Question for Eric & other aviators

[The Excession]

Litttle Josh (aged three) has a question for Eric that lives in PistonHeads.

"In this movie that my daddy was showing me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYwO-I6FKHI

please can you tell me what the twirly thing on the back of the first aeroplane tail is.

Neither of us can figure it out.

Many thanks
Love Josh."

[muckymotor]

So the pilot can find it when the car park is busy.

[eharding]

Its a "Trailing Cone" pressure sensor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailing_Cone

(Sorry Josh - Eric Who Lives In PistonHeads isn't here at the moment...)

[Eric Mc]

Hi Josh

It's the captain's sock - he got it wet before take off so hung it out to dry.

(Eric - who knows everything about aeroplanes).

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 30th November 10:25

[The Excession]

Eric Mc said:

It's the captain's sock - he got it wet before take off so hung it out to dry.

(Eric - who knows everything about aeroplanes).

Smashing stuff... Josh will love that and be well pleased. However he'll not fall for that answer.

Seriously though, if you could edit your post to inlude the word 'Josh' he'll be over the moon to get a reply as he can spot his own name on a computer screen and is now certain that Eric lives in PH and knows everything about planes.

This is not a piss take, just a little boy that is interested and I'm trying to teach him that when you want answers you can ask respected people on the Internet.

Consider yourself a kind of 'Santa of the plane world'

Thanks Eric.



(I'll delete this post if needed to keep the thread clean for him - it was his question, 'What's that?' - I said 'I don't know but we can ask Eric'. 'Who's Eric?' - you get the drift)

[Eric Mc]

Sorted



Ho....ho....ho.

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 30th November 10:25

[C2HYM]

Lockheed Martin experimental doing circuits a few weeks ago with one.

Edited by C2HYM on Monday 30th November 10:33

[Simpo Two]

Interesting bit of observation - my eyes are naturally following the wheels not the tail - but then at the age of three I guess he isn't following the dynamics of situation!

[Papoo]

I can't say with any certainty, but given that they are found on experimental flights; specifically in determining crosswind limits, my guess is that it is used (visually or data gathering) to help measure crosswind components in some way. It may also give an indication of the aircraft's directional (left/right yaw) stability in various conditions.

[Simpo Two]

Target towing for marksmen

[eharding]

Papoo said:

I can't say with any certainty, but given that they are found on experimental flights; specifically in determining crosswind limits, my guess is that it is used (visually or data gathering) to help measure crosswind components in some way. It may also give an indication of the aircraft's directional (left/right yaw) stability in various conditions.

I don't think so - at that stage of the test flight, its been reeled back in and is simply flapping around in the breeze. The in-flight photo above shows the cone deployed fully - the whole idea is to get a set of static pressure sensors sufficiently far away from the airframe that the static pressure error for the aircraft's intrinsic sensors can be determined.

[mybrainhurts]

Hi Josh,

These people know nothing.

Boeing tried to hush it up, but they crashed into Santa Claus and that's his hat....

Don't worry, he's ok, an aspirin fixed it...

[Papoo]

eharding said:

Papoo said:

I can't say with any certainty, but given that they are found on experimental flights; specifically in determining crosswind limits, my guess is that it is used (visually or data gathering) to help measure crosswind components in some way. It may also give an indication of the aircraft's directional (left/right yaw) stability in various conditions.

I don't think so - at that stage of the test flight, its been reeled back in and is simply flapping around in the breeze. The in-flight photo above shows the cone deployed fully - the whole idea is to get a set of static pressure sensors sufficiently far away from the airframe that the static pressure error for the aircraft's intrinsic sensors can be determined.

Thank you, Sir.

Somehow, I managed to completely ignore your original post.

[dr_gn]

mybrainhurts said:

Hi Josh,

These people know nothing.

Boeing tried to hush it up, but they crashed into Santa Claus and that's his hat....

Don't worry, he's ok, an aspirin fixed it...

[mybrainhurts]

[The Excession]

Thanks chaps, I'll get him to post a reply when he comes over for the weekend.

[The Excession]

Hi Josh here

You are really clever.

Thank you


Josh said & typed all of that himself! He might need a bit of help spelling, but he found all the letters on the keyboard himself and chose the smilie.

Thanks very much... he was over the moon that people answered his question

[The Excession]

mybrainhurts said:

Hi Josh,

These people know nothing.

Boeing tried to hush it up, but they crashed into Santa Claus and that's his hat....

Don't worry, he's ok, an aspirin fixed it...

I read this to Josh and then eluded the fact that you are in fact nuts.

The look on his face led me to wonder if he really knew what I meant. So I asked Josh what 'nuts' means.

He said 'they're under your willy!'

[mybrainhurts]

[perdu]

Tell young Josh to stick around

as he grows up he will become a definite asset on this website





oh heck my jaw's aching

whaddaboy!