What are these barrells?

[18-Wheeler]

(Not a technical question, so settle down please)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/84/281758994_73a0a2b4e8_b.jpg

http://consci.s3.amazonaws.com//wp-content/uploads/chemtrail-inners3a.jpg

http://www.x-plane.com/adventures/CrossCountry/DSC01774.jpg


I'm thinking it's a flight with a lot of water ballast, and they pump the ballast around to check the performance and stability with different CoG positions.

And I'm embarrassed to say that the chap that posted them thinks they are ...... ugh .... 'chemtrails' aircraft photos. Complete bulldust of course, but I'd like to know what is really being done here.

[rhythm method]

Beer supply for the flightcrew? :E

(I don't know either, but I'd also guess at some sort of liquid ballast with pumping options to change CoG characteristics)

[lomapaseo]

pseudo passengers

[sycamore]

Definitely ballast,plus some may be plumbed into the galley and toilets to check the system works to maximum...Maybe a couple of barrels of Guinness/Newcastle Brown to assist with `marking`!

[18-Wheeler]

It's a Qantas test flight of some sort, looking at the hi-vis jacket the chap in the first photo is wearing. Does that look like the upper deck of an A380 ?

[Ex Cargo Clown]

Definitely transferable ballast.

Of more interest is in picture 2, what is the placard saying "Hazmat inside" refering to?

[Dan Winterland]

A new cabin configuration for taking England football supporters to away matches.

[gas path]

A new cabin configuration for taking England football supporters to away matches.
Could be right as my guess it's a BA 777. The 'Hazmat Inside' is the bog for use after drinking all that Beer!:ooh::}

[Capn Bloggs]

No wonder the thing caught fire with all that *rap in it.

[Mad (Flt) Scientist]

Looks like its stuck to some kind of cabinet containing the test avionics. Perhaps they have batteries inside there with some kind of dangerous component to them? Or maybe there's some kind of fire extinguishing system for all the avionics racks further back?

[PLovett]

Perhaps this was the test A380 that Airbus used on the promotional trip to show it off to its customers. Photos taken when it arrived in Sydney hence the QANTAS hi-viz vest?

And 18-Wheeler, I am now buckling up the seat belts given the reaction to your last post on this forum. :}

[Brian Abraham]

Typical set up for test purposes, water tanks to shift the CoG about. See here for the 747-8 set up Take a Peek Inside the 747-8 Test Plane | Autopia | Wired.com (http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/02/peek-inside-boeing-747-8)

[Deeday]

Classic example of what these pathetic conspiracy theorists are prepared to do, in order to support their ravings, this time about 'chemtrails'.

The HAZMAT INSIDE caption has been airbrushed onto the original picture, which is on Airliners.net:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/7/6/9/0855967.jpg (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Boeing/Boeing-777-240-LR/0855967/L/)

(click on the photo for the high-res version)

[18-Wheeler]

Good find, thanks.
Imagine my surprise to find out that the woo-woo nutters are making stuff up.

[V1... Ooops]

Isn't that the annual Air France flight that delivers the Beaujolais Nouveau worldwide on the day that it is released?

[alexpdx]

Classic example of what these pathetic conspiracy theorists are prepared to do, in order to support their ravings, this time about 'chemtrails'.
The HAZMAT INSIDE caption has been airbrushed onto the original picture, which is on Airliners.net:Now that's funny.

[Ex Cargo Clown]

I did think that "Hazmat" placard was slightly odd, you'd surely have the relevant DG label on it :)

Goes to show the lengths some of these nutters will go, airbrushing a picture to prove your theory :=

[ChristiaanJ]

Two notes...

As already said, the barrels are used during flight tests for moving the CoG, or as lomapaseo put it : "pseudo passengers" :D
The bright orange wiring is a dead giveaway, because that colour is only used for flight test wiring.

The ???TAS hi-viz jacket is a minor mystery (what would anybody from QANTAS be doing in a prototype?), but it also could be somebody from VERITAS.
The 'Bureau Veritas' is an international service company, specialised in inspection, audit, tests, certification, quality control, etc.
I would expect people from Veritas to be on board for tasks related to calibration of test equipment, and overall certification.

CJ

[skyhawkmatthew]

It's definitely the Qantas typeface on the jacket... maybe from when the 380 was doing its round-the-world tour in 2005?

[ChristiaanJ]

It's definitely the Qantas typeface on the jacket... maybe from when the 380 was doing its round-the-world tour in 2005?You're probably right.
The Veritas people would have their own hi-viz jackets with their own logo.
It was just a guess from my part.

CJ