XH558

[Roy898]

Just heard that XH558 is expected to fly at Bournemouth on Saturday and Sunday 21-22/08/10 i hope to see her there as i missed her at Farnborough

[Mayfly]

Yep, here you go you can see timings as well

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/appearances.html

She's due at Hurn sometime on Thursday & is flying from there

[Jogger321]

This is aimed at someone who is close to someone who knows how to fly Vulcans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru9bu...os=Ns8ba-Vevy0

At about 3 minutes 15 there is a vulcan taking off with what looks like full air brake!!

Thought air brakes were designed to reduce speed and loose altitude..any ideas why this vulcan has then open?

[Bovril]

link faulty

This is aimed at someone who is close to someone who knows how to fly Vulcans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru9bu...os=Ns8ba-Vevy0

At about 3 minutes 15 there is a vulcan taking off with what looks like full air brake!!

Thought air brakes were designed to reduce speed and loose altitude..any ideas why this vulcan has then open?

[Xplumberlives]

It has a MALFORMED video!

[Mayfly]

This is aimed at someone who is close to someone who knows how to fly Vulcans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru9bu...os=Ns8ba-Vevy0

At about 3 minutes 15 there is a vulcan taking off with what looks like full air brake!!

Thought air brakes were designed to reduce speed and loose altitude..any ideas why this vulcan has then open?

Can you check the link Jogger? when I try to edit it, it says it's unavailable

[Gully]

Can't see the video, but I do have some footage on a dvd of Vulcans doing 'rollers', and they're seen lifting off with airbrakes still retracting.

At the end of 2008, MW did a lovely full power climb-out over Brize Norton (en-route to Farnborough after the engine change) with the gear down and airbrakes extended...

Gully

[Mayfly]

A quicky from DT - [ooerrrrr]

They use the air brakes to move the minimum drag speed so they don't need to over power the aircraft.



Now when I read that back to DT he said 'Thats quite correct, but unless I expand it, it won't mean anything'!!!

But you're going to have to work the rest out yourselves

I will see if I can get him to to explain a couple of points one day when it's wet & he doesn't have anything else to do.

[Mayfly]

Sorry about the link..another go. At 3.15 but well worth watching the whole thing!

[Xplumberlives]

YOUTUBE is PLAYING UP this morning!!!!!!!!!

[Mayfly]

Jogger I'm sure it's connected to my earlier post - but stand by for an explanation for someone who knows!! [so he says!!]

[Spitfire]

A quiicky from DT - [ooerrrrr]

They use the air brakes to move the minimum drag speed so they don't need to over power the aircraft.



Now when I read that back to DT he said 'Thats quite correct, but unless I expand it, it won't mean anything'!!!

But your going to have to work the rest out yourselves

I will see if I can get him to to explain a couple of points one day when it's wet & he doesn't have anything else to do. :p

Now THAT I would REALLY look forward to Roll on the next wet day when he's not busy .......

[Mayfly]

Haha you have your wish sooner than expected....... I was asking so many questions he offered to write a short paragraph & I said please keep it short & simple - however this is what you've got



Aircraft are designed to meet specific requirements; range, speed, payload, costs to operate. Closely following the end of the Second World War aircraft performance had improved, as the maximum speed had increased new problems had to be examined and overcome. This is quite obvious when one looks at the V-Force aircraft which all embodied to some degree a crescent wing and sweep back. The Valiant was based on more traditional lines and began to overcome the problems caused by flying in the transonic speed range. (The speed of the aircraft at which airflow affected by the passage of the aircraft approaches Mach 1. There are a number of changes that occur due to the formation of shock waves which result in a marked increase in drag and a reduction in the effectiveness of the flying controls being masked by the shock waves). The Victor continued to overcome some of the problems with flying in the transonic speed range by further design improvements. For example the bulbous nose introduced an early move to ‘area rule’ where the fuselage is waisted to achieve a smooth change in the aircraft volume occupied by the fuselage and wings. This effect is most noticeable in the later models of the Hunter where the fuselage waist is very noticeable in the area of the wings.
The Vulcan airframe approaches the problem from another angle. The Delta wing planform sweeps out from the nose section to its’ maximum span at the trailing edge. At the point where the engine intakes are situated the wing section is very thick but the further back behind this point the wings rapidly thin towards the trailing edge.
So far all we have said is that there are many ways to design an aircraft to maximise its’ payload, minimise drag to get the ‘best mpg, and hopefully produce an efficient combination with a high degree of manoeuvrability. The Vulcan design was way ahead of it’s’ time and was very good in most areas. It has a low drag co-efficient and can produce a massive amount of lift at all speeds.

