Windmills and Radar
 

Interesting snippet on local news here tonight.
Apparently, a large wind generation farm has been on the drawing board for the Kielder Forrest area for about ten years, very little progress has been made, one of the main objections being from the RAF,as wind Turbines seemingly render the radar in them fast pointy things you chaps rush about that area in, useless.
Hmmm, Draper has a cunning plan for a cheap foolproof air defence system here, no expensive SA missile kit necessary, but will keep it to himself. ;)

If it was that easy one would expect the enemy to be flying around stealth aircraft with those whirly propeller type things on the front for the same effect!!

ORAC
Why would 'the enemy' want to ruin the radars in their own aircraft by sticking 'windmill things' in front of the jets? Me no understand.....
:cool:

One would expect enemy types to be clever and use thnings like GPS and laser guided bombs which would not be affected by passive jammer windmills.

Poor fighter pilots and GCI trying to find enemy pilots flying behind very rapid mini-windmills would have much more of a problem!!

Cunning plan - as suggested many times before - bring back Mosquito as ideal stealth areoplane - stealthy smooth shape, little metal and 2 windmills!! (tries to find flaws in cunning plan....)

[ 13 December 2001: Message edited by: ORAC ]

We can't get the wood now. ;)

Along the same lines all the locals living under the approach to a RAAF base in east Victoria in Oz have been prohibited from puting swiming pools in the back yard 'cos the sun glinting off them confuses the jet jocks on finals.
Poor boys!! A good job it doesn't affect the navy pilots or we'd be ******ed.....there's always water around!!!!! :D :D

Tony D

Of course you can get the wood. Since the balsa is from a non-EU source exception will have to be obtained from EU, Agricultural Products Subcommitee in Strasbourg (except alternate thursdays when they are in Dusseldorf) After an environmental review and assessment of the trade balance impact the question cam be presented to the full agricultural trade committee planned to meet in the spring of 2003.

The sitka spruce, if sourced in Canada, is more of a problem. Under the NAFTA agreement this is considered softwood exports and is subject to excess duty for exports outside north america.

Can you make the whole thing of fiberglass?

edited for spelling

[ 14 December 2001: Message edited by: RATBOY ]

Rat boy fiberglss or GRP as they like to call it is just not right.......a bit like drinking real ale from a plastic "glass".

They must have been easy to manufacture those Mosquito's, just get a big chunk of wood and chop away the bits that don't look like a Mosquito.

APOSTROPHE ABUSE ALERT!!

Having a problem over this "wind generation farm" of yours, Tony. What are they going to grow there? Cabbage, pickled onions (they always do it for me) and so on?

But we still have the technology - the Canberra fin has wooden fillets...

Lots of the bloody things sticking up all over the place on the Northumberland coast.
They certainly don't prevent the chaps from zipping around that area,two of them driving Harriers nearly blew poor Draper off a roof up there a week ago. :(

Cor blimey Draper peeps - what you doin' on roof lookin at aeroplanes - you a spy?
Bet you got a stepladder too, innit? :D

Living in US sadly ignorant of real ale.

Hard part on new Mosquitos may be the oak or ash for the main spars and then the adhesives (probably environmental restrictions), but Lord what a beautiful airplane! I've got a firstborn child I'd trade for one.

Sensible answer (For once)
The windmills will give false velocity returns on a pulse-doppler radar (As carried on F15, F16, F3, F18, F4 but not GR4). I've actually locked to the velocity generated on helicopter rotors before (Who said hovering hid you guys!!), so I guess this is the same.
BUT it won't jam or deceive radar just create velocity targets where the windmills are situated - no big deal, I guess.
I hope this answers your Q, LJ.

Mozzie good - Hornet better!