QRA question
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Remember the 21 days a Jag would sit on Q then someone realised in that period a good layer of fuel vapour would settle close to the ground in the HAS and the Static inverters in the HAS's were not sealed or fireproof, so the possibility existed of the open electric motor setting the lot off... The typical RAF cure to fix the issue was to stick it on top of a 4 inch deep lump of timber to lift it out of the danger zone, as they had worked out the vapour layer wouldn't get that high, even though no one seemed to have thought that doing the morning checks would stir the vapour up...
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When I flew F4s the INAS could be aligned is 105 seconds if it had been shut down in a "Stored Heading" mode which enabled a rapid align. Could be wrong - it WAS 38 years ago!
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Interesting thread this 
A quick question - with the Typhoon now giving the RAF a mix of single and twin seat fighters (which there hasn't been since...??), have they ever had a twin seater on Q?
A quick question - with the Typhoon now giving the RAF a mix of single and twin seat fighters (which there hasn't been since...??), have they ever had a twin seater on Q?
33 is very good. I'd have to do a long search of log books to work it out, but I doubt I had that many.
What a wonderful night I recall with 4 x Bear F, us as the only fighter and 2 x tangos 'supporting us'. One tango set up an orbit while we went after one pair of Bears, and the other tango took the other pair. Top up to full and all swap round. One of the best nights I had. And the old F4 radar kept working all night.
What a wonderful night I recall with 4 x Bear F, us as the only fighter and 2 x tangos 'supporting us'. One tango set up an orbit while we went after one pair of Bears, and the other tango took the other pair. Top up to full and all swap round. One of the best nights I had. And the old F4 radar kept working all night.
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Courtney,
Don't I recall you being rather unusual in that you were one of the very few to arrive at Leuchars from a tour of Southern Q with a 10 Bear badge? Did you have to keep nobbling Q1's jet to get all the action?
Don't I recall you being rather unusual in that you were one of the very few to arrive at Leuchars from a tour of Southern Q with a 10 Bear badge? Did you have to keep nobbling Q1's jet to get all the action?
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Safetypee: Thanks for your comments. The 'donor' aircraft is the Akrotiri gate guard which I recently photographed specifically for that painting. The pitot has been nicked as has the refuel 'bulb' (end bit!). The hook may have been in shadow so I will check on that one and perhaps make it a little more prominent. There is always the chance that the Akrotiri cab hook has also been borrowed. FWIW You may notice I retained the serial of the Akrotiri aircraft which is depicted as 'E' when that aircraft served with 11 Sqn.
It all got a bit busy again since 2007, I was up one day watching an eight ship ladder of Bears that made the Telegraph. I seem to recall their being a Blackjack or 2 around that day - my logbook says so.
Tornados scrambled to intercept Russian jets - Telegraph
The picture of the Typhoon in the article has an amusing story behind it. To get a picture of a QRA Typhoon on it they scrambled them from Southern QRA and then hauled off the F3s that had been shadowing it for some time. They got the picture and then the Typhoons went home; the F3s then continued shadowing for a few more hours after they went home.
Anyway, there was a resurgence of Bear and Blackjack badges at Leuchars after that day!
LJ
Tornados scrambled to intercept Russian jets - Telegraph
The picture of the Typhoon in the article has an amusing story behind it. To get a picture of a QRA Typhoon on it they scrambled them from Southern QRA and then hauled off the F3s that had been shadowing it for some time. They got the picture and then the Typhoons went home; the F3s then continued shadowing for a few more hours after they went home.
Anyway, there was a resurgence of Bear and Blackjack badges at Leuchars after that day!
LJ
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Prohibited Intercepts
Courtney - I'm sure what you meant to write was that the TANGO took the other pair AFTER it had first been intercepted by your good self - thus enabling you to go after the second pair!
CB
CB
Tiger Mate,
A superb painting!
Please excuse a small comment from a spotter - wouldn't the Victor have had red/white/blue national markings, rather than the 'tactical' red/blue?
Apologies for nit-picking....
A superb painting!
Please excuse a small comment from a spotter - wouldn't the Victor have had red/white/blue national markings, rather than the 'tactical' red/blue?
Apologies for nit-picking....
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When I flew F4s the INAS could be aligned is 105 seconds if it had been shut down in a "Stored Heading" mode which enabled a rapid align. Could be wrong - it WAS 38 years ago
Not bad after 38 years though!!!
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Bobward:
That is exactly what I wanted; however the only photograph I have of a K2 in those colours is the prototype on company (BAe-Hawker Siddeley) trials flights. Therefore unsure as to whether squadron operators (OCU in this case) ever married up a bare metal Lightning with a red/wht/blu roundelled K2. I have a photo of this pair in these colours and therefore built the composition around a known formation.
That is exactly what I wanted; however the only photograph I have of a K2 in those colours is the prototype on company (BAe-Hawker Siddeley) trials flights. Therefore unsure as to whether squadron operators (OCU in this case) ever married up a bare metal Lightning with a red/wht/blu roundelled K2. I have a photo of this pair in these colours and therefore built the composition around a known formation.
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A superb painting!
Please excuse a small comment from a spotter - wouldn't the Victor have had red/white/blue national markings, rather than the 'tactical' red/blue?
Apologies for nit-picking....
Please excuse a small comment from a spotter - wouldn't the Victor have had red/white/blue national markings, rather than the 'tactical' red/blue?
Apologies for nit-picking....
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A nice photo that would have been most usefull of late. A few further questions for the Air Defenders if I may: I would like to paint a similar painting that includes either AEW Shackleton or Canberra T17 along with a fighter that will probably be F4.
Are there any circumstances when these aircraft would have joined up at altitude or were they autonomous operators?
Is 'Chaff' visible at height?
Did the T17 execute any dynamic manouvres when playing?
If civilian airliners were used for PI; how close to the airliners would a fighter get?
How often does such a scenario be it practice or real involve IMC flight?
Are there any circumstances when these aircraft would have joined up at altitude or were they autonomous operators?
Is 'Chaff' visible at height?
Did the T17 execute any dynamic manouvres when playing?
If civilian airliners were used for PI; how close to the airliners would a fighter get?
How often does such a scenario be it practice or real involve IMC flight?