jb154Well, though it was bitterly cold today, 3 of us got a fair bit done on 579. Apart from the usual weekly leccy and hydraulic anti dets, We got on with finishing no2 engine bay as the weather was dry, which I’m pleased to report, is now ready for it’s engine. So both bays are now ready for engines :-).
We also managed to inspect the no1 interspace firebottles, which we found to be in very good overall condition, so we will be leaving them alone, and just checking the cabling for insulation leakage. We also got started on n02 reheat pipe, which is in much the same state that number one was in, before we overhauled it. if that wasn’t enough, we managed to get started on the first of the two engine IPN starter inspections, and also give the reheat pipe solanoids a clean bill of health. So a good day overall, and another step closer..:)
a few pics from today.
from left to right….
first. No1 interspace firebottles in situ….
Next one. One Lightning avpin starter…
No2 reheat pipe coming to pieces earlier today…seized solid..
next, no1 reheat solanoids being inspected, and surprisingly..were mint!A couple of hunter t7 seats we pulled out of XL591, to make it easier to work in the cockpit.
lastly..no1 reheat pipe and no2 interspace pipe ready and waiting for fitting..
Hi MJR
Knowing only a little about Lightnings I can see that you have an outstanding achievement.
More like prep for flight than museum restoration.
This must rank as one of the besst posts I have ever seen on the forum.
Are the fire bottle panels still off and have you done megga checks on the wiring to the Graviner control units?
STUNNING
jb154
jb154Glad you enjoyed it, we certainly did. The weather was a real bonus.
We had spent many hours on Saturday in the wet, cold and dark working on No.4. Sadly only with partial success, more to do there!There were two of our members/associates taking video on the outside, plus two more on-board with video cameras. We are putting together a DVD of all the runs, not just the recent ones. The source material is on a numbers of different formats and this is slowing down the final version. Plus now course Rod will have to incorporate the footage from yesterday! By the way I don’t appear in any of your photos, I bathed specially too! Any one need to know how to burn £400 of AVGAS, just ask…….
Peter Mills ( the one on the end of a long headset lead)
Yup doode you going to get to do a piece to camera telling us what a grand old bird she is so the bathwater wont have gone to waste!!!
Many thanks to the Cranfield Lightning team who came down for our event.
I know one of them got some footage.
do be patient we have loads of stuff to look through and as Pete said it is on all sorts of formats. Just got a Matrox card for the desktop to sort it all out.
jb154
jb154RIAT Arrivals
Well that seems to have wrapped that up then.
The trouble is there are a bunch of “Aircraft Enthusiasts” out there doing stalwort work restoring and operting vintage aircraft.
We are all tared with the same brush form the “Official side” and stuff like this makes us all look like a bunch of, well you think of a description, It dose not help.
Have I said this before somewhere probably.
I had a great day and missed lots of shots I cold have goten but how can you enjoy the full expierience squinting through a viewfinder all day, relax and enjoy for its own sake.
jb154Riat Pic posts
Are we aviation enthusiasts or professional photographers???
Seems some here are defo on the wrong forum, Albert mate those pictures are fine just fine by me.
I have a fab set of the Lancaster doing mag drop checks barely 20 meters directly in fron of me too closefor the Fugi Finepix to get it all in, probablyout of focus badly framed sun directly on the screen couldnt see a thing!!
just guesswork.
reluctant to post because of all the abuse I will get at a lost photographic oportunity.
likewisw thw Wobbly Goblin and Typhoon.
jb154
jb154re the git seals 3/4 by 1 inch available from Blue Diamond in Southampton, thats where I got some for 458
re 728 just a theory
If the IVV is not doing its stuff and the flaps are blocked off it it is entirely possible that the tank is beibg drawn down to a vacuum by fuel transfer to the engine. the only inward path being the transfer pipe fitted in mod er forgot its number but it is onle a 3/8 dia and limmited to the rate of ballance specially if the tank is nearly empty.
Is the situation worse with empty tank.
This from long conversation under wing of 53-671 at GAM with milt n dave a couple of weeks back.
Got pressure gauges to cover the relevent pressures and a little logger to strap in the wheel bay. if any help
still cant figurt out why it dose it on a run could be tied up with the datum pressure and ram air pressure in the LE throught the LE slot.
jb154
jb154724 the END
The thaught of mjr being close to 724 is well interesitng.