However, on an approach to land the Vulcan requires a different set of handling skills. (The basic rule to remember is that the faster you go the greater the drag.) Pilots would like to be able to set an approach power setting and only make minor changes to power to control speed. If he was going too fast the increase in drag would limit his acceleration. He just takes a little power off and notes what effect it has. Conversely, too slow, put a little power on and wait for it to take effect. With experience flying a conventional aircraft at a specified speed is not difficult as the aircraft is SPEED STABLE. In the Vulcan the approach speed is below the minimum drag speed. So now as speed reduces instead of the drag reducing it increases. The rate of increase in drag is also quite marked and requires a prompt and significant increase in power to accelerate back to the approach speed. Now as the aircraft begins to accelerate the drag rapidly reduces and the faster you go the more the drag decreases and the faster you go. In the Vulcan instead of making small precise power settings to control his speed on final approach the pilot needs to make 3 power settings very quickly to get the speed right. [I said 3 but that assumes he gets it right!] He also needs to fly an accurate approach to the runway and any time he raises or lowers the nose it also has a marked effect on his drag, which will affect his speed and requires another power change.

To reduce the speed stability problem on final approach, the Vulcan uses a medium drag setting on the airbrakes which increases his total drag but more importantly results in his flying much closer to the flattest part of the drag curve. The aircraft is, therefore less speed unstable (the problem is reduced). Once he commits to landing the pilot would select a high drag setting on the airbrake to reduce his landing run and/or reduce the need to use the brakes to kill the speed. If the landing was converted to a take-off as the power is increased the airbrakes are selected back to the IN position. It takes a good few seconds for the airbrakes to retract and you will notice a whistling noise from the aircraft as this happens. The whistling is rapidly drowned by the roar of the engines.
How does the instructor get his student to get the right sequence of complex actions? Much patience and regular beatings with a navigation ruler!


For the sake of simplicity I have ignored a number of additional factors. If you require more information may I suggest further reading on an Aeronautical Engineering university course or join the RAF as a pilot. You will find the latter hard work but rewarding.
Note: I trust my fellow pilots will forgive my simplification of a complex understanding.

DT

[Xplumberlives]

Yeh verily the MASTER has typed for US!

[Spitfire]

Now that WAS brilliant ... really enjoyed that - well explained and I nearly understood all of it

We want more please

[Mayfly]

I will work on him but it won't be for a while - do you know that that cost me 5 mugs of tea & I don't drink the stuff!!!!

[Xplumberlives]

I will work on him but it won't be for a while - do you know that that cost me 5 mugs of tea & I don't drink the stuff!!!!

Blimey, he might have been a great pilot, but as a secretary his speed of five cups of tea a page would be unnacceptable!

[Spitfire]

I will work on him but it won't be for a while - do you know that that cost me 5 mugs of tea & I don't drink the stuff!!!!

Aha - a tea man Good for him ..... Tell him I'll make it for a year if he'll cough up more nuggests of Vulcan info

[Fifties Fanatic]

I haven't been around here long enough to know who really lies behind their avatars, but that piece on aeronautics was a treat! And as for the last comment - I only wish I had persevered about 50 yrears ago!!

[Hungry Haggis]

I didn't know The esteemed DT had finally given in to the nagging and joined our lowly ranks Ask for an expert answer and what do you get ,a short version of the full monty ,Thanks Pam I am not sure what the original question was or why it was asked but i really enjoyed reading that.like all the rest on here I have learned something new today.

[Wedgy]

Someone give the man his own username

[Hungry Haggis]

Someone give the man his own username

That would be DIDFLY then .

Thanks DT please don't send Mayfly after me wiff her big stick

[Mayfly]

if he had one it would have to be 'Bomber Leader'

[Crew chief]

I think Bovril is much older than he lets on.I'm sure thats him on his tug when it was brand new pulling that mk 1 out of its shed.



cc.

[Xplumberlives]

I thought he was born on the tug!