Wednesday 15th August 2018

[Knife75]

A really good day around 3 different airfields, starting at RAF Mildenhall to catch the P-8A doing approaches, then I headed to Cambridge in hope to catch the two Globals returning from test flights. Then I went back to the hall and caught the WC-135C return from a long mission out near the Black Sea. Thanks for viewing


P-8A 168849LANCER 55 by Tom Martins1, on Flickr

P-8A 168849 LANCER 55 by Tom Martins1, on Flickr

P-8A 168849 LANCER 55 3 by Tom Martins1, on Flickr

GLEX 1326 returning from a test flight into Cambridge by Tom Martins1, on Flickr

GLEX 1325 returning from a test flight into Cambridge by Tom Martins1, on Flickr

62-3582 by Tom Martins1, on Flickr

WC-135C 62-3582 OF by Tom Martins1

[Supra]

Perfect planning & execution Any idea why GLEX 1325 is landing with what appears to be a trailing antenna deployed?

[Punkrunner62]

Nice set, thanks for posting.
Cheers.

[f106dart]

You have to love when it all comes together. It was worth all the driving around. Nice shots

[paddyboy]

Hi Tom

Cracking set there

Well worth your trip

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[Fink123]

wow great catch!

[markranger]

Very nice.

[Knife75]

Perfect planning & execution Any idea why GLEX 1325 is landing with what appears to be a trailing antenna deployed?

Thanks, I guess it is for some kind of testing.

[Knife75]

Nice set, thanks for posting.
Cheers.

Thanks

[Knife75]

Hi Tom

Cracking set there

Well worth your trip

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

Cheers!

[Knife75]

wow great catch!

Thanks alot!

[Knife75]

Very nice.

Cheers!

[Richard E]

Perfect planning & execution Any idea why GLEX 1325 is landing with what appears to be a trailing antenna deployed?

Thanks, I guess it is for some kind of testing.

It's an instrument which is sometimes called a “Trailing Cone”, the cable is normally 1 to 1.5 times the test aircraft's wing span length, it trails behind the aircraft and precisely measures the ambient atmospheric pressure (static pressure) in the “free-stream air-flow” outside the disrupted air-flow generated by the aircraft, this measurement is used to measure the plane’s exact airspeed and altitude during test flights.

[Supra]

Thanks for the info'. Sounds like they're getting into 'fine-tuning' by calibrating the instruments. Can't be long before 1325 flies the nest?