Strange sounding bus. jet Oxford this am.

[drawmer]

There was a business jet doing circuits over Deddington this morning making a really strange high pitched noise. It did a few LH turns over the village with u/c lowered - where most are doing RH turns to get into Oxford Kidlington.

When I came home for lunch - even my Dear Wife asked if I'd heard that strange 'plane!

Anyone know what was going on?

[A320G4driver]

Could have been a Bombardier business aircraft that was doing a tech flight of the RAT, (Ram air turbine) It is a small prop mounted on a hydraulic generator to power flight controls and electrics in case of failure of motor driven systems.

[drawmer]

Does the RAT make a hell of a noise? If so, it probably fits what was going on.
Thank you for the info.

Paul D.

[welliewanger]

I've done a RAT test on a Bombardier Global Express. I have no idea what it sounded like outside, but inside it sounded like a propeller aircraft. The cabin is normally very quiet (good sound insulation) but with the RAT deployed it was almost as loud as flying a light single. I imagine that outside the aircraft it made a helluva noise.

I can't see any reason to do circuits with the RAT out. It's there to provide hydraulic and electrical power if all four generators go offline or all three hydraulic systems fail. It's the very last chance to get you home. If you've landed with the RAT out you're not going to take off in that plane for a good few weeks!

With any luck, below there should be a photo of the RAT

http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x468/pletharoe/RIMG0001.jpg