Typhoon AAR

[Compass Call]

Heard a rumour that a Typhoon landed in the Middle East with some of the AAR gear still attached to its probe. Tanker continued on its way.
Anybody know any more? Photos?

[Compass Call]

No response. Must have been a rumour then.

[Timelord]

I don’t know anything about this rumour but it was not unheard of to land with the basket still attached to your probe. There is a weak link behind the basket so that a whip developing in the hose doesn’t rip the probe off the receiver.

[Chris Kebab]

Absolutely, it's possible - these things happen, tad embarrassing for the individual maybe, but really, nothing to see here....

[Compass Call]

So, safely assume there was no real damage to the taxpayers asset then.
Thanks for your responses gents.

[45-25-25]

Compass Call Out of idle curiosity have you ever done any AAR?

[Compass Call]

45-25-25
Afraid not.
I was a fitter on Canberras back in the '70s !!

[switch_on_lofty]

45-25-25
Afraid not.
I was a fitter on Canberras back in the '70s !!
Never say never! 😀

[BEagle]

AAR can sometimes be problematic. In the following clip, the Italian AMX misses the first time, drops back and re-establishes the correct waiting position. On the second approach to contact, the hose suddenly jerks forward and the brake is applied. Instead of immediately putting on the red light and ordering the receiver to discontinue the approach, the refuelling operator watches helplessly as the receiver makes contact against a hard hose. This cause a whip and the drogue becomes detached:

https://youtu.be/eMNitOL0XcA

Steel wire from the damaged hose cause serious damage to the canopy and front fuselage of the AMX; if I recall correctly cabin pressure was lost and the pilot only just made it to the abort aerodrome.

[Sleeve Wing]

AAR can sometimes be problematic.
Steel wire from the damaged hose cause serious damage to the canopy and front fuselage of the AMX; if I recall correctly cabin pressure was lost and the pilot only just made it to the abort aerodrome. - Paraphrased.

Maybe the relative position of the AAR probe, Beags ?
Even back in the sixties without some of the fancy gadgets now available, with the drogue and six feet of hosed still attached to the probe, the only damage was brown trousers and a lot of paint removed from the nose cone. Not recommended.

[Homelover]

So, safely assume there was no real damage to the taxpayers asset then.
Thanks for your responses gents.
Compass Call

Do you think that your status as a taxpayer entitles you to know all the operational aspects of every type of UK military activity? I don’t think that is how it works. Don’t be nosy.

[Odanrot]

There’s only one thing you need to know about AAR, and that is that there are only two sorts of pilots that do it.

Those that have f****d up behind a tanker and those that are in the queue.

[45-25-25]

Compass Call. I was on Canberra B(I)8s in Germany in 1969 and then became a founder member of the RAF Buccaneer Force. We did a lot of AAR both from big tankers Victors and VC 10s and from the Buccaneer in the Buddy Buddy role - day and night. I never found it easy and the pulse rate always went up when I lined up behind the tanker. Fortunately I never had a 'spokes' (when the probe went through the spokes of the drogue) nor a drogue ending up on my probe. I once had to refuel in serious turbulence in the Inter Continental Tropical Zone between the Azores and Puerto Rico - I felt I earned my flying pay that day! I have, in the UK, seen a Buccaneer come back with an entire hose trailing behind the aircraft. It is little like riding a bike and all pilots need to build up their experience including first tour Typhoon pilots. As someone else has remarked in this thread "there but for the grace of God"!

[57mm]

As was explained to me, AAR is "Taking a flying f**k at a rolling doughnut", or "Pushing wet spaghetti up a cat's arse....."

[vascodegama]

Timelord

I thought that the weak link was on the receiver probe.

[Timelord]

Really? Maybe, but I’ve seen several baskets on probes but never a missing bit of probe.

[vascodegama]

Well I would say the other way round - I saw numerous probe bits retained in baskets and they all seemed to break at the same point! The offending item was often mounted and returned to the offending unit!

[Compass Call]

Homelover
If I want to be nosy, I'll be nosy - so there.

[Easy Street]

Really? Maybe, but I’ve seen several baskets on probes but never a missing bit of probe.

There’s no ‘maybe’ about it: (link (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/380146/Def_Stan_00-970-NPA_2012-012.pdf))

The probe shall be provided with a weak link so that the nozzle will break away in the event of excessive loads occurring due to instability of the hose or of failure of the nozzle and coupling to release under normal operating conditions. It shall also be provided with a non-return valve so that, in the event of such breakage, fuel spillage will not endanger the Receiver.

You can even buy a weak link assembly (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Eaton-Aircraft-Flex-Tip-I-FR-Probe-Nozzle-Weak-Link-Assembly-FRH550031-EX-MOD-/323929991182) in time for Christmas, complete with green tape to stop any of the shear rivets being ingested by an engine. Although the tape does not appear to have been retained in the instance pictured:

here

Other failure modes are available, as you’ve seen.

[ksimboy]

C130K had a probe tip break off during AAR Training, left a very interesting shaped chunk out of one of the prop blades.