Typhoon Tranche 2 Dropping Paveway

[EMU_1]

Leuchars based 6 Sqn Tranche 2 drops paveway at Garvie:

Link <Here> (http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafleuchars/news/index.cfm?storyid=22FB871D-5056-A318-A8DD5B2D30E865B8)

[soddim]

Looks like gravity still works then!

[Cows getting bigger]

**** me - "Aircraft drops bomb!". Whatever next?

[Courtney Mil]

Yeah, but another step towards the aircraft we thought we were buying all those years ago. About time:ugh::ugh:, but good news all the same.:)

[diginagain]

I wonder if it'll be available to the troops before we leave Afghanistan to the Afghans?

[LateArmLive]

It is available to the troops - it is providing them with a favourable air situation so they can go about their work unmolested by enemy fighters ;)

Oh, you meant as a CAS platform. No. That's what the GR4 and MQ9 are for.

[diginagain]

I'm sure it'll come in very handy. One day.

[Genstabler]

Did they self designate? I presume they have a pod?

[Easy Street]

From the linked article:

The last time 6 Squadron as a whole conducted end-to-end, air to surface weapons training would have been when the Squadron was flying Jaguars, so this is a fitting return to bombing for the "Flying Can-Openers".ISTR that some of the last Paveway deliveries by 6 Sqn Jags were live PW3s on Ex RED FLAG in which the fuses had been left at the bomb dump's default setting (which assumed retarded rather than freefall delivery) and hence the - now dud - PW3 buried themselves a looooooonnnnng way into the Nevada desert! :D :D:D

Good to see that the latest incarnation of the Flying Can-openers at least started by dropping intentional inerts! Although I hardly think that the successful release of an obsolescent LGB (having no data exchange requirement with the host aircraft) should be a cause for fanfare on a 4.5th-gen £bn project...

[orca]

Massive tangent.

Anyone know what the ground roll of a Jag with a PW3 would have been at Nellis? I saw one launch out of Thumrait (MC 05) once with a hefty load in very hot weather. The phrase 'Brave Chap' didn't really do the spectacle justice.

I was at HW for the 'retard PW' witch hunt, which was around the same time as the 'Oman PW3' witch hunt. Both of which were over shadowed by the 'I won't flinch, Kandahar' witch hunt.

I can't remember off the top of my head how many witches were caught in the end. I remember not trying very hard mind.

[Bob Viking]

Easystreet.
I can quite categorically say with absolute certainty that it was not 6 Sqn who commuted that heinous crime. It was the second best Jaguar Sqn to be left at the end of the aircraft's life.
Please get your facts straight before smearing the good name of the Flying Canopeners.
BV
Occuli Exercitus

[Bob Viking]

Orca
That may well have been me you saw getting airborne on my first ever heavy weapon drop. I can't remember the exact ground run but I can tell you that it took 160 track miles to climb to my 14000' drop height (dry power mind). I believe my exact words when i pickled and watched the beast fly were something along the lines of "f@$k yeah!". We also had dispensation to operate with a single engine dead zone.
The PW3 witch hunt at Magic carpet was attributable to the other single seat attack aircraft of the day. The one that didn't know if it wanted to be a jet or a helicopter ;)
BV

[orca]

I recall it well. (Although I flew in MC 05 - the PW3 incident happened later - MC06 from memory). I have seen the photo the JTAC took of the splash. He and his team were in a sangar - well within the safety trace - because it had a hand written sign saying 'PW3 shelter' on it.

Apparently the 'bang' was quite 'significant'.

[Stitchbitch]

I'm sure I saw a picture of a Conz Sqn dropping a bomb in about 2007?
http://www.targetlock.org.uk/typhoon/zj939_paveway.jpg
Good work 6 Sqn / BAe fellas :ok:
:E

[Violet Club]

Errr, P2 and not EP2 – why on Earth would you do that?

Wasn't the plan supposed to be that the T2s would be integrated with only P4s and not EP2s (never mind P2!)

Why the change? What's the point?? Where is P4??? Is this too many question marks????

[Bob Viking]

Orca.
I was lucky enough to be at MC 05 & 06. Bloody brilliant exercise to partake in. OLF virtually everywhere.
BV

[Courtney Mil]

Actually, that's a good point, VC. I thought Tranche 1 would have 'austere' EPW2 and Tranche 2 were supposed to have PW4. Maybe they found another 'feature' of the system so went for a quick PW2 fit with the promise of an instant upgrade to PW4 as soon as the 'feature' gets fixed.

[TEEEJ]

Genstabler wrote

I presume they have a pod?

Typhoon can carry the Litening pod. See following of Typhoon carrying pod on centre-lne store during Libyan operations during 2011.

