Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.
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Wonwings diary-R.A.F's elite under attack regarding training time allowed.
Air training for front line: 16 hours. For Red Arrows: 132
Pilots from the RAF's elite Red Arrows aerobatic team are allowed eight times as much flight training time as their frontline colleagues serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
While Harrier, Tornado and Jaguar combat crews are limited to 16 hours a month in the cockpit on cost grounds, the nine pilots on the display circuit enjoy an average of 132 hours in the air and a further three in simulators.
Those hours do not include time spent by the Red Arrows flying at air shows in the UK and abroad.
The figures emerged from parliamentary questions asked by Mike Hancock,LibDem MP for Portsmouth South, and were confirmed by Adam Ingram, the ArmedForces Minister.
One RAF source said: "How can we claim to be stretched operationally when we can commit nine Red Arrows jets to the Sunderland air show and yet deploy only seven Harriers in support of our troops in Afghanistan?
While the display team are first-class pilots and great for PR, many of them wonder what the public thinks of a service which appears to put more effort into showboating than committing aircraft to the sharp end.
Since 1965, the Red Arrows have performed more than 4000 displays in 52 countries, including 90 in the UK and Europe this year.
The 12 Hawk jets used by the pilots are maintained by a 70-strong dedicated ground crew which travels with the squadron.
An RAF spokesman said: It would be unfair to compare the training needs of a display team flying in tight formation at high speed only a few feet apart with the hours needed to keep a Harrier or Tornado pilot up to scratch in retaining essential skills.
We would send more Harriers to Afghanistan if it was felt there was a need for more to support the ground forces there.
The bottom line is that the pilots all come from operational squadrons to begin with and will take the skills they learn back to the front line when their tour with the Red Arrows ends.
The 15 RAF Harrier pilots based in Afghanistan - two per aircraft and one reserve - flew 1188 sorties between January and September, including 513 in direct bomb or rocket attacks to help the Paras win pitched battles against Taliban insurgents last summer.
The aircraft remain at Kandahar military airfield while crews from the UK's two operational Harrier squadrons are rotated on tours lasting about four or five months. The seven Harriers represent almost 30% of the available jets.
Meanwhile, the Nato alliance is spending £30m a year to import bottled water for British, American, Canadian, Dutch and German troops battling the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan when it would cost less than £500,000 a time to set up local bottling plants.
According to the Afghan government, which is facing drought, crop failure and the need for international aid to feed more than three million of its citizens this winter, the expensive importation of drinking water is a symbol of the lack of international co-ordination in restoring the country's shattered economy.
Air training for front line: 16 hours. For Red Arrows: 132
Pilots from the RAF's elite Red Arrows aerobatic team are allowed eight times as much flight training time as their frontline colleagues serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
While Harrier, Tornado and Jaguar combat crews are limited to 16 hours a month in the cockpit on cost grounds, the nine pilots on the display circuit enjoy an average of 132 hours in the air and a further three in simulators.
Those hours do not include time spent by the Red Arrows flying at air shows in the UK and abroad.
The figures emerged from parliamentary questions asked by Mike Hancock,LibDem MP for Portsmouth South, and were confirmed by Adam Ingram, the ArmedForces Minister.
One RAF source said: "How can we claim to be stretched operationally when we can commit nine Red Arrows jets to the Sunderland air show and yet deploy only seven Harriers in support of our troops in Afghanistan?
While the display team are first-class pilots and great for PR, many of them wonder what the public thinks of a service which appears to put more effort into showboating than committing aircraft to the sharp end.
Since 1965, the Red Arrows have performed more than 4000 displays in 52 countries, including 90 in the UK and Europe this year.
The 12 Hawk jets used by the pilots are maintained by a 70-strong dedicated ground crew which travels with the squadron.
An RAF spokesman said: It would be unfair to compare the training needs of a display team flying in tight formation at high speed only a few feet apart with the hours needed to keep a Harrier or Tornado pilot up to scratch in retaining essential skills.
We would send more Harriers to Afghanistan if it was felt there was a need for more to support the ground forces there.
The bottom line is that the pilots all come from operational squadrons to begin with and will take the skills they learn back to the front line when their tour with the Red Arrows ends.