Perhaps I should wisper in the “Elephants ear” of 53-671 (an old friend) she might have something to say about the budding relationship, I will commune with 671 and enshure all is OK she iscoming on a treat.
Question
Are thel flaps on 728 sealed off from the fuel system to prevent leaks from the flap hinge seals. Always a prob on Lightnings.
This is a bit of info I need reply with PM to jb154
got a logger and sensors for 3500, +/- 15psi and 15 psi and a logger. have cunning plan re stagnation.
if personalities get in the way can contract out to the mythical mjr
RB
jb154Radio active instruments
THe BAPC are running a great scheem for Preservationists. The first module of 8 (I think) has delt with this problem.
There is one thing that is missing, however, from the discussions. The Radioactive nasty stuff is Radium 226. this wil linger for 1600 Years quietly turning into Radon 222 this is thr Radon we hear so much about.
It is a gas and will diffuse out og all but a totaly vacuum sealed housing.
It hangs arround for 3.6 days,ish, then in fairly short order nips through three changes to end up, for the time being, as lead 210 for 23 years then on through bismouth 210 and the notorious Polonium 210.
In the process there is some Gamma radiation need to check eht typical levals, and a fair dose of Beta.
Gama radiation is like radioo light UV radar ets but much more penetrating you need 2″ lead to stop it.
The other product is Beta radiation. (Electrons in a bl**dy hurry) . this can be stopped by 10mm Aluminium or s bit more plexiglass Perspex etc.
The lasy product is Alpha radiation this will go 15mm in air not much further. wont get through your skin, They are Helium Nucleui billions of times heavier than the electrons and inside you like being hit by 15″ shels rather than a BB gun. So dont get it in you we all know what happens if you do.
Trouble with the Radon Daughters is they are Alpha emitters and single atomsthat attach to dust in the air up to 56,000 per CC often over 2500 / cc.
These can be breathed in and settle on anythingin the cockpit.
I have done tests on their migration and they got out of a double heavy duty zipper bag and produced traces on the outer bag it wes in.
All this in the space of a 9 month period.
There is a risk it all depends on the circumstances.
I have Alpha, Beta and Gama probes that I am going to get recalibrated so may be able to help.
I have a RPS chit from work some years ago as we were working with Uranium Hydride (yugh) quite nasty.
You go look for contamination with a GM tube Gounter and will find little to nothing. Go seek with an alpha or beta probe and you see a different story
jb154
jb154Lightnings are terrible to service and unreliable. NOT
It is a little known fact that one of the the stipulations of the BAC Saudi Support contrct was that they maintained a 60% OR [operational readiness] state.
given say 19 [counting of my old list of tail numbers] operational aircraft less 2 on Q one spare 3 on deep and given that on average half of the remainder did a 45 min per day that call it 10 hrs air time. Given that Lightning requires 100 hours servicing per hour flight time that equals 1000 man hours from finish of flying at say 1400 to OR cut off at say 0600 lass one hour for shift hand over equals 15 hours ish. Thats 66 bods flat out for 16 hours. No I didnt remember it was like that. You could just about muster two 16 hour shifts back to back then you were ******** for a couple of days at least.
so we must conclude, in Saudi at least, the 100 hour figure is a little over the top.
Moral
Given a quality team operating a lightning is entirely possible, but it has to be a quality team. I have to take my hat of to Beachyhead, Pover and the gang. well done chaps.
jb154Seemingly blind Harrier
Yes well?
Could it just be that Harrier IS an all veather capable one man airforce but has to be fitted out for such a mission. NVGs for the pilot IR kit fitted and servicable etc pilto briefing etc.
For a VMC airshow this may not have been the case.
I am no harrier expert at all mot a bit. complete anorak in fact; but I have been arround servicing and operating RAF aircraft for a number of years only a thaught.
jb154 (clue there)
jb154yes some are preserved by teams of dedicated “enthusiasts” weather or not they have profesional expierience they are enthusiasts and as such are not certified operators devoid of the funds to operate effectively.
The “establishment” has to view this practice as operating outside the norms of health and safety at work and will not suport them not now how.
I wish them all the luck they need preserving the only reason we are not speaking German (1945) or Russian (1960 – 1979).
These A/c are our national heritage and it is scandalous that their survival is on such a knife edge.
