars bars now :)

[Hoots]

TWnotAT,

Would stick a photo in here but havn't a clue how to.

[TWnotAT]

Hoots,
I sent you a personal email with my email address to send them to if you could.

Would appreciate any pics as we haven't got any with both aircraft side by side yet.

[RAF_Techie101]

Have a look here for a few pics of the two together sometime last year...

http://groups.msn.com/LatinFlyersAirportBar/martinsplanepics.msnw?Page=Last

[Hoop Stress]

Looking at the piccies of the MRA4 it would appear that every radar on the Eastern seaboard must have seen it coming across the pond... Its massive engine intakes, the numerous dangly bits and protrusions must just give it the largest radar cross section of any "new" military aircraft. An ideal replacement as an ISTAR platform...Not!

[Doptrack]

RAF_Techie

Those pictures were taken in Oct 2004 (I took at least one of them). That was before MRA4 was in it's "proper" paint scheme.

It would be nice to see the two "official" paint schemes together and on the other side of the pond.

Doptrack

[Birdy99]

No morse key? You're going to tell me that there's no RPROs either? Please tell me that there is some piece of kit to spill your curry on where there is no chance of cleaning it out?!

[RADGAP]

RPROs....:eek:

Curries?? No galley at the moment :uhoh:

There will be of course for when the aircraft gets to max endurance ;)

Come on Hoots, get those photos sent, or you can send them to me if you like as I was on board as well. I will put them on here for you.

RADGAP

[Strato Q]

Hoop Stress - the S in ISTAR does not stand for Stealth!