The entire Red Arrows Team would like to extend their sincere thanks for all the public messages of support and condolence that have been received at this difficult time.

The Team Manager, Squadron Leader Liz Parker, said: “We have been inundated once again with messages of support from all over the world. It is deeply moving to receive such kind thoughts as well as the cards and flowers.”

The book of condolence at RAF Scampton has been closed today and all the messages will be given to Flt Lt Cunningham’s family. The messages of condolence are greatly appreciated but we regret that it will not be possible to respond to every message due to the sheer numbers we have received.

Flt Lt Sean Cunningham’s funeral takes place tomorrow, Thursday 1 Dec 2011, at 1300 in Coventry Cathedral.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/teamnews/index.cfm?storyid=5A190AB1-5056-A318-A8BD73AF6CDE81A1

http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/teamnews/index.cfm?storyid=EF88A977-5056-A318-A805CF6A05D5ECC0

Press release from Martin-Baker

RAF Red Arrows Incident on 8th November 2011

On 8th November, there was a fatal accident involving the Red Arrows Hawk aircraft XX177 following the ejection of a Mk10B seat.

We have had the opportunity to examine the seat and, while not wishing to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation currently underway, are satisfied that neither a mechanical nor a design fault were to blame for the fatality.

We welcome the opportunity to assist the Lincolnshire Police and the Military Air Accident Investigation Board in identifying the causes of this tragic accident

In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Flight Lieutenant Sean Cunningham who lost his life in this accident.

From

http://www.martin-baker.com/getdoc/613a0e91-0e5b-4f15-84aa-8ebff5f43a5e/Press-Releases.aspx

Rafale news from Libya. The ‘Green Resistance’ continues. Report from 17th November 2011. :rolleyes:

http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=629383

NATO and its mercenaries’ aircraft are operating from Sudan and Chad, while there are reports of direct flights from Tel Aviv. Tuareg camps have been strafed, military centers in the south have been attacked, more civilians have been massacred.

Sources inside Libya linked to the Green Resistance have indicated that in the last two weeks, these NATO forces have lost 37 aircraft – 8 Israeli fighter planes, 13 Qatar Apaches, 11 French Mirage, 5 French Rafael fighters, shot down trying to evade and invade the Libyan Southern Airspace, with all their pilots and crew killed and enter into green Libyan Jamahiriyah territory.

Noted over on PPRuNe

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/468525-another-red-arrows-mishap-merged-12.html#post6812526

It has been determined that the freedom of movement of drogue shackles on ejection seats fitted with scissor shackles may have become restricted.

Failure to ensure that there is freedom of movement between the drogue shackle and scissor shackle may prevent the withdrawal of the main parachute during the ejection sequence.

From

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20111117MPD2011008E.pdf

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=4766

See following for explanation. As Swerve has pointed out there was no set standard.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t45260-50.html

Well it was quite simple really , I was a member of the ground crew back then , in order for us to keep tally of each successful mission we painted every tenth one with a red bomb, easier to read instead of adding them all up

Hope this helps

By the way nice finished product Mark, it’s good to see her in all her glory again

Regard

Stu Jones
ex 17(f) Sqn Bruggen

The early JP233 missions had a bomb with JP233 stencilled in yellow on each bomb.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=138&view=findpost&p=322411

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=138&st=40

Palm Trees would be mission markings. For example used on Nimrods during Op Granby 1991 and Op Telic 2003

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=105378&page=2

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/110168-guernseys-girl.html

Am I right in thinking that to eject from the early Starfighters you had to roll upside down as the seat came out the bottom? Who thought up that design!

See following.

http://www.ejectionsite.com/yf104eject.htm

I might explain. The F-104 was at first designed with a “downward” ejection seat because it flew extremely fast at low altitude where, of course, the air is dense. Any ejection, up or down, at high speed would be like hitting a brick wall-a thick brick wall-at 700mph. No question: that’s Excedrin headache number 1! The seat ejection systems at that time were not powerful enough to eject the pilot “upward” for fear of jamming him, due to high pressure, into the horizontal and vertical tails, each having a leading edge with a .01-inch radius. I wasn’t ready for sliced “Suitcase”! Thus we ejected “downward.”

See following.

http://www.ejectionsite.com/f104seat.htm

From

http://www.ejectionsite.com/

Other aircraft also had downward ejection seats. For example some of the aircrew on B-52s

http://www.ejectionsite.com/b-52.htm

The Tu-22 Blinder also had downward ejection seats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_l_bBj3Fbc

TJ

Weird, because on french TV, he said there were several NATO planes and among them ONE french plane but he didn’t know who did what exactly.

Not really weird. In the confusion of events the press can mix up and misinterpret info. As you say there were several aviation assets in the area. It will be interesting to see if NATO release drone/strike footage from the convoy attack?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/10/libya-nato-us-predator-drone-surt.html

TJ

Great find TEEJ. Can I ask where you found it and if theres anymore? Thanks

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/anti-gaddafi-fighters-fire-c5-rockets-during-clashes-photo-115326226.html

The image was re-hosted and posted on the following thread.

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?195079-Libyan-Conflict-Photos-and-Videos/page379

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?195079-Libyan-Conflict-Photos-and-Videos

Another image link showing a Chinook in NTC hands.

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/chinook-helicopter-used-libyas-interim-government-transport-injured-photo-200925326.html

Gaddafi forces using Chinook at the beginning of the conflict.

http://www.rferl.org/content/eu_aid_on_libya_border_refugee_crisis/2326272.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/8355459/US-ships-are-moved-to-waters-closer-to-Libya-as-the-west-debates-military-action.html?image=1

TJ