I’d like to hear various opinion on which aircraft/engine produced most smoke , in typical operation.
Now, water injection doesn’t count. I mean regular operation, either turbojet or turbofan.
Of course I’m too young (23) to see any of the old planes in action, but judging by pictures, I’ve seen for example that JT3D on B52H, smokes a lot, also on DC8 and 707 (but it’s more obvious on B52 because of close-mounted twin engines, and naturally 8 engines).
I’ve seen a couple of pictures of 727, that smoked even more, but I think that’s not typical of 727. It must be an exception
Then I noticed some Convair 990, that smoked a lot too. Phantom f4 too.
And the worst case I’ve seen so far is russian Mig-29 for some reason.
But I’m simply judging by collections of photos, I don’t have much real experience with planes.
So who would you put, there as the smokiest jet? (again, either turbojet, or turbofan, but not counting water injection)
By: mike currill - 23rd February 2009 at 11:09
A Curvature Of The Earth departure. Quite a few airfield/aircraft combinations used them. I reckon the Volksplane still does as it certainly doesn’t take off.
By: super sioux - 20th February 2009 at 20:15
Strange that you should say that, and really shows how subjective this is, but in my younger spotting days we could always tell at a distance an ‘American’ Phantom by how dirty the air was behind it compared to an RAF one. We used to call them Smokey Joes.
Starfighters could lay some serious smoke aswel.
When I was in the RAF in the sixties we called them Smokey Joes as well, but the smokiest plane I ever saw taking off was at RAF Nicosia about 1961 in the summer when the temp. was about 100 degrees F. the aircraft in question was a Fairchild 119-G transport of the Norwegian Air Force supporting some UN setup in the middle east. It was trying to obtain enough speed for takeoff with the engines roaring at full bellow and the oily smoke hiding everything behind for hundreds of yards it hadnt left the runway when it disappeared from view behind a hangar and I waited for a nasty sound but it dropped off the edge of the plateau, managed to claw its way down the hill until it started to climb a little, luckily the contour continued to drop until it reached sealevel at Famagusta!
By: Trilex9 - 20th February 2009 at 15:27
Well ok, it seems to be using both, so…
By: pagen01 - 19th February 2009 at 21:16
I meant cheating as in its using RATOG, rocket assisted take-off!
By: Trilex9 - 19th February 2009 at 20:50
Yea, cheating, the initial criteria in this thread was no water injection.
You can’t compare engines, while using water injection (not all have that). I mean regular operation.
By: pagen01 - 19th February 2009 at 20:37
That’s cheating Hairy lol! Excellent link to some cracking USAF images thanks.
By: Flygirl - 19th February 2009 at 18:28
One that I suggested ! The Good Old F86. 😀
By: Wyvernfan - 19th February 2009 at 16:04
Beat this………………………………:D
Was this the one on loan to Greenpeace..:D
By: hairy - 19th February 2009 at 14:04
Beat this………………………………:D
From the NMUSAF photo pages.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos/index.asp?galleryID=530&page=1
By: scorpion63 - 19th February 2009 at 13:47
The B2 Vulcan with 201 series engines was a bit of a smoker too
By: Trilex9 - 19th February 2009 at 13:39
Thank you all for very interesting responses, I really enjoy reading all of this, so many good stories.
Keep it coming.
Here is a sub-question, to this topic:
The smokers, do they smell differently than a regular jet?
I imagine in my head the difference between a good diesel engine exhaust and one that leaks oil into the cylinder and has bad combustion too. The first one smells sweet-ish, as if something eatable is cooking, while the second one is a bit heavier and suffocating.
Is the same different present in clean vs. dirty jets? How do smokers smell?
By: Wyvernfan - 19th February 2009 at 11:45
Rare photo of a coal powered DC8..those were the days, cough!
Very good..:D:D
By: kodak - 19th February 2009 at 11:02
Always found this pic interesting – it shows RAF Spey engined Phantoms escorting 2 of surely THE most smokey “modern” jets- Mig29s and a Mig23. Bringing up the rear are Tornado GR1s, again smokey when in dry power…
By: mike currill - 19th February 2009 at 07:21
Ever been near an F-15C or F-111? two very noisy critters there
I have as a matter of fact and I still find the perceived noise level from the Tornado is a lot worse. Could the Tornado’s short tailpipes have something to do with it? I’ve just thought though, the F-16 is worse than the Tonka considering the F-16 only has one engine. Noisy little beasts.
By: pogno - 18th February 2009 at 23:58
The GE engines fitted to Swiss Air Convair 990 Coronado’s were by far the smokiest visitors to LHR during the 70’s, it seemed especially odd that a country known for its clean living and healthy lifestyle operated an aircraft that left a thick black trail in the sky. You didnt need radar to plot their route, they left it marked in the sky. Later in their life 990’s benefitted by engine mods developed by GE that were designed to make F-4’s less easy to spot, better combustion cans I think. When Spantax operated 990’s they were much better.
In my younger days I spent many a happy! hour up JT3D jet pipes, getting covered in sticky black deposits, now look up a jet pipe on a modern engine and its as clean as a whistle.
Richard
By: Lindy's Lad - 18th February 2009 at 23:43
They must have been confused between Gas Turbines and STEAM turbines….
By: pagen01 - 18th February 2009 at 22:06
They did seem particularly bad, but I think American types used water injection for take-off on alot of their types.
By: JetBlast - 18th February 2009 at 22:04
Buccaneer would be a candidate……
I totally agree, check out this footage of XW988 in the circuit at Boscombe Down a few years back.
By: Nashio966 - 18th February 2009 at 21:53
is it just me or is it mainly american engines that are smokey?
By: chumpy - 18th February 2009 at 21:48
Rare photo of a coal powered DC8..those were the days, cough!
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February 18, 2009 at 12:44 am