The 15 RAF Harrier pilots based in Afghanistan - two per aircraft and one reserve - flew 1188 sorties between January and September, including 513 in direct bomb or rocket attacks to help the Paras win pitched battles against Taliban insurgents last summer.
The aircraft remain at Kandahar military airfield while crews from the UK's two operational Harrier squadrons are rotated on tours lasting about four or five months. The seven Harriers represent almost 30% of the available jets.
Meanwhile, the Nato alliance is spending £30m a year to import bottled water for British, American, Canadian, Dutch and German troops battling the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan when it would cost less than £500,000 a time to set up local bottling plants.
According to the Afghan government, which is facing drought, crop failure and the need for international aid to feed more than three million of its citizens this winter, the expensive importation of drinking water is a symbol of the lack of international co-ordination in restoring the country's shattered economy.
Wonwings diary-How exactly do you capture enemy aircraft ?
Getting hold of Enemy Aircraft over the years.
The Department of Defense recently declassified details of an aggressor squadron run by the Air Force, that used real Russian planes. Why did they wait for nearly fifteen years after the end of the Cold War to do so? The answer - as always, was making sure it could do little harm. Getting possession of enemy aircraft is a delicate business, and can have a decisive effect. The recovery of a Japanese Zero fighter, lost in the Aleutians in 1942, enabled the United States to figure out how to defeat the plane that had been the scourge of the skies over the Pacific.
The current program primarily involved MiG-21s and MiG-23s, most of which were acquired through irregular means. Often they were acquired from defectors (like the MiG-15 acquired shortly after the Korean War and the MiG-25 flown to Japan in 1976). Other times, they were probably acquired via the black market.
Why get these when the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy already had programs like Red Flag and Top Gun? The answer lies in the aircraft themselves. Top Gun and Red Flag used American aircraft to simulate MiGs, and the approach worked, but they used planes like the A-4 Skyhawk and F-5E Tiger. While they were good at providing dissimilar air combat training, they had shortcomings. For instance, the A-4 was subsonic, and the F-5E was a full 835 kilometers per hour slower than a MiG-21. That's a lot.
Now, why keep the fact you have them secret? The answer is that airplanes, starting around the early 1960s, began to be much more than just engines and weapons. They began to rely much more on electronic equipment like radar, electronic countermeasures, and other systems. These are highly-classified systems - and knowing how a MiG's radar works makes it easier to jam.
This was why the fact we had these planes was kept secret. By getting information on the radars of these MiGs, the United States was able to ensure victories against countries that used these in the 1980s and 1990s, including Libya, Iraq, and Yugoslavia. This is still going on. In 1998, the United States bought 21 MiG-29s from Moldova. Ostensibly, it was to keep them from unfriendly hands. This force is roughly the size of one squadron.
Some of these were taken to the National Air Intelligence Center, where they will be dissected and the gear examined. This will give the United States an edge against countries that use the MiG-29, including Iran and North Korea.
The United States of America, though, has also been on the wrong end of this. After the fall of the Shah of Iran, several American-designed planes sold to Iran (including an F-14) found their way to Russia. At least one Pakistani F-16 has found its way to China as well. Countries have been acquiring each others' equipment in this manner for a long time. They will continue to do so, looking for an edge in the next war.
Getting hold of Enemy Aircraft over the years.
The Department of Defense recently declassified details of an aggressor squadron run by the Air Force, that used real Russian planes. Why did they wait for nearly fifteen years after the end of the Cold War to do so? The answer - as always, was making sure it could do little harm. Getting possession of enemy aircraft is a delicate business, and can have a decisive effect. The recovery of a Japanese Zero fighter, lost in the Aleutians in 1942, enabled the United States to figure out how to defeat the plane that had been the scourge of the skies over the Pacific.
The current program primarily involved MiG-21s and MiG-23s, most of which were acquired through irregular means. Often they were acquired from defectors (like the MiG-15 acquired shortly after the Korean War and the MiG-25 flown to Japan in 1976). Other times, they were probably acquired via the black market.
Why get these when the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy already had programs like Red Flag and Top Gun? The answer lies in the aircraft themselves. Top Gun and Red Flag used American aircraft to simulate MiGs, and the approach worked, but they used planes like the A-4 Skyhawk and F-5E Tiger. While they were good at providing dissimilar air combat training, they had shortcomings. For instance, the A-4 was subsonic, and the F-5E was a full 835 kilometers per hour slower than a MiG-21. That's a lot.
