EE Lightning engine run 2018

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ricardian
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EE Lightning engine run 2018

#1 Post by ricardian » Wed Nov 24, 2021 9:48 pm

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Boac
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Re: EE Lightning engine run 2018

#2 Post by Boac » Wed Nov 24, 2021 10:05 pm

Or err - takes I back a bit!

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Re: EE Lightning engine run 2018

#3 Post by om15 » Thu Nov 25, 2021 2:53 pm

When based at Khamis Mushayt on the western edge of the Empty Quarter we carried out Lightning (Mk53 and Mk55) ground runs and re heat function and leak checks without a de-tuner. There was a nose gear picket point concreted into the ground and we fixed the nose leg to it with a thick chain. With no neighbours for about a thousand miles we could make as much noise as we liked. Carrying out a leak check involved sticking your arm in through the various access panels along the fuselage and feeling for fuel or air leaks, quite loud when in re heat, we often carried this out at night and it looked pretty spectacular.

Here is an early RAF model (1A?) carrying out reheat tests.
nvv8l0r6khqz.jpg
Thread drift, some years later I went down to Batha Strip on the eastern edge of the Empty Quarter to carry out power assurance runs on a F27, I had to wait until about midnight to allow the OAT to drop to be able to use the RR graphs, in this instance both engines were shot due to sand erosion of the compressors, the fine sand was in the atmosphere up to 6000 feet and had worn out the impellors- end of thread drift.

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