Any military aircraft boffins?

[glojo]

Hi gang,
Both my son and I are curious as to the pay load of this Tornado that buzzed our house yesterday.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated

 

[crockers]

I think the two inner wing ones are fuel tanks...oops just seen the fins on the back so thats a no no....

 

[whitenemesis]

Intrestingly the two outer pods are not a pair?

 

[glojo]

I think the two inner wing ones are fuel tanks...oops just seen the fins on the back so thats a no no....

If you look closely then on the inner side of those objects are two, smaller items.(missiles??)



Regards

 

[crockers]

interesting web page here

http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/tornado.cfm

 

[fabes]

John

Maybe the fuel tanks get fins to help with the aero now?

I 'believe' the ord at the top of the photo is a anti submarine missle / torpoedo.

Not certain as I had to leave my stuff with last employer (who make them) and designs progress.....

However, it also looks a fair bit bit like a high altitude deploy smart bomb
Two ends of the spectrum I know, but due to the amount of water or air they then need to pass through to target, they carry similar external designs from this distance.

The opposite ord looks air to air, but is a bit big!

An odd array - are they down for Dartmouuth or Torquay displays in a couple of weeks?

 

[fabes]

If you look closely then on the inner side of those objects are two, smaller items.(missiles??)



Regards

Nope - thats the mounting points in the wings - ts hidden on the lower one

 

[whitenemesis]

From crockers web link

"For self-protection, the GR4 is normally armed with two AIM-9L Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles, a BOZ-107 Pod on the right wing to dispense chaff and flares and a Sky Shadow-2 electronic countermeasures pod on the left wing. The aircraft can also carry an integral 27mm Mauser cannon capable of firing 1700 rounds per minute."

 

[MikeL]

Damn, the military have been checking out your GTG - Tin foil hats all round then...

Mike

 

[verytalldave]

Good photo............I bet that made a racket as it went over.........

 

[glojo]

John

Maybe the fuel tanks get fins to help with the aero now?

I 'believe' the ord at the top of the photo is a anti submarine missle / torpoedo.

Not certain as I had to leave my stuff with last employer (who make them) and designs progress.....

However, it also looks a fair bit bit like a high altitude deploy smart bomb
Two ends of the spectrum I know, but due to the amount of water or air they then need to pass through to target, they carry similar external designs from this distance.

The opposite ord looks air to air, but is a bit big!

An odd array - are they down for Dartmouuth or Torquay displays in a couple of weeks?

We had Dawlish Air Festival yesterday and these were the attending aircraft:

The Royal Jordanian Falcons
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
The RAF Typhoon
RN Seaking Display with the RNLI Lifeboats
RAF Tucano
The Army Air Corps
Historical Flight Hawker Hunter
Beech 18
Naval Historical Flight
Wasp helicopter
The Red Arrows
KC135 tanker fly past
Former Red Arrow Folland Gnat (G-NATY)



These aircraft (four Tornado plus two??) were hurtling all around Torbay in pairs and did not give any type of demonstration. There was also an AWAC aircraft that remained further inland and I got the impression the fast jets were involved in some type of exercise involving this large asset? Thursday's are the day the Flag Officer for Naval Sea Training has the regular War day where Navy ships carry out complex exercises and I was wondering if these aircraft were involved in this?

The only time the fast jets got together in that group of six was when they were leaving the area, at all other times they were in pairs and usually miles apart!

The AWAC aircraft was never any closer than approximately ten miles, but this might have been further.

As an aside, but following on from the air display question.... The Red Arrows were at Dawlish, but there were only eight? I always thought there was nine?? Just goes to show you can't leave anything laying about nowadays

 

[glojo]

Good photo............I bet that made a racket as it went over.........

You certainly knew they were there

The annoying thing was I could not swing the camera quick enough to capture these aircraft as they flew directly over our house, but they were blooming low and would have filled the lens with the image.

 

[Swiss Toni]

You could have thumbed a lift 'up north - The Battle of Britain Flight, Red Arrows, Typhoon and AWACs would all have come from your favourite County north of Watford.

 

[glojo]

You could have thumbed a lift 'up north - The Battle of Britain Flight, Red Arrows, Typhoon and AWACs would all have come from your favourite County north of Watford.

Long time no speak

Wot's with the ?

Nothing wrong with sunny Lincolnshire

I've missed the bloke on t'Internet

Regards
John

 

[Dryce]

I think the two inner wing ones are fuel tanks...oops just seen the fins on the back so thats a no no....

They will be fuel tanks.

 

[Dryce]

If you look closely then on the inner side of those objects are two, smaller items.(missiles??)

Rails for mounting smaller stores.

 

[Dryce]

Rails for mounting smaller stores.

Actually I may be speaking bullocks on the rails. I'm more than a few years out of date.

It looks like these days on the Tornado they put in additional sensors which look like long probes on the inner pylons. I'm pretty sure I've seen them mount Sidewinders in that position in the past - hence the confusion.

The outer stores are probably a Sky Shadow electronic counter measures pod and the other is a chaff dispenser. (The longer missile like one is the dispenser).

 

[Dryce]

I 'believe' the ord at the top of the photo is a anti submarine missle / torpoedo.

I don't think the Tornado does ASW.

Going after submarines requires low level capability and endurance with lots of sensors (and associated manpower) which is what the Nimrod does.

 

[fabes]

A certain client country does have ASW capability in their fleet due to shipping channel exposure (though they have mainly desert in their land)

You would see the eyes and ears high in the sky direct delivery from a fast jet at the scene. I understood it was a contingency option (from a good salesman!)

Though I would agree, in this hemisphere, you are more right than I, it won't be a wet pod.

I'm in Torbay the Bank holiday weekend and will miss both Torquay and Dartmouth displays as they are the week after - bugga (

The GTG will get the Red Arrows though!

 

[Dryce]

You would see the eyes and ears high in the sky direct delivery from a fast jet at the scene. I understood it was a contingency option (from a good salesman!)

Actually there is some sense in that if you reduce the weapons on your helos then you increase their endurance - as long as you can expedite the delivery call.

What weapon is it?