Wez Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Morning all, A quick question regarding Target Tug/Target Facilities Meteor F8's regarding guns. Were the guns fitted and the muzzles capped? Was ballast used to maintain CofG when ammunition wasn't carried? Were the guns removed, ballast fitted and the muzzle fairings plugged? Does it depend upon the time-frame? Would the TT aircraft of the 50's carry the guns whilst those of later years had the guns removed? Any assistance greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 (edited) The Meteor was designed for six guns, but this wasn't found possible so early marks carried ballast to restore the cg to an acceptable position. When the tail from the E1/44 was fitted to the Mk.8 this ballast was removed. So if you then started removing weight/ammo/guns from the Mk.8 then yes indeed ballast would be carried to replace it. Sorry this doesn't add anything to the actual practices when/where. Edited April 3, 2016 by Graham Boak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 The Meteor was designed for six guns, but this wasn't found possible so early marks carried ballast to restore the cg to an acceptable position. When the tail from the E1/44 was fitted to the Mk.8 this ballast was removed. So if you then started removing weight/ammo/guns from the Mk.8 then yes indeed ballast would be carried to replace it. Sorry this doesn't add anything to the actual practices when/where. Suspected as much Graham, thanks for the confirmation, just need to find out what the practice was, and where the ballast was carried in that case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAVY870 Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Non functional ballast guns were fitted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 Non functional ballast guns were fitted Steve, Thanks for this although I must admit is surprises me with a jet of the Meteors vintage. I know when the RAF decided to buy Typhoon's without the guns that the ballast turned out to be exactly the same mass, shape and weight distribution as a gun to match the control laws and there was no cost saving so they sensibly opted for guns, but the Meteor , I expected to be a number of ballast weights placed in location "X"! Makes it easier then, I'll just fit the guns. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousAA72 Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Steve, Thanks for this although I must admit is surprises me with a jet of the Meteors vintage. I know when the RAF decided to buy Typhoon's without the guns that the ballast turned out to be exactly the same mass, shape and weight distribution as a gun to match the control laws and there was no cost saving so they sensibly opted for guns, but the Meteor , I expected to be a number of ballast weights placed in location "X"! Makes it easier then, I'll just fit the guns. You can't see the guns with the panels on Wez..., the canon apertures should be plugged though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 You can't see the guns with the panels on Wez..., the canon apertures should be plugged though... Bill, Thanks, I'd just read Jonners build thread http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234999662-meteors/page-6 where he mentions this too. Plugged apertures it will be then. Wez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Ballast weights I seem to recall when carried are fitted to a cross bar on the top struts of the nose u/c frame as moulded on the kit. The square thingys. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted April 5, 2016 Author Share Posted April 5, 2016 Ballast weights I seem to recall when carried are fitted to a cross bar on the top struts of the nose u/c frame as moulded on the kit. The square thingys. John Thanks John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAVY870 Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 Ballast weights I seem to recall when carried are fitted to a cross bar on the top struts of the nose u/c frame as moulded on the kit. The square thingys. John Reading through the C of G calcs in my manual, it looks like the ballast weights are a standard fit. They dont move the C of G enough to compensate for the guns. Having said that I may be entirely wrong as I did attempt to do maths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truro Model Builder Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 I read somewhere while doing research recently for a target towing F.8 that at one point the TTF Meatboxes in Singapore had guns reinstalled when things were looking a bit dicey out there. I can't remember where I read it but I'll see if I can dig it out again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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