Typhoon Wheels-up Trial in China Lake?
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News from my buddy at China Lake
I merely pass on this news, without comment.
Looks like the rear of the wing/fuselage wore through and ground into the engines. Might be why it caught on fire. You can see fire damage on the vertical stab. I suppose it will take a while to fix...
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was talking to a load of Typhoon chaps in Feb. Even back then, there were bits falling off the undercarriage every so often so they were only allowed to lower gear over the sea or designated parts of Lincolnshire and were doing gear down ccts. They reckoned it was only a matter of time before someone had a cognitive failure and a mishap of this type happened.
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Inadvertent Gear-up Landings
I recall a similar accident when a Lightning T5 being flown by OC 5 Sqn landed spectacularly on its ventral tank at Binbrook. This happened shortly after another Lightning had had an U/C problem when about to land at Valley - he couldn't get the port U/C to lower and a short time later ejected over the Irish Sea.
It was concluded that excess "wear" was being experienced cycling the gear after every low approach (the Lightning seldom did touch and goes or rollers to save the tyres - high pressure, very narrow and very expensive). As a consequence Wg Cdr **** omitted to lower the gear when downwind to land with the inevitable result......
The holes in the cheese appear to have lined-up again.....
MB
It was concluded that excess "wear" was being experienced cycling the gear after every low approach (the Lightning seldom did touch and goes or rollers to save the tyres - high pressure, very narrow and very expensive). As a consequence Wg Cdr **** omitted to lower the gear when downwind to land with the inevitable result......
The holes in the cheese appear to have lined-up again.....
MB
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The Lightning in question was an LTF jet from memory and It happened in 1981, the Valley jet was inbound for static at Valley's airshow in 1979, I cannot remember the pilots name off the top of my head, but he was the cousin of our insurance lady in Immingham. Its a small world
As for the T.5, Dad has some interesting pics from outside the fence of it, and it was repaired and did fly again.
V1
As for the T.5, Dad has some interesting pics from outside the fence of it, and it was repaired and did fly again.
V1
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Nagging Nora etc
I know much has been said already about GPWS, which I appreciate is, as I understand it, more for avoiding CFIT than anything else.
However even on the poxy little PA-44 I used to photograph from, there was a " Warning Gear Unsafe" klaxon & flashing light whenever at low height, which seemed just the job to avoid such embarassments.
Not sure if it was tied into airspeed, but that doesn't sound difficult on such a complex & well equipped aircraft as Typhoon...
Too simple ?!
However even on the poxy little PA-44 I used to photograph from, there was a " Warning Gear Unsafe" klaxon & flashing light whenever at low height, which seemed just the job to avoid such embarassments.
Not sure if it was tied into airspeed, but that doesn't sound difficult on such a complex & well equipped aircraft as Typhoon...
Too simple ?!
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Lightning lost at Valley
17th August 1979RAFLightning F.3XP737 "N" LTF11 SquadronPart of undercarriage would not lower. Crashed into the Irish Sea off RAF Valley inbound to Valley for the open day on 18-8-1979,
AngleseyFlg. Off. R. T. KnowIes
V1 here are the details of the accident you referred to in your post above.
MB
AngleseyFlg. Off. R. T. KnowIes
V1 here are the details of the accident you referred to in your post above.
MB
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A bit OT but does anyone recall an 'incident' at Biggin Hill, July 1969, where a Jet Provost allegedly piloted by a senior rank rotated, lifted off and then returned to the runway just as the gear had retracted? I recall it was a hot day, I was at Biggin enjoying my flying scholarship course at the Surrey & Kent Flying Club on the other side of the airfield. I can't find any reference to it on the 'web.
Last edited by delta96; 9th May 2008 at 17:25. Reason: Grammar
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Too simple ?!
Ok, maybe you're speculating about something which you have no knowledge, but that doesn't necessarily mean you’re too simple.
T or F Knowles ?
Don't know if it was an R F or an R T . . . but I do know it was the charismatic, young Irish flying officer Ray Knowles and that he pointed it over towards his motherland before jumping out . . . and it very nearly made it there ! 
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I was a student at Valley at the time and went on to fly Lightnings with Knowlsey. He left the autopilot in when he ejected and, if it had auto ILS selected, it may well have given the Irish a scare. As it was, the aircraft ran out of gas before it got to the Irish mainland. He barely got his feet wet as the SAR heli was descending alongside him with the winchman already out, waiting for him to hit the water - al least, that's how he described it!
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I was the NCO i/c Valley Photo Section at the time of this incident. Had to rush to the tower to get fly-by photos of the offending u/c. The film was processed in under 2 mins using print dev and wet prints provided for the techies to attempt to offer advice.
It is true that the SAR boys were on patch, just awaiting his splash down.
Sadly, I have no images to post as they were all official - for the B of I.
It is true that the SAR boys were on patch, just awaiting his splash down.
Sadly, I have no images to post as they were all official - for the B of I.
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Typhoon Wheels-up
According to Air Forces Monthly the Typhoon was an FGR4, ZJ 943 coded "DK" of XI sqn which was on loan to 17 (R) sqn for weapons trials at China Lake air weapons station. Damage is being assessed but the pilot did not eject and was unhurt.
Does anyone know the real extent of the damage and the cause, or have any pictures?
MB
Does anyone know the real extent of the damage and the cause, or have any pictures?
MB
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One Less Typhoon Confirmed....
Well, it's been confirmed. The China Lake wheels-up landing caused Cat. 5 damage and ZJ943 has been officially struck off charge....
Only 5 months old and rumour has it the accident also wrote off the latest version of a Sniper pod
. They are worth quite a few shekels as well.....
BS036/140 ZJ943Typhoon FGR4f/f 21/11/2007, d/d Coningsby 10/01/2008, w/o 23/04/2008
What a waste! Still no pictures around to show us just how bad the damage was.....
MB
Only 5 months old and rumour has it the accident also wrote off the latest version of a Sniper pod
. They are worth quite a few shekels as well.....BS036/140 ZJ943Typhoon FGR4f/f 21/11/2007, d/d Coningsby 10/01/2008, w/o 23/04/2008
What a waste! Still no pictures around to show us just how bad the damage was.....
MB
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Well if you've got a long distance camera, get to RAF Brize Norton, where the public road passes the end of the runway, point it towards JATEU, or whatever they call it these days and you'll get a picture of 2 x Typhoon wings on there STC's with heat damage from the aircraft concerned.