Question from my son re: F-15 et al

[MattC]

Hello all,

I was looking at some books with my son (6) and he asked me a question I didn't know the answer to, so I said I'd ask someone who knows.

Question is, Do F-15's (as this was what was in the picture) have air conditioning (what he referred to as "cold wooshers") to keep the pilot cool?

I could guess at the answer, but since I said I would ask someone who knew, I don't want to give him wrong info.

Thanks folks :D

Spurred on by his enthusiasm, we had a little Strike Fighters 2 session, where he managed to knock down two Mig 23's with Sparrows launched from an

F-4

Hence we ended up at the local aviation museum the other day, which was amazing, seeing his completely overawed face standing next to a Vulcan.

[boom175]

Yep, Its called an Enviormental Control System (At least thats what we call it on the A-10) it uses bleed air from the engines through several devices to either heat or cool the air.

[Kei Lau]

Hello all,

I was looking at some books with my son (6) and he asked me a question I didn't know the answer to, so I said I'd ask someone who knows.

Question is, Do F-15's (as this was what was in the picture) have air conditioning (what he referred to as "cold wooshers") to keep the pilot cool?

I could guess at the answer, but since I said I would ask someone who knew, I don't want to give him wrong info.

Thanks folks :D

Spurred on by his enthusiasm, we had a little Strike Fighters 2 session, where he managed to knock down two Mig 23's with Sparrows launched from an

F-4

Hence we ended up at the local aviation museum the other day, which was amazing, seeing his completely overawed face standing next to a Vulcan.

Yes, the F-15 controls the temperature to keep the pilot comfortable so that he can fly long hours without getting fatigue. But it is called the Environmental Control System (ECS) instead of air conditioning. The ECS also keeps all the equipment on board functioning properly. In high altitude (say, 50,000 feet above sea level), the temperature is lower than the arctic circle and the air is very thin. The air will be heated and compressed for the pilot.

One interesting point to tell your son, they keep the pilot's feet cool, but not cold to make him comfortable. It is more important than blowing cool air to his upper body.

[Murph]

One interesting point to tell your son, they keep the pilot's feet cool, but not cold to make him comfortable. It is more important than blowing cool air to his upper body.

Huh?

[Fishwelding]

Huh?

(Sigh).

Yours was broken, Murph. Nobody told you, because, well, they didn't want you to feel left out. I'm sorry you had to find this out here and now.

[Ken Middleton]

(Sigh).

Yours was broken, Murph. Nobody told you, because, well, they didn't want you to feel left out. I'm sorry you had to find this out here and now.

that's why when I build my in-flight models, I just hack the pilot's legs off at the knees - it prevents frost bite on his feet

[GreyGhost]

that's why when I build my in-flight models, I just hack the pilot's legs off at the knees - it prevents frost bite on his feet

Sadist ...

Gregg

[ed_s]

Must be nice to have all those fancy modern systems like air conditioning. Back in the old days, we didn't have a/c in our OV-10s. There was engine bleed air for heat, but the only way to cool off was open the window (on the ground) or pull open the vent which allowed fresh air to blow in. Think about how much fun that was, flying in humid tropical summer weather.

Ed

[Waco]

the only way to cool off was open the window (on the ground) or pull open the vent which allowed fresh air to blow in.

Somehow, I think an open window or a direct vent would be a bad idea in a modern fighter.

One interesting point to tell your son, they keep the pilot's feet cool, but not cold to make him comfortable. It is more important than blowing cool air to his upper body.

I second, huh? What are you basing this information off of Kei Lau? That makes no sense.

[MoFo]

that's why when I build my in-flight models, I just hack the pilot's legs off at the knees - it prevents frost bite on his feet

Worked for Douglas Bader.

(too soon?)

[Ol Crew Dog]

So that's why crewchiefs have the urge to cut their pilots off at the knees all time.....

that's why when I build my in-flight models, I just hack the pilot's legs off at the knees - it prevents frost bite on his feet

[Kei Lau]

Somehow, I think an open window or a direct vent would be a bad idea in a modern fighter.

I second, huh? What are you basing this information off of Kei Lau? That makes no sense.

Take it with a grain of salt or talk to a fighter pilot.

[GreyGhost]

Take it with a grain of salt or talk to a fighter pilot.

Just so you know, Murph and Waco are both Fighter Pilots, both having LOTS of F-15 hours in their log books ...

Gregg

[LanceB]

Take it with a grain of salt or talk to a fighter pilot.

Oh no... you really did not want to go there...

[Trigger]

I second, huh? What are you basing this information off of Kei Lau? That makes no sense.

Take it with a grain of salt or talk to a fighter pilot.

[evilmedic13]

Take it with a grain of salt or talk to a fighter pilot.

SPOT ON!

[gaz262]

That's why drivers of single-prop 'planes keep so cool - it's a fan designed to keep the pilot cool - watch him sweat when it stops!

:)

[Ken Middleton]

Worked for Douglas Bader.

(too soon?)

So that's why crewchiefs have the urge to cut their pilots off at the knees all time.....

[drhornii]

Huh?

Thanks to Bob Stevens and the book "There I Was"

Edited April 27, 2010 by drhornii

[Sean Bratton]

Now this patch finally makes sense.

[MattC]

Thanks folks, I passed it on, and he was very impressed that I'd spoken to some pilots on here, and has just been doing a drawing of a "super fighter" and now wants to take up plastic modelling with me. Also, we had parents evening at his school this evening, where *ahem* we were shown drawings the children did of their "favourite things", his was a curious mixture of his mum, myself, his little toy dog flopsy, and a recognisable F-15.

We have another convert to the cause

[HWR MKII]

Yes F-15s do have a heat exchange unit in the ECS system for cooling. Its a unit mounted in the lower fuselage beneath the cockpit. Its accessed through the hump on the underside between the intakes. Saw a couple get swapped out in my unit before a hop to the desert. These were strike eagles mind you.

[KursadA]

Take it with a grain of salt or talk to a fighter pilot.

What this forum needs is a FACEPALM emoticon.

[Sunliner]

Sometimes, I hear thunder, and I wonder if it's really the sound of Murph and Waco slamming their heads into a wall.

-Mike (who's probably contributed to the problem once or twice himself over the years...)

[Ol Crew Dog]

Yes F-15s do have a heat exchange unit in the ECS system for cooling. Its a unit mounted in the lower fuselage beneath the cockpit. Its accessed through the hump on the underside between the intakes. Saw a couple get swapped out in my unit before a hop to the desert. These were strike eagles mind you.

Sorry just my 2 cents, but under the cockpit is the Nose Wheel well, aft of the Nose wheel well is Avionics Compartment 15, covered by you guest it Panel 15. Panel 15 is the one with the screened grate. What you have under that panel in that bay is the Regenerative Heat Exchanger and Secondary Heat Exchanger, the exhaust is on the spine with the air intakes between the Engine intakes and the nose barrel of the aircraft for the secondary heat exchanger and the exhaust for the regenerative heat exchanger is the circle louver on the side of the nose barrel. The primary Heat Exchangers are the intakes and exhaust .on the aft fuselage on the tail booms just below the vertical stab. ECS is beefed up on the Mudhen but is basically the same as the C/D models.

Cheers