Now, why keep the fact you have them secret? The answer is that airplanes, starting around the early 1960s, began to be much more than just engines and weapons. They began to rely much more on electronic equipment like radar, electronic countermeasures, and other systems. These are highly-classified systems - and knowing how a MiG's radar works makes it easier to jam.
This was why the fact we had these planes was kept secret. By getting information on the radars of these MiGs, the United States was able to ensure victories against countries that used these in the 1980s and 1990s, including Libya, Iraq, and Yugoslavia. This is still going on. In 1998, the United States bought 21 MiG-29s from Moldova. Ostensibly, it was to keep them from unfriendly hands. This force is roughly the size of one squadron.
Some of these were taken to the National Air Intelligence Center, where they will be dissected and the gear examined. This will give the United States an edge against countries that use the MiG-29, including Iran and North Korea.
The United States of America, though, has also been on the wrong end of this. After the fall of the Shah of Iran, several American-designed planes sold to Iran (including an F-14) found their way to Russia. At least one Pakistani F-16 has found its way to China as well. Countries have been acquiring each others' equipment in this manner for a long time. They will continue to do so, looking for an edge in the next war.
Wonwings diary-A Jaguar aircraft for preservation in Norfolk ?
Efforts are being made to keep one of RAF Coltishall's key pieces of heritage in Norfolk and prevent it being sold at auction.
The future of the non-operational Jaguar standing as gate guard by the main entrance is uncertain, but RAF bosses have pledged to do all they can to help keep it in the county.
No final decisions have been made about whether or not the aircraft will be put up for public sale, but officials are wrestling with a red tape quandary of justifying what they do with equipment bought with taxpayers money.
The aircraft stands as a permanent memorial to those members of the Jaguar force, both air and ground crew, who have lost their lives during the course of their duties.
Sqn Ldr Jason Hughes, station commander at RAF Coltishall, said yesterday-
My intention is to try and find a suitable location in Norfolk for this Jaguar, somewhere it will be cared for.
But this has to be done within the strict procedures which must be followed in terms of disposal of such equipment.
I am always optimistic and I will try my very hardest. What I want to avoid is a general sale.
There was also reluctance to leave the aircraft where it was because of concerns for its future, and the potential for vandalism.
Whatever decision is made, it is clear there is no immediate hurry. Although the site will close as an RAF base on Thursday, a small contingent will remain and it is not until February 16 the site could pass into new hands.
It is understood there are a number of potential parties in Norfolk who have been or still are interested in acquiring the aircraft.
Mark Fixter, chairman of the radar museum at RAF Neatishead, said: It would be nice to see it kept in this county as part of RAF Coltishall's heritage.
The radar museum has considered the possibility of displaying the aircraft.
However as our own long-term future remains subject to the success of the business case requesting gifting of our award-winning museum, we are simply not in the position to commit to a project of this scale at this time.
The Jaguar, which is a GR1 model and carries the number XW563, was one of eight prototype aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation and Breguet of France, making its first flight in June 1970.
It acted as gate guard at RAF Bruggen in Germany from 1985 to 2001 before being moved to RAF Coltishall.
Efforts are being made to keep one of RAF Coltishall's key pieces of heritage in Norfolk and prevent it being sold at auction.
The future of the non-operational Jaguar standing as gate guard by the main entrance is uncertain, but RAF bosses have pledged to do all they can to help keep it in the county.
No final decisions have been made about whether or not the aircraft will be put up for public sale, but officials are wrestling with a red tape quandary of justifying what they do with equipment bought with taxpayers money.
The aircraft stands as a permanent memorial to those members of the Jaguar force, both air and ground crew, who have lost their lives during the course of their duties.
Sqn Ldr Jason Hughes, station commander at RAF Coltishall, said yesterday-
My intention is to try and find a suitable location in Norfolk for this Jaguar, somewhere it will be cared for.
But this has to be done within the strict procedures which must be followed in terms of disposal of such equipment.
I am always optimistic and I will try my very hardest. What I want to avoid is a general sale.
There was also reluctance to leave the aircraft where it was because of concerns for its future, and the potential for vandalism.
