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EE Lightning airbrake


noeyedears

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Can anyone point me in the direction of a pic of the brake open showing the hydraulic lines? i have a couple of "half" pics showing bits but not enough to build them in and be sure they are somewhere near correct.

Ta.

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Hope these help........

DSC00252.jpg

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DSC00249.jpg

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Regards

JB

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JB - you are a treasure, many thanks

Gary - yup i know they had to be hand pumped with the fuses removed when the plane was not running and engineers being engineers did not like doing this :fight:

My engineers can just suck it up and check the brake out like they have been told to, :fuhrer:

Edited by noeyedears
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Can't help re pics but remember air brakes were only deployed landing/flying - never on the ground unless inspection related. :popcorn:

Could I ask an additional question, were the airbrakes linked and had to be opened together for inspection or were they capable of being opened individually?

Thanks

Edited by Tony C
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Hope these help........

DSC00250.jpg

Regards

JB

Hi JB,

Apologies to noeyedears for the thread hijack but notice that several of your pictures show the top engine bay open and I wonder if you have any detailed pictures of this area, that you could possible post or email?

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Gents,

To clear up a couple of points, the airbrakes could be pumped in and out on the ground and the fuses had to be removed when working inside the brake area only for safety reasons, pumping the brakes open/shut is not so bad but should only be done once either way (or suffer badly from popeye arm!!)

The brakes are on the same hydraulic curcuit and have interlocks to ensure they operate together, otherwise if one should open in flight then the handling penalties would be catastrophic (as one pilot found out when a portion of the No.2 interpipe ejected iteslf through the fuselage and opened one airbrake in the process).

HTH

JB.

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Tony.......

DSC00206.jpg

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ECU hatch bolts being spannered open.......

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Hatch locked open,,,,,

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The most eagle eyed among you will notice the bleed air pipework for the standby DC genorator (in the spine on top of the ECU hatch) is missing :)

HTH

JB.

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Looks good to me, if you need anymore then just shout out, I have more detailed shots than I care to remember lol

JB

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To clear up a couple of points, the airbrakes could be pumped in and out on the ground and the fuses had to be removed when working inside the brake area only for safety reasons, pumping the brakes open/shut is not so bad but should only be done once either way (or suffer badly from popeye arm!!)

Correct, although I never remember removing any fuses before working in the area. I remember arm pump though!

Besides maintenance, the Airbrakes would be opened on the ground to fit the chaff boxes. Not many people are aware that Lightnings carried chaff! It was a primitive system, the airbrakes would be pumped open, then a cardboard box containing the chaff would be put into each airbrake bay, the airbrakes were closed, which would crush the box. When the pilot felt the need for some chaff deployment he popped the airbrakes open and out it came. There was normally plenty of the stuff in the fields on the Binbrook approach during exercises as the jets returned and the airbrakes were opened for landing.

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Not many people are aware that Lightnings carried chaff! It was a primitive system, the airbrakes would be pumped open, then a cardboard box containing the chaff would be put into each airbrake bay, the airbrakes were closed, which would crush the box. When the pilot felt the need for some chaff deployment he popped the airbrakes open and out it came.

Well I just learnt something new. I guess the Lightning could have also fulfilled the leaflet drop role then :coolio:

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Re the leaflet drop, I have heard of said drops being made at Coltishall and a.n. other airfield but this has just been by word of mouth, although just a story it is totally plausable as there was quite a bit of room for leaflets inside the airbrake area.

Regards,

JB.

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