Tornado - vapour trail
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Farm strip on the Fens in South Lincs
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tornado - vapour trail
Need help from you knowledgible guys on the forum.
Yesterday afternoon as I was working on some fence posts adjacent to my farmstrip on the South Lincolnshire Fens, I observed a Tornado at around 500ft on a track of approx 020 just north of Bourne, leaving an intermittent (every 2 seconds) white vapour trail in it's path.
The vapour dispersed quickly and was not the kind of vapour you would associate with the smoke generated by the "Reds" which hangs around for ages.
It was definitely not moisture vapour being left behind after leading edge compression, as it came in precise bursts with set timescales between them.
The first thoughts that came to mind were fuel dumping or deliberately leaving a trail to aid detection as part of an exercise but not being an "expert" in military aviation, this incident has left me flummoxed.
I've lived on the Fens for some years now and have become quite familiar with the military activity that goes on above and around my strip but as I said this one has got me well and truly stumped.
Anyone got any ideas?
Thanks.
Yesterday afternoon as I was working on some fence posts adjacent to my farmstrip on the South Lincolnshire Fens, I observed a Tornado at around 500ft on a track of approx 020 just north of Bourne, leaving an intermittent (every 2 seconds) white vapour trail in it's path.
The vapour dispersed quickly and was not the kind of vapour you would associate with the smoke generated by the "Reds" which hangs around for ages.
It was definitely not moisture vapour being left behind after leading edge compression, as it came in precise bursts with set timescales between them.
The first thoughts that came to mind were fuel dumping or deliberately leaving a trail to aid detection as part of an exercise but not being an "expert" in military aviation, this incident has left me flummoxed.
I've lived on the Fens for some years now and have become quite familiar with the military activity that goes on above and around my strip but as I said this one has got me well and truly stumped.
Anyone got any ideas?
Thanks.
Meeeaaaoooowww!
Saucer of milk. Table one!
Who said we have no idea. We're just being cagey!
Bursts at regular intervals hey?
Now what component of a military fast jet could do such a thing?! (Not that he should be using that thing I'm thinking about in such a locale!)
Hmmm.
BV
Who said we have no idea. We're just being cagey!
Bursts at regular intervals hey?
Now what component of a military fast jet could do such a thing?! (Not that he should be using that thing I'm thinking about in such a locale!)
Hmmm.
BV
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Farm strip on the Fens in South Lincs
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks guys.
Got to go now as there's some men in dark glasses at my door and two Apaches on my strip!
Seriously though, someone out there must now the answer!
p.s. just thinking aloud here but if one cuts ignition momentarily, it's reasonable to assume the unburnt fuel will vapourise in the air behind said aircraft and the change in engine note will not be noticed as the other engine is running normally.
Got to go now as there's some men in dark glasses at my door and two Apaches on my strip!
Seriously though, someone out there must now the answer!
p.s. just thinking aloud here but if one cuts ignition momentarily, it's reasonable to assume the unburnt fuel will vapourise in the air behind said aircraft and the change in engine note will not be noticed as the other engine is running normally.
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: the north
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When the underwing tanks finish feeding there is often a small amount of fuel vented from the top of the fin which would look like he was dumping fuel. You cannot control this and it occurs for a few seconds before finishing, often in a few bursts.
I think this is what you saw.
I think this is what you saw.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Farm strip on the Fens in South Lincs
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks Swept.
I'll consider that to be the answer then and leave it there!
Thinking aloud (again):Strange that the vent near the top of the fin (and it's a mighty big fin on one of those beasts) has managed to slip down to the engine outlet on this particular a/c.
I'll consider that to be the answer then and leave it there!
Thinking aloud (again):Strange that the vent near the top of the fin (and it's a mighty big fin on one of those beasts) has managed to slip down to the engine outlet on this particular a/c.
Damn you Swept.
Just as I was starting to develop the switch pigz/EW conspiracy theory.