JB154
jb154I did an egg on a TACAN TR !!!
ATIS reporting “Temp 52 Dewpoint -7 CAV OK No Sig”
MJR 671 (C) was still flying then, good little ship that.
Lets hear it for global warming but of course it is going to get much colder here in the UK.
cant make your run got to wash the fuel senders “AGAIN” Stbd wing fuel gauge all to pot, port wing last time got to be a message here.
Cranfield is up on a hill a bit some 340ft, so exposure and wind chill tend to do their thing. Working on the line at Boscoombe was grim in winter, a well exposed site, same same Lynum but at Farnborough, well not too bad realy ‘cos we were sheltered in back of western Sqdn hanger and the woods; all gone now and some mighty pissed off squiverals not to mention MRF.
location location
jb154
jb154I’ve raised this question before when it was advertised on another forum – who covers the insurance for the lucky winner to ride in this?
God forbid something should go wrong, but live military fast jets can be fickle things, even in the best hands – and catastrophic failures are one of the risks involved here…. Would you like to be the family of someone hurt or worse in the event of an incident during this risky business? and without insurance?
And on a CAA licensed airfield, can’t imagine the CAA would let it run with member of public on board without insurance?Sorry to sound negative, but many years experience on military jets gives me reason to be sceptical
Bloody hell
Thats a bit below the belt.
1 Risk assesment and risk placement in the global environment.
I refer you to AAIB rep #5/2004 a hunter went in is unexcusable circumstances, sorry to those involved but it was. Did the CAA immediately ground all hunter operations untill it was prooved that propper maintenance po]rocedures were in place and all operators were duely signd off to some agreed performance criteria. No a more pragmatic view was taken in that apart from the “jockey” being a little shorter than before no harm done and salutory lessons learned.
Wlilst learning to fly gliders I was told always risk running in to the far end boundry at whatever speed yopu had left than hitting the undershoot boundary at flying speed.
XS458 will never, hopefully, hit the approach boundry at flying speed. We have the CAA to be gratefull for that.
I was involved with Lightnings on a personal basis RAF, remotely, and RSAF intimately. At Tabukl SA we had a fleet of ** lightnings 53 & 55 some of those birds cound do 16 sorties before a return to hangar, that in an environment of Saudi customer expectation, I will say no more except only the best would pass muster like 60% OR each day. So just because it is a grunt military jet dont mean it is deadly to use just depends on the level of expertise available.
THIS IS A PUBLIC FORUM AND CONTENTIOUS ISSUES LIKE THAT SHOULD BE LEFT WELL ALONE.
Or all all of us will be flying will be paper darts.
sory 4 the typos but got this orf fast
jb154
jb154
jb154Leave it out quit enough is enough
guys
metophorically speaking our respective governments (parants) have made the bed, after a rough night, tidied up the room and all is in order. what we have here is the kids jumping all over the bed and making a mess all over again.
Dont mess in things beyond our control someone might get pissed off.
On the subject of Stingray think back to the wierd goings on at Marconi (as I remember correct me if wrong) and the bizrre deaths of some of the scientists / engineers there, even made a Horrizon or was it a CH4 TV program.
leave it alone please
jb154
jb154AVPIN
mjr
I don’t see the problem. If AVPIN is acquired legally, to be used legally in a legally owned aircraft, where does the problem lie?? Also I have no doubt that those who hold AVPIN for use in aircraft also have it stored correctly and securely in accordance with HAZCHEM regulations. Therefore the local plod will have no problems with it. 🙂
CS
Sunshine.
AVPIN is a controlled substance you are NOT allowd to have it in any quantity in excess of 500ml as an ignition enhanser for home brew model aero engine fuel.
It detonates at 5,000 meters per second is of moderate yeald.
Vapour is toxic and lethal above the cumulative equivalent of 4% for an hour.
HSE will not allow individuals acces to this subatence.
You have no business messing arround with it whatsoever, or the engines it is intended to start!!!!
Get mjr’s point yet DH
jb154
jb154AH225HVY
I do like that penguine reminds me of FODding on the Blackrock Desert, Remember SSC in 97, you walk miles and miles and seem to be going nowhere. which is exactly where the idear of flying EE Lightnings in the UK is going.
If I owned one there is one company I wouldnt let near the blooming thing, The Company wot designed and built it dont exist any more. another good reason to leave them on the ground.
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