A RAF Typhoon departs from Gioia del Colle, equipped with Enhanced Paveway II bombs, air to air missiles and a Litening pod in support of the UN sanctioned No Fly Zone over Libya. 16 April 2011

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/gallery/17DBF7AE_5056_A318_A88AFE1B2284D779/ellamy1.jpg

RAF - Typhoon and Tornado (http://www.raf.mod.uk/gallery/TyphoonandTornado.cfm?start=13&viewmedia=16)

LITENING targeting pod - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LITENING_targeting_pod)

[cuefaye]

Bit like ---

http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o738/HaroldEdward/harryplonl_zps3f870c1d.jpg

[Easy Street]

BV - I thought 41 had gone to become the OEU by then. Having now Wiki'd it and seen their April 2006 disbandment date I should have thought harder before slandering your old unit; my apologies. One of those episodes that made riveting viewing from the sidelines but evidently the fine detail didn't stick!

I'd also forgotten that the leaping heap's PW3 shocker happened in roughly the same timeframe. There were definitely no smug comments about PW3 ability of the other fleets knocking around the Tornado force at the time. None whatsoever. :p It made a nice, if brief change from being on the receiving end!

[LateArmLive]

It made a nice, if brief change from being on the receiving end!

But then you went straight back onto receive mode after the Fin's PW3 shocker in Arizona? ;)

[Easy Street]

I did say 'brief' ;)

[Bob Viking]

Oh please do tell. I missed that one!
BV

[Courtney Mil]

Yes, do retell all the stories. We love good stories!

Cuefaye, what a cracking painting. Whose is that one? How does the pod work with those two doors hanging down either side?

[cuefaye]

Tis mine Courtney, thanks!

[Courtney Mil]

It is really stunning. The mood, lighting and the hardware make it one of those "wow" paintings. Hats off!

[Dysonsphere]

You should all be ashamed of yourselves dont you know rocks have feelings minding its own business and someone drops a bomb on it.:p:p

[CoffmanStarter]

Phwoar !

Cuefaye ... You have undoubted artistic talent ... Splendid work, well executed :D:D:D:D

I bet our resident PPRuNe Professor of Aeronautics (he's holding at 19,999 at the moment !) has got his slide rule out trying to crunch the drag numbers on that lot under the wing :uhoh:

[orca]

Lovely painting. I'm assuming he didn't drop anything due to...oh, could be all sorts of reasons!;)

[CoffmanStarter]

Quick question ... when you push the tit and ping that lot off ... is the onboard flight control computer capable of almost instantaneous trim correction ?

[Courtney Mil]

Not only that, Coff, but it can stop it trying to fly backwards with those canards at the pointy end. :ok:

[CoffmanStarter]

Cheers Courtney ... and there's me thinking the canards were there to hang your gloves out to dry :ok:

[Trim Stab]

Question regarding the painting - is it normal to deploy the dragchute before the nosewheel is on the ground?

[cuefaye]

Examples on Google, Trim

[CoffmanStarter]

Cuefaye ...

I'd like to make a small donation to a Service Charity of your choice if I may continue to use your wonderful picture as wallpaper on my Mac ...

Looks good at 1024x672 stretched to 1920x1200 ... but if you can do a 1920x1200 that would be great :ok:

I'm certain you'll have a few other takes ...

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af162/CoffmanStarter/ScreenShot2013-04-05at160013_zpsab958d27.jpg

Best ...

Coff.

[Courtney Mil]

It was quite workable to deploy the 'chute before landing in the F4. It was slightly derotational, but never a problem. As long as you were below 200 kts.

[cuefaye]

Coff,

The painting is still in my possession at present. If it goes to a good home, or its prints (only A4, but very good repro) are sought, then I'd be very happy for all proceeds (less P&P) to go to a Service charity of choice. I'm not bound by rules or Mr Taxman (others may be more so, and will correct me), so please PM me with suggestions?

[TurbineTooHot]

Trim, we tend to do one or the other these days (aerobrake or pull the chute) and there's not been the teaching to have the airbrake out on landing in my time. (Only time it gets popped on the ground is a bit of a wave...)

He does look fairly heavyweight though and as he's from TES, I suggest that he'd be using all available means of not cooking the brakes. I guess that shot would have been from a while ago.

But it is a bloody brilliant painting. Good show Cue.! Have you got it in print yet? I'd be interested in lining you pockets for one.

[cuefaye]

... but if you can do a 1920x1200 that would be great

If you PM me your e-mail address, I'd be happy to :ok:

[cuefaye]

Re-painting. I think that, to avoid upsetting our Mods, any further chat concerning prints/charity donations etc might be best done via PM? :)