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Typhoon's & Eagle's together.


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Nice pictures, i couldn't really get any because i was working that day, don't suppose you managed to get any of the F-15 nearly landing on the Dakota as we towed it accross the runway did you?

I may exagerate a little, but when something the size of a F-15 is bearing down on you at silly speeds, you tend to think it's closer than it might actually be!!(p.s. i was sat in the Dakota cockpit)

But brillient pictures none the less!!!!

Mat

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Gents,

Thanks again for the comments. Just to answer a couple of things;

Bobski; Thanks for the info, from what info about the Typhoon specs that is in the public domain, it didn't seem right that deliveries would suddenly go back to a previous standard and close examination of the pics do seem to indicate some marks where the IRST should be fitted.

Ian: I'm flattered, it was only my second run up there this year, but I should be able to keep up on Typhoon changes for the next 4/5 months at least. Rumour is that 1435 flt and 6 sqn marked aircraft are due very soon. I'll try and get them before they move on elsewhere.

Hurricane; Sorry, I was down the other end for most of the two days, I can't remember seeing the Dak at all, saw PA474 arrive one day, and one of the Spit PR's head out for a flypast, but that was all. I imagine a F-15 coming at you is a rather scary sight! I had to remember when setting the camera up for them taxiing off that they're a third bigger than the usual suspects.

CenTexModeler; I like it! Much as we loved the Concorde in the UK, I don't think that many here would shed to many tears over the French ones...

I thought I'd do one further batch, mainly on the Typhoon's this time.

This is a old shot, from July last year, with the QRA marked jet (ZJ932/DB) landing, the first time I caught the damn thing as it wouldn't fly whenever I was up there, but it shows the whole aircraft behind the close up from last wednesday. Gerard's comment is spot on. This was the bird that appeared in the publicity shots released to the media and taken during the first Typhoon QRA intercept back in 2007, with the jet alongside a 'Bear'. It gained the two 'Bear' marks soon after that, and at some point later on (I don't know when but certainly early 2008 at the latest), the two 'Blackjacks' appeared. I often hear rumours of a second one marked, but have never seen it myself, or any pics and there's only a small number of jets usually used on QRA that are rotated through.

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Looks like 11 Sqn have a new OC, from the new name on the cockpit, but it seems as if they've retained the same jet with the 'DXI' code and Wg Cdr's pendant

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Lights on.

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One each marked for 3 and 11 Sqn. Between them, and the OCU (29 sqn), the jets are pooled and frequently borrowed and loaned out. Only the OEU (17 sqn) usually fly there own.

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This one has been in storage (cannibalized?) for a very long time until quite recently. There's quite a few of these jets that have now been put back on line, although there's still a few in store, one (ZJ915) hasn't been seen for several years, and I dread to think if you'd even be able to recognize it now!

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Another one of the new Tranche two jets. It's rumoured that the 4/5 of these that have arrived this year will form the initial complement of 1435 Flight down in the Falklands, as they're due to convert to Typhoons this year.

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One final F-15. These are expected to make the short hop back home to Lakenheath tomorrow. One thing I did notice that somebody really familiar with the jet may be able to help me with, just to answer my curiousity really. I see from other pics taken of these jets that some were being uploaded with forward fuselage AIM-120's for a mission, and then the next day, or even that same afternoon (a morning and afternoon sortie was flown during the visit) they were removed. I never got any pics of them myself, but I'm wondering why, as they sure weren't shooting them during the exercise, and all carried the standard drill rounds on the wing. It was only the odd jet in a formation. I don't see any pattern to it. A few hours after this shot was taken, '167 was fitted for the afternoon flight (I'd gone by then), and had been fitted earlier in the week as well. Odd.

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Gary

Edited by gary1701
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One final F-15. These are expected to make the short hop back home to Lakenheath tomorrow. One thing I did notice that somebody really familiar with the jet may be able to help me with, just to answer my curiousity really. I see from other pics taken of these jets that some were being uploaded with forward fuselage AIM-120's for a mission, and then the next day, or even that same afternoon (a morning and afternoon sortie was flown during the visit) they were removed. I never got any pics of them myself, but I'm wondering why, as they sure weren't shooting them during the exercise, and all carried the standard drill rounds on the wing. It was only the odd jet in a formation. I don't see any pattern to it. A few hours after this shot was taken, '167 was fitted for the afternoon flight (I'd gone by then), and had been fitted earlier in the week as well. Odd.

Gary,

Probably just practice for the weapons troops.

Regards,

Murph

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Enjoyed seeing these pics Gary! I particularly like the formation pics. Would love to have heard some of the radio transmissions when they were flying together.

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Can anyone enlighten what is the antenna in front of the canopy is for? I originally thought it was put in place for the IRST pod when they initially weren't available. Then I see the pics with it and the IRST pod on at the same time so I'm assuming it is for something totally different?

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