Tornado bombing run
Discussion
The Tornado pic in another thread reminded me of this one I took last year.
My wife and I were at Donna Nook last year photographing the seals when a couple of tornados appeared and started bombing runs on the targets on the beach.
I was handholding my 500/4 to get these. Not an easy task when trying to pan with a tornado that's not very far away at all. I was determined to get the bomb and the tornado in the same shot and of the 120 odd pictures I shot of them, this is the only one that achieved that.
Cheers
Dave
My wife and I were at Donna Nook last year photographing the seals when a couple of tornados appeared and started bombing runs on the targets on the beach.
I was handholding my 500/4 to get these. Not an easy task when trying to pan with a tornado that's not very far away at all. I was determined to get the bomb and the tornado in the same shot and of the 120 odd pictures I shot of them, this is the only one that achieved that.
Cheers
Dave
poah said:
thats an F15E not a tornado lol
Is it ? Well that's me edumacated for today then.dilbert said:
That cannot be the right size for a bomb.
Its more like the size of a grenade..... Unless it's an airship in the distance!
It's a 25lb'er. This page has other planes doing the same:Its more like the size of a grenade..... Unless it's an airship in the distance!
http://www.maclean-nj.com/aircraft/donnanook.htm
poah said:
Roop said:
Nice photo. Still a great looking plane, the F-15 despite it being long in the tooth. With it's super agressive looks they might as well have called it the "McDonnell Douglas BM-1 Bad Mutha" 
first plane to be able to accelerate climb, has a kill ratio of 104 to 0A quote from the late Brian Carroll, a former RAF Lightning pilot and ex-Lightning Chief Examiner, who reports taking a Lightning F53 up to 87,300 feet (26 600 m) at which level "Earth curvature was visible and the sky was quite dark".
In 1984, during a major NATO exercise, Flt Lt Mike Hale intercepted an American U-2 at a height which they had previously considered safe from interception. Records show that Hale climbed to 88,000 ft (26,800 m) in his Lightning F3. Hale also participated in time-to-height and acceleration trials against F-104 Starfighters from Aalborg. He reports that the Lightnings won all races easily with the exception of the low level supersonic acceleration, which was a "dead heat".[3]
Carroll reports in a side-by-side comparison of the Lightning and the F-15C Eagle (which he also flew) that "acceleration in both was impressive, you have all seen the Lightning leap away once brakes are released, the Eagle was almost as good, and climb speed was rapidly achieved. Takeoff roll is between 2,000 & 3,000 feet [600 to 900m], depending upon military or maximum afterburner-powered takeoff. The Lightning was quicker off the ground, reaching 50 feet [15m] height in a horizontal distance of 1,630 feet [500m]".
In British Airways trials in April 1985, Concorde was offered as a target to NATO fighters including F-15s, F-16s, F-14s, Mirages, F-104s - but only Lightning XR749, flown by Mike Hale and described by him as "a very hot ship, even for a Lightning", managed to overtake Concorde on a stern conversion intercept.[4]
Sorry for the thread hijack but the Lightning was an incredible aircraft, we have the ability to produce incredible aircraft (Spitfire, Comet, Lightning, Vulcan, Harrier, Fairey Rotodyne) whilst the Yanks develop the work horses that most air forces demand.
YB
poah said:
Roop said:
Nice photo. Still a great looking plane, the F-15 despite it being long in the tooth. With it's super agressive looks they might as well have called it the "McDonnell Douglas BM-1 Bad Mutha"
first plane to be able to accelerate climb, has a kill ratio of 104 to 0
25lb practice bomb being dropped.
As for the lightning, I was at Boscombe Down for the RAF's last lightning flight (Boscombe had one for tests).
The pilot took off, wheels up and held it at 10 feet above the runway. At the end of the runway he pointed it 90 degrees upwards and just went straight up.
A medium speed pass, a slow pass and then he disappeared in a vertical climb again into the clouds. 5 mins later he returned at max chat, full burn, breaking the speed barrier over the runway at about 50-60 feet. He then returned and landed, out of fuel.
The camp switchboard was jammed all afternoon. Some wanted it to do it again, lots of complaints about the noise. Apparently he started his run over Salisbury.
Fantastic aircraft.
As for the lightning, I was at Boscombe Down for the RAF's last lightning flight (Boscombe had one for tests).
The pilot took off, wheels up and held it at 10 feet above the runway. At the end of the runway he pointed it 90 degrees upwards and just went straight up.
A medium speed pass, a slow pass and then he disappeared in a vertical climb again into the clouds. 5 mins later he returned at max chat, full burn, breaking the speed barrier over the runway at about 50-60 feet. He then returned and landed, out of fuel.
The camp switchboard was jammed all afternoon. Some wanted it to do it again, lots of complaints about the noise. Apparently he started his run over Salisbury.
Fantastic aircraft.
Yellabelly said:
poah said:
Roop said:
Nice photo. Still a great looking plane, the F-15 despite it being long in the tooth. With it's super agressive looks they might as well have called it the "McDonnell Douglas BM-1 Bad Mutha"
first plane to be able to accelerate climb, has a kill ratio of 104 to 0.
YB
poah said:
the lighting did not have the thrust to weight ratio to do it from what I've read online. the F15 could do it loaded as it has a thrust to weight ratio of 1.2:1. maybe a stripped version of the lighting would but thats not an operational aircraft though is it.
I've seen them do it.Plus - check this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mBMYUljwd8
Byker28i said:
poah said:
the lighting did not have the thrust to weight ratio to do it from what I've read online. the F15 could do it loaded as it has a thrust to weight ratio of 1.2:1. maybe a stripped version of the lighting would but thats not an operational aircraft though is it.
I've seen them do it.Plus - check this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mBMYUljwd8
bob1179 said:
Yellabelly, can you tell us anymore about the Concorde intercept exercise, that sounds really impressive.
Some great info there, I love reading about these things, especially British aircraft!
Bob, there is a great deal online about the Lightning try here for starters Some great info there, I love reading about these things, especially British aircraft!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Electric_Ligh...
Poah, you may not believe it but the camera does not lie, thanks to Byker for the film clip, over the years I've seen a number of bits of film showing the vertical acceleration. If the power to weight ratio were as you state, then there is no way the operational Lighnings could have carried out the intercepts as described. Strange that you appear willing to deny the capability of a superb piece of British engineering whilst glorifying what the Americans do.
This country has been the instigator of so many revolutionary designs that we should be proud of but, there is a real lack of national pride in our heritage especially in engineering.
Sorry for the rant but as an engineer it saddens me when people do not give this country due recognition for its past acheivements
YB
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