Friday, September 07, 2007
Good To Go
Canon EOS with EF300mm IS - EF1.4x II @f4 - 1/250 - ISO800
Pilots and Navigators are conducting simulation exercises for the soldiers to practice communicating with aircraft in the event of roadside bombs or other attacks by the Taliban or armed insurgents. The 12(B) squadron that returned from Iraq lately are quite familiar with what the soldiers will be up against and can give them as realistic training as they can get before deploying. The exercises also give air crews an understanding of what soldiers that are on the ground are going through and what can be done to make the job somewhat easier.
For those of you who are interested in the Tornado's capabilities, it's two after-burning jet engines allow it to reach a maximum speed of mach 2.2(2335 km/h). It has fly-by-wire technology and has terrain following radar for fast low-altitude flight and can drop a bomb load up to 18,000 pounds. The Tornado can be armed with up to four sidewinder missiles on wing pylons and sky-flash missiles under the fuselage, as well as one or two 27mm cannon mounted on each side of the fuselage. This plane also has a aerial fueling probe visible to the right of the nose. Of interest is the sooty patches visible on the tail from the hot gases directed by the engines when the thrust reversers are deployed allowing the plane to land on damage shortened runways that it may have taken off from.
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