You ruined all my fun!
BV
PS. Mr Jenvey. I can assure you, it wasn't Flares I was thinking about!
You ruined all my fun!
BV
PS. Mr Jenvey. I can assure you, it wasn't Flares I was thinking about!
To keep the cyclopian 'my sister am my mother' web-fingered Naarfarrk people in their routine sub human state, 'Agent Blair' is often used in low flying fast jets.
This is is a DNA-modifier which is expelled into the atmosphere every time some yokel throws a piece of bread to the passing FJ!
This is is a DNA-modifier which is expelled into the atmosphere every time some yokel throws a piece of bread to the passing FJ!
Last edited by BEagle; 15th Nov 2007 at 11:26.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Farm strip on the Fens in South Lincs
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BEagle old chap.
We wealthy retired Lincolnshire folk with nothing to do all day other than fix fence posts and watch the skys, can afford John Lewis pastries to throw at the resident flock of fast jets that pervade the skies above our simple mansions.
As for being an "expert" in military aviation, fat chance. Nearest I ever came was knowing how to load a koffman starter in Chippies, as part of a pre-flight check. Oh and checking how much wood remained on the tail skid of a Moth before each flight.
Could be that one has some friends in very high places (literally) who will fill me in eventually, when I next bump into them (preferably not in the AIAA above my place).
We wealthy retired Lincolnshire folk with nothing to do all day other than fix fence posts and watch the skys, can afford John Lewis pastries to throw at the resident flock of fast jets that pervade the skies above our simple mansions.
As for being an "expert" in military aviation, fat chance. Nearest I ever came was knowing how to load a koffman starter in Chippies, as part of a pre-flight check. Oh and checking how much wood remained on the tail skid of a Moth before each flight.
Could be that one has some friends in very high places (literally) who will fill me in eventually, when I next bump into them (preferably not in the AIAA above my place).
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,576
Received 429 Likes
on
226 Posts
It was very cold yesterday, so he was probably just using carburettor heat to clear ice from the engine intakes.
> For someone who's not an 'expert in military aviation' Rog, you seem well
> informed about vent locations and tracks and stuff
I'd have known both those things, and I've read perhaps three books on the subject - hardly a lifetime of scholarship. One Tornado pilot once said "very well briefed!" when it turned out I knew what a boldface drill was.
Well, I ask you.
What disturbs me is that on this extremely slight amount of research I could answer most of the questions in the "I wanna be pilot!" thread, and these are people who're actually talking about doing it for a living.
Phil
> informed about vent locations and tracks and stuff
I'd have known both those things, and I've read perhaps three books on the subject - hardly a lifetime of scholarship. One Tornado pilot once said "very well briefed!" when it turned out I knew what a boldface drill was.
Well, I ask you.
What disturbs me is that on this extremely slight amount of research I could answer most of the questions in the "I wanna be pilot!" thread, and these are people who're actually talking about doing it for a living.
Phil
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Mornington Crescent
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ShyTorque,
Spot on, mate. You'll find that the Typhoon has a bimetalic-strip controlling a valve in the exhaust system to feed some of the hot air back to prevent carb icing automatically. Part of the "carefree handling characteristics"...
Blunty
Spot on, mate. You'll find that the Typhoon has a bimetalic-strip controlling a valve in the exhaust system to feed some of the hot air back to prevent carb icing automatically. Part of the "carefree handling characteristics"...
Blunty
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Exiled in England
Age: 48
Posts: 1,015
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What was actually happening was that the mini Nuclear Plasma Thermite Weapon (NPTW) was venting off some of the liquid nitrogen that it carries for cooling. If you see it in bursts it means the supply is nearly exhausted and the NPTW is reaching critical........ To prevent it going "sunshine mode" you have 15 mins to fill it up with a cold liquid. In last resort Guiness Extra cold will do, not to cool the NPTW but to give those nearby a nice last drinky before they need factor 3 million