WTHIHH?
 

I just saw this photo on FB. I’ve done a search but cannot find any details.

Does anyone know the background to this Tornado Cabriolet?

Maybe this?

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=168652

Ah ......

https://www.pprune.org/military-avia...-question.html

Green Flash

It wasn’t the accident that killed Wolfie (RIP). It was a trial by BAe test pilot Keith Hartley to see if the jet could be flown when the canopy/Nav had departed the aircraft - it could but was a bit drafty!

All covered in this excellent book by DG and DHL
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....4,203,200_.jpg

Thanks iR. As you say, looks a tad breezy:eek:

Thank guys,

I presumed it was probably a test, since there is no ejection gun visible.

I love the “arm on the window sill”. The only way to drive a convertible! :ok:

iirc the aircrew manual / RTS says something crazy along the lines of 'flight without the canopy is possible up to 300kts, above which significant friction heating of the head becomes uncomfortable"

Should have had the stringback gloves and a white scarf....and a pair of Mk8 goggles...

Been done before in a Boeing 737 in Hawaii I believe...

Indeed the film I just posted here

https://www.pprune.org/military-avia...jp-trials.html

Has them doing the JP canopy jettison and handling tests minus the canopy.

The GR1 F700 had a 'lim' that the nav would not necessarily survive the loss of the canopy because the TV tabs might snap off and gett'im. In the first GR1 loss the nav departed with Command Eject to Rear as per SOP but the pilot did not seem to initiate ejection.

This led to the debate over whether the loss of the canopy was survivable by the pilot and hence the test.

The immediate response was to change the SOP for Command Eject to Both, but then there was the A10/HIRTA incident in Germany and it went back the other way etc etc over a number of years.

In one of Roly Beamont's books, there are photos of similar open cockpit trials with the Canberra and Lightning.

The Lightning prototype's canopy had a habit of departing the airframe of it's own volition; this is covered in Beamonts book...the first time his helmet tore off. He flew with the helmet taped on after that, the tape going over the top and under his chin, iirc.

The airframe in question for this sortie was P12, one of the UK pre-series aircraft. I think that it was flown up to 600 KCAS. Keith said that the thermal heating made his neck, which was the only exposed skin, start to burn. After this sortie P12 flown only one more sortie - a ferry flight to position for use as an engineering ground platform; a canopy was re-fitted!

Anything to add, Newt?

LOMCEVAC, I'm pretty sure it was P15 (XZ631?).

EAP

Somebody ask Hartelberry ---

EAP86,

You could well be correct. I have sent you a PM to explain why I thought it was P12.

Rgds

L

LOMCEVAK,

following our exchange of PMs, I'm happy to agree that P12 was the the Tornado aircraft which flew the 'cabriolet' sortie.

My apologies to all for my faulty memory.

Rgds

EAP

Those who are in touch with Keith know he now pilots a Jaguar - albeit of the four wheeled variety and only when he's back in the UK.

He did laugh when I asked him, soon after meeting him for the first time, and after Googling his name and coming up with this story, why he hadn't bought a soft top Jag :)