Whatever decision is made, it is clear there is no immediate hurry. Although the site will close as an RAF base on Thursday, a small contingent will remain and it is not until February 16 the site could pass into new hands.
It is understood there are a number of potential parties in Norfolk who have been or still are interested in acquiring the aircraft.
Mark Fixter, chairman of the radar museum at RAF Neatishead, said: It would be nice to see it kept in this county as part of RAF Coltishall's heritage.
The radar museum has considered the possibility of displaying the aircraft.
However as our own long-term future remains subject to the success of the business case requesting gifting of our award-winning museum, we are simply not in the position to commit to a project of this scale at this time.
The Jaguar, which is a GR1 model and carries the number XW563, was one of eight prototype aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation and Breguet of France, making its first flight in June 1970.
It acted as gate guard at RAF Bruggen in Germany from 1985 to 2001 before being moved to RAF Coltishall.
Wonwings diary-Guests and Friends models.
GUEST ALBUM
Below is the fine workmanship of my friends Roy & Rita Boyle from Warwick,Rita makes these super little miniatures in 'N' gauge utilising any type of material that she can get her hands on,the photographs hardly do justice to the amount of fine detail incorporated into these tiny dioramas.
The models measure only a few inches across and incorporate a lot of fine detail,the models show lots of imagination and skill.
Rita is well known on the model dolls house scene,and travels to America giving workshops
to those prepared to listen and watch how she creates these little miniatures and works of art,and that is what they are.
GUEST ALBUM
Below is the fine workmanship of my friends Roy & Rita Boyle from Warwick,Rita makes these super little miniatures in 'N' gauge utilising any type of material that she can get her hands on,the photographs hardly do justice to the amount of fine detail incorporated into these tiny dioramas.
The models measure only a few inches across and incorporate a lot of fine detail,the models show lots of imagination and skill.
Rita is well known on the model dolls house scene,and travels to America giving workshops
to those prepared to listen and watch how she creates these little miniatures and works of art,and that is what they are.
G
Barry, please pass on our praise to Rita. Lovely models and beautifully made.
Does the train operate?
Does the train operate?
Wonwings diary-Back to school as we look at how the Jet Engine works
http://www.rolls-royce.com/education/schools/how_things_work/journey02/flash.html
Wonwing recommends-A virtual journey though the innerds of a jet engine showing temperature,rpm,type of metals and the function of each second of air drawn into the engine,as it says in the sequence 'A second draws in enough air to fill a squash court'
Go take a look and educate yourself,you will enjoy this one,simply pull the red slider to the right and look at the visuals at the same time.
http://www.rolls-royce.com/education/schools/how_things_work/journey02/flash.html
Wonwing recommends-A virtual journey though the innerds of a jet engine showing temperature,rpm,type of metals and the function of each second of air drawn into the engine,as it says in the sequence 'A second draws in enough air to fill a squash court'
Go take a look and educate yourself,you will enjoy this one,simply pull the red slider to the right and look at the visuals at the same time.
G
A fascinaing insight but what i'm unsure about is why the RPM varies.
Surely with all the blades attached to the same shaft the revs are constant throughout the unit.
I can see the linear velocity of the gas varying as it contracts and expands but not the RPM.
Surely with all the blades attached to the same shaft the revs are constant throughout the unit.
I can see the linear velocity of the gas varying as it contracts and expands but not the RPM.
G
The one with the internal detail is amazing. Can we persuade Rita to do a build thread on one of her models?
I certainly think she would make a valuable member here.
I certainly think she would make a valuable member here.
In all fairness to Rita,Richard,I think that she has a lot of involvement with the dolls house groups and would not be able to find the time,I took the photographs at her request as she needed to submit them to an American group that she will be giving a workshop to in the future.
But I could always take a few build pictures with her permission and ask her how she starts the models.
They really are quite unique and charming miniatures not looking out of place on a model railway layout.
But I could always take a few build pictures with her permission and ask her how she starts the models.
They really are quite unique and charming miniatures not looking out of place on a model railway layout.
Wonwings diary-Getting to the bottom of how a jet engine works.
