Through a youngsters eyes.

We had a brilliant day at Waddington yesterday, a bit wet in the morning, but once the sun came out it was brilliant. Lots of highlights, but I had two young lads with me who had never seen a Vulcan in the air, despite us being Bruntingthorpe based. It was great to be in the crowd at this historic event, and my 17 year old son took these photos, I guess they sum up the day through his eyes.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn93/xn584/ZZZZ001.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn93/xn584/ZZZZ002.jpg
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http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn93/xn584/ZZZZ004.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn93/xn584/ZZZZ005.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn93/xn584/ZZZZ006.jpg

Starting methods.

Hi
The “wheeled generator type thing” will either be a Ground Power Unit, Trolly Acc or an Air Start Unit, depending on the type of aircraft.
We own and run a Jet Provost T.Mk.3A, at Bruntingthorpe (XN584). If we have a good well charged pair of batteries on board we can self start from them, however, if the batteries are down a bit on power, we use a ground power unit to wind over the starter motor to achive self sustaining RPM, at which point it is removed. We could alternativly use a Trolly Acc, which is just a load of batteries wired up to give a 28 volt supply for exactly the same purpose.
Aircraft such as the Buccaneer use an air start unit, which supplies a blast of compressed air, which in turn winds up a starter turbine, which in turn winds up the engine.
There are other starting methods, such as the Hunter and lightning which use Avpin (ask 320psi for details!) or cartridge starters on aircraft like the Canberra, all methods have there up side and down side, but regardless of method, there is no such thing as a dull start in any classic jet, it always gets the adrenalin pumping (yes, even in a HUMBLE J.P.!!!!!!).
Hope this helps, and if you want to see all the above methods in action, come along to a Bruntingthorpe run day.

Give it a try

Hi guys
We draged a car full of instrument panels and a little Pup cockpit up again this year. We met a load of old friends and made a few new ones, had a free nights campinf a very good meal and a few drinks. The projects on display were all brilliant and we found a few new bits on the aero jumble.
All in all a brilliant weekend, and I personaly am already looking forward to next year.
To the guys who won a prize, well done all of you, and to everyone else, thanks for helping us have a brilliant weekend.
Would we attend if there were no prizes or free food etc, yes, we go along to the event because of how much fun it is, simple as that.
Personaly I would like to encourage more youngsters to join in, no matter how small there exhibit might be. I know from my own son how much encouragement everyone gives to a new boy or girle, so please stop knocking this brilliant event, and if you have never tried it, come along next year and give it a go.

At last, we can win!!

I like the idea of a race down the runway martin, at last, something our Jet Provost has a fighting chance against!!!!! And I can just see Adrian, poping over with the machine gun fitted, asking politly if he can borrow something, whilst looking at us through the sights!!! Never a dull moment at Bruntingthorpe!!!!!!!!!

Likewise!

Hi All
Max and me have just about finnished packing hi instrument panels into the car ready for an early start tomorrow morning. We will be camping overnight, so no rain dancing, please!!
We will also have the Pup cockpit with us, so will be easy to spot. Be sure to come over and say hello everyone.

Hi

I own a taxiable Jet provost T Mk.3A. fitted with a Bristol Siddley (not Rolls Royce!) Viper 102.
look for corrosion, it’s the castings that ofted suffer the most, so have a very good look, take a very powerfull light and look as deep into the engine as you can from both ends.

Rotate (watch your fingers) the compressor blades, they will always clatter around a lot at low speeds and temperature, so ignore that, you are looking for signs of rubbing between the casings and the rotating shafts. Check visualy all the blades you can see for signs of chipping, cracks, distortion and over heating, all can be a serious problem. If all seems well than thats a good start, but you won’t know for sure how good it is till you try to run it, at that stage, you are looking for metal in the filters, check any magnetic chip detectors if fitted and check for good oil pressure and temperatures in the specified range. Be very vigilant checking the condition of oil and fuel lines, they are probably the biggest fire risk you will have.

I am personaly of the view that a gas turbine is probably safer to run than a vintage reciprocating engine. It is VERY rare for a turbine to let go, but if it did, the engine is designed to hold it all in, and it is even rarer for anything to escape the cowling. I have seen a R.R. Tyne that lost a turbine and did a lot of damage to a Merchantman many years ago, but I think thats about it in over 34 years around aircraft, both proffesionaly and as a hobby. But I don’t even want to imagine the damage a runnaway prop could do, or a blade letting go due to either corrosion or unseed damage, and I certainly would’t want to be sat in the aircraft in either case, a runnaway prop is excitment you can do without, and an incomplete prop will tear the engine out of the airframe, and vibrate every tooth out of your head at the same time!!!!!!

Most of all remember, these are not toys, they are potentialy very dangerous in the wrong hands. Get qualified help, learn how to maintain and opperate the engine propperly, never cut corners, never modify anything, and follow strict safety rules, there is a very good reason that both the military and civil organisations do thing the way they do, and that way, you will live long enough to enjoy your investment.

If you ever want to get the feel of how it can be done, arrange to pop over to Bruntingthorpe one weekend when we are running an engine, we will give you a bit of a show with the Jet Provost, or ask 320PSI very nicely, and Andy will probably scare you to death with a Lightning!