RAF's Typhoon goes operational.
This is a proud day for all those who have worked so hard to get Typhoon into operational service. Arguably the most agile and capable fighter aircraft in the world (sorry, all you F16 fans). Originally an air superiority fighter conceived in during the Cold War, it is now deemed to be multi-role.
So, what's at the heart of its 9-g agility? Well, inherent instability with the thing kept from crashing by some pretty sophisticated fly-by wire naturally.
But think about it for a second. A pilot has to sit in this thing when it pulls and sustains more g-force than any other aircraft. How do they stop him blacking out?
Well, the answer is an improved version of the traditional anti-g-trousers that pilots have worn for years. Along with pressure breathing equipment that helps the pilot perform special "panting" breaths that keep his blood pressure up. But of course breathing high pressure air would make his thorax rupture surely? Yep. So the pilot now has a chest-counter-pressure garment that balances the forces on his thorax.
Of course this is all well and good. But you try and wear that many layers of clothing that is both impermable to air and also prevents sweat evaporating....
But they have air conditioning in the cockpit, right? Yes they do, but the maths doesn't work out well to allow all the heat to pass from the pilot, through the insulative flying clothing and out into the cockpit. You can't get the air temperature cool enough. So, they wear another layer of clothing - a Liquid Cooled Vest (LCV). These were originally invented by boffins at Farnborough in the 1960s and adopted by NASA for EVAs during their Apollo missions. They saw service with the RAF in the Vulcan bomber and were going to go into Tornado at one point. However, this will be the first time that an LCV sees operational service for decades.
How come I know so much? Well for many years it was my job at the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine, later DERA, now QinetiQ to be the expert on microclimate cooling. I did a lot of testing on the early systems and worked with the folks from BAE Systems who have got Typhoon into the air.
A proud day to see something take to the skies for many people who each did their little bit. Myself included. So, Jim H from BAES - now living quietly in the Lake district. I'll be raising a glass to you tonight and remembering fondly working with you for all those months in the little cimate controlled lab at Farnborough. Live long and prosper, Jim, my old friend.
And for anyone passing Farnborough you can get a taster of what those clever boffins did by visiting the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust museum.