Not a bad effort there mate, I had the advantage of working on a 90cm image when I did ‘Bet Lynch’, and also the advantage of being able to correct mistake without too much hassle (thanks to using multiple layers in PhotoShop). One thing to note about the new MA decals is they will not have the names on the aircraft due to the conditions of the crown copyright licence, got told that info by one of the guys who did the research on XX119.

My point is that when you can stand there and see it buzzing around with your own eyes how much of an accomplishment is it that you can also see it through an optical system? At those ranges even a radar could see it. Means absolutely nothing.

I was taking the p!ss,:rolleyes: Rapier only has a range of a few miles anyway, so if Rapier can engage it, you can see it, unless its dark or bad weather of course, which is the reason the radar is on the system in the first place (plus of course it will give a few seconds extra warning in the case of a non stealthly aircraft in good weather).I don’t put anything on what BAe did at Farnbough in the late 1990’s with the B-2, as I stated in the first post the B-2 is most likely like the F-117 in that it has a stealth mode, when it does not want to be seen by the enemy, and a non stealth mode when it does want to be seen by its friends (like in the local area of an airfield its operating out of). In the case of the F-117, all of the comms and Nav Aid aerials are retractable, no doubt the B-2 has the same for some of its systems, ILS, TACAN and alike. As stated by others, it wouldn’t touch a stealthly aircraft if the stealthly aircraft is used correctly (i.e. medium altitude or higher).

“detected while flying in the pattern around the airfield” it takes a bit of the shine off it. :rolleyes:

Not really, Rapier would not be able to realistically engage any target outside that distance anyway.

There is a story that a Rapier system managed to track an F-117 an and airshow, Farnborough IIRC, but I dont know the details.

B-2 actually, though the B-2 most likely was in its non steathy mode, like comms aerials deployed, which would have not made it very steathy. The non radar tracker is an imaging IR system, which can be very easily put on to the target by the Mark 1 eyeball (I’ve done it at on a RAF Regiment Rapier FSC display at an Airshow as a member of the joe public (show was Mildenhall 98)).

29 Squadron were equipped with Beaufighter Mk Ifs from Sept 1940 until May 1943 and Mk VIfs from March 1943 until May 1943 (after that Mosquitoes). Until November 1942 night fighters were painted overall Night (black). After that Medium Sea Grey/Dark Green was adopted. The Mk IV was a converted Mk If fitted with Griffon engines. This mark was not proceeded with.

Photos. Mk If B-RO V8324 painted Special Night. Bambi and Thumper badge on the nose.

L-RO serial unknown. A service repaint of MSG/DG. The tailplane is apparently all DG. Squadron Leader’s pennant on the nose.

Duff keyboard and not checking before posting, antoni, I did mean Beaufighter VIf.

I had a hand in the production of that book in that I gave Chris a number of photo’s of JTV, XTV’s and XRD’s that I found at Kemble in 2002, plus he put me in contact with the Late Roy Hawkins (Roy died of cancer a while back), who saved shed load’s of ramjet and Bloodhound development stuff from being skipped at Patchway, some of which I’ll use on my own book project when I’ve the time to get around to it. Overall a first rate book and a worthy addition to any avaition buffs bookshelf, it’s just a pity that I bought a copy a week a go, only to get home and find an e-mail from Chris that a free copy of it was in the post.