Aerobatics Sequence for TV series
 

Hello!

Hoping someone can help - if you think this would be better answered in another forum page please let me know - I'm not a pilot!! :

I work for a factual film company in Bristol. We're making a magazine-style marine conservation series where we highlight weird and wonderful marine species around the world.

We are doing a sequence about Bluefin Tuna and their ability to reach 3.27 G when they accelerate and are looking to get our presenter - Tom 'The Blowfish' Hird - on an aerobatics / fast aircraft so that he can experience this kind of acceleration.

We've got the 2nd October bookmarked for this filming as we've had a provider pull out. Can anyone come to our aid?

Pilots / airfields - preferably close to Bristol - recommendations are all welcome.

Thanks!

I guess the Tuna accelerates at 120 ft/sec/sec? Which is 3.75 Gx, i.e. in the horizontal plane,

The 'g' forces usually associated with aeroplanes are Gz, i.e. in the vertical plane. So experiencing +3.75Gz in an aeroplane will have no real relevance when considering your fish.

Fun though!

An aircraft in a level turn at an angle of bank of 73 degrees will achieve 3.4 G. This is well within the limitations of a standard aerobatic aircraft.

But that's still in pitch, rather than acceleration. You would need to go from 0 to 72mph in 1 second to get 3.2g in acceleration & I'm not sure if even a jet fighter could do that.

British Aerobatic Association registered schools here:
https://www.aerobatics.org.uk/training
Ultimate Aerobatics at White Waltham are just east of Reading, so down the M4.
South West Aerobatics are based at Dunkeswell, between Taunton & Exeter.
Gloucester airfield, for Altered Attitude Aerobatics, is between Gloucester & Cheltenham.

There's also a couple of gliding clubs near Stroud that could do a trial flight with an aerobatic instructor & get 4g.
https://bggc.co.uk/
https://www.cotswoldgliding.co.uk/

I would be shocked to discover that any fish could reach 72mph in one second in a straight line. Using the language of physics then a change of direction is an acceleration and I suspect that the measurement of the fish by scientists will be stated using the language of physics, not how we pilots restrict the use of the word to flight.

major.tom refers only to the 'G' force not the speed.

A glider winch launch might be able to convey the feeling of acceleration. I suspect that getting a ride in a catapult-launched jet is unlikely to be feasible! If it's the sensation of acceleration that's important rather than flight, then seeing if a few laps in a 2-seater F1 type of race car might suffice. Even a powerful EV might do the trick.

LOL. I assumed that as far as the fish is concerned the g figure came from something like 0 to 20mph in a fraction of a second. The 0 to 72mph in 1 second was merely a representation of just how difficult it would be to replicate that acceleration for a TV programme.

The number apparently comes from a scientific study that attached tracking tags including g meters to fish. There's no mention (in the article) about whatever speed the fish reached or for how long.
https://medium.com/@Tuna/is-sailfish...2f7c82779#5b51

I found the same study that shows the actual data of 3.27 G over 2 seconds. The study calculates this to be 144mph (72mph at 1 second) but of course this is theoretical. So, to experience 3.27 G it does not matter whether it is achieved in level flight or not. Experiencing the same in a loop or during a 73 degree angle of bank should not matter for the reporter.

contact invicta Aero Club. They have approval for commercial filming work and recently conducted the aerial scenes for ‘Slow Horses’.

www.invictaaero.club

A top fuel dragster can make 3.3 "g", might be an idea.

Acceleration does not need increase in speed. Decrease also has acceleration. Cheapest would be a drop from a calculated height.
My old Astra could get very high acceleration if driven into a rockfall.

If you accept that acceleration is defined as "the rate of change of velocity per unit of time" then no change is speed is required for acceleration. Velocity is a vector quantity with both magnitude and direction. A change in either magnitude or direction is an acceleration.

HI Major.Tom

We can help you out with your request - we are an aerobatics training school and we are experienced with media work.

www.northwestaerobatics.co.uk, [email protected], 0161 710 2290.

Cheers!