SI terrain tests RAAF supersonic jets' radar

rock45

Active member
SI terrain tests RAAF supersonic jets' radar


Friday, 07 December 2007200712070500
SI terrain tests RAAF supersonic jets' radar

A squadron of fighter-bomber pilots is winding up a week-long training session among the South Island's mountains.
The Royal Australian Air Force has been testing two of its F-111 supersonic long-range strike aircraft for the past week.
No. 1 squadron leader Rob Kelly said they were specifically testing Terrain Following Radar (TFR) equipment. "Back home you don't see the level of what the Terrain Following Radar can do. Here you can be in a valley and see what the jet does to climb over mountains," he said.
"New Zealand, especially the South Island, has more aggressive terrain than Australia. It really pushes us to the limit.
"It makes planning more difficult. It also gives us the opportunity to go over snow-covered mountains which we don't get the opportunity to do in Australia."
The jets, costing about $50 million each, reached speeds of up to 900km/h during the training operation, he said.
Pilots tried to keep the force of gravity down to five-and-a-half times during exercise operations, he said.
"You get a bit of fitness to it. We wear G-suits which inflates an air bladder around the legs so it can keep blood going to the brain. Everything gets very heavy."
The squadron heads back to its base at Amberley, near Brisbane, today.

Link

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4314723a11.html


688690.jpg
 
Back
Top