Rolls Royce have come back with the followng,re how a jet engine works-
Yes, the RPM will change (fluctuate) within the engine as there are effectively 3 different rotating assemblies in a Trent Engine spinning at different speeds. You have the Bypass fan at the front which is connected via a long shaft to the rear set of turbine blades. This assembly rotates with the lowest rpm, then you have a Low Pressure Compressor which is connected via another shaft (each shaft runs inside the other) to the Low Pressure Turbine and this rotates at the mid rpm and lastly you have the High pressure Compressor which is connected by the shortest shaft to the high pressure turbine and this all rotates the fastest.
The idea is that you extract the energy out of the gas flow in the most efficient way in the Compression and turbine sections by using progressively smaller and faster turning blades which then maximises the engines thrust and fuel efficiency.
Simple really ;-)
So in answer to your question, the blades aren't all attached to one shaft as there are actually three seperate shafts (Fan , LP and HP) inside a Trent engine and they all rotate at
different RPM's!
Hope that helps.
Rolls Royce have come back with the followng,re how a jet engine works-
Yes, the RPM will change (fluctuate) within the engine as there are effectively 3 different rotating assemblies in a Trent Engine spinning at different speeds. You have the Bypass fan at the front which is connected via a long shaft to the rear set of turbine blades. This assembly rotates with the lowest rpm, then you have a Low Pressure Compressor which is connected via another shaft (each shaft runs inside the other) to the Low Pressure Turbine and this rotates at the mid rpm and lastly you have the High pressure Compressor which is connected by the shortest shaft to the high pressure turbine and this all rotates the fastest.
The idea is that you extract the energy out of the gas flow in the most efficient way in the Compression and turbine sections by using progressively smaller and faster turning blades which then maximises the engines thrust and fuel efficiency.
Simple really ;-)
So in answer to your question, the blades aren't all attached to one shaft as there are actually three seperate shafts (Fan , LP and HP) inside a Trent engine and they all rotate at
different RPM's!
Hope that helps.
G
Now that makes more sense. I never realised there were three seperately rotating turbines.
Thanks for the clarification Barry, who says you can't teach an old dog something!!
Thanks for the clarification Barry, who says you can't teach an old dog something!!
We all learn something everyday via each other,that is the fun and practicality of this forum,John once said to me that web sites are great but a forum even better because they are a living thing.
And once more I have always found that even professionals are ready to share information with us all.
And once more I have always found that even professionals are ready to share information with us all.
G
Today my plastic and I were "taken" xmas shopping (with token kicking and screaming) ,Tk max are selling a very strange mix in the toy bit, car kits ,slot cars ,scaletrix and assorted others cheap if it's of interest to anyone.
Wonwings diary-Guests and Friends models.
Todays guest modeller is non other that Rita's husband Roy,he just happens to be a small scale model builder of some experience,whilst shooting the miniature dolls house's I also photographed Roy's models as well,another of his interests is full sized ballooning and he once owned the former 'Bizzie Bodies' balloon G-BUSY,and also the HP.60 powered model airship G-ERMS,Rita also is heavily involved with ballooning record flights being an official adjudicator and travels worlwide to such events.
Anyway here are a few of his current models mostly esoteric subjects of great interest.
ROYS MODELS.
Avro F
Beechcraft Skipper
Blake Bluetit
Model#1 Farman Sport 1920
Model#2 Avro 558
Model#3 Ludda Bye ( AMI Plan )
Chiribiri 5 Italian Lightplane circa 1920
Westwings Dornier Pfiel
Todays guest modeller is non other that Rita's husband Roy,he just happens to be a small scale model builder of some experience,whilst shooting the miniature dolls house's I also photographed Roy's models as well,another of his interests is full sized ballooning and he once owned the former 'Bizzie Bodies' balloon G-BUSY,and also the HP.60 powered model airship G-ERMS,Rita also is heavily involved with ballooning record flights being an official adjudicator and travels worlwide to such events.
Anyway here are a few of his current models mostly esoteric subjects of great interest.
ROYS MODELS.
Avro F
Beechcraft Skipper
Blake Bluetit
Model#1 Farman Sport 1920
Model#2 Avro 558
Model#3 Ludda Bye ( AMI Plan )
Chiribiri 5 Italian Lightplane circa 1920
Westwings Dornier Pfiel
G
Hey Barry, ask Roy about the tailplane on the Ludd. I didnt find it on the free plan. Did he just gessimate it or was it published later ? Anymore info on the airship G-ERMS ? Is that an out of sequence special registration ? Must have been big to need a .60.
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