Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

A-400M trailing - what?

Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

A-400M trailing - what?

Old 8th Apr 2021, 16:21
  #1 (permalink)  

Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bourton-on-the-Water
Posts: 1,017
Received 16 Likes on 7 Posts
A-400M trailing - what?

Living quite close to Brize, we see a lot of Voyagers, Atlases, and, for the time being, Hercs. Today, something rather odd: an A-400M, flying a standard orbit pattern at 7000ft (according to Flightradar24) aligned roughly 280 (degrees) over Little Rissington, for about an hour. The odd thing is that it was trailing what looked like short contrails. At 7000ft?
A rather poor pic - but you can see the trails.




Looking through binoculars, I could see the trails emanating from the wing trailing edge, between the outboard engines and the wingtips - i.e. not wingtip vortices, nor engine exhausts.

I even rang Brize ops to ask if it was dumping fuel. A very nice duty ops officer told me it was definitely not dumping, but that it was doing a trial. No more details.

Anyone else think it’s rather odd? Any ideas?

Yes OK, I’ll try and get out more, soon as Covid is over.

airsound

airsound is online now  
Old 8th Apr 2021, 16:30
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: UK
Age: 69
Posts: 1,399
Received 40 Likes on 22 Posts
I don't know the trailing edge geometry, but it may be vortices from the outboard tips of deployed flaps. This is not uncommon on B757 at low speed high AOA.
beardy is offline  
Old 8th Apr 2021, 17:05
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,471
Received 2,597 Likes on 1,099 Posts
Have a look

NutLoose is offline  
Old 8th Apr 2021, 18:02
  #4 (permalink)  

Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bourton-on-the-Water
Posts: 1,017
Received 16 Likes on 7 Posts
Thanks beardy, and Nutty - though I couldn't see any pic in your post Nutty. But I did find it on my phone, and for other peeps that couldn't see it, yur tiz



Interestingly, beardy, according to Flightradar it was doing about 155kts. Would that warrant some flap?

airsound
airsound is online now  
Old 8th Apr 2021, 18:08
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,055
Received 23 Likes on 11 Posts
OMG !!!

...
Airsound -

Whatever you do, don't go out again. It's a CT trial. Go immediately to your understairs shelter and gulp a handful of them potassium iodide tabs you nicked when you de-mobbed. If you think you have already been exposed, the last ditch remedy apparently is Prussian Blue. Unfortunately the Chemists are mostly now closed and they will already have your number unless you used a burner. Call back here tomorrow morning if you haven't already been spirited away overnight.

I will light a candle.

LFH
...
Lordflasheart is offline  
Old 8th Apr 2021, 19:05
  #6 (permalink)  

Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bourton-on-the-Water
Posts: 1,017
Received 16 Likes on 7 Posts
Thanks very much, Mr Flasheart, sorry, m'lord, for your timely warning. I'm hoping you get this, because here under the stairs the connection isn't great. If you don't see me in the morning, remember me to the Mods please - especially Mod Rob. Thanks

Don't worry about me though, I'll be fine. But thanks for the candle.
airsound
airsound is online now  
Old 8th Apr 2021, 19:07
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Age: 42
Posts: 653
Received 9 Likes on 8 Posts
Originally Posted by airsound
Thanks beardy, and Nutty - though I couldn't see any pic in your post Nutty. But I did find it on my phone, and for other peeps that couldn't see it, yur tiz

/snip

Interestingly, beardy, according to Flightradar it was doing about 155kts. Would that warrant some flap?

airsound

Yes, I think if she's a heavy girl and relatively slow speed the high lift devices will be working hard, so it seems fairly normal.
unmanned_droid is offline  
Old 8th Apr 2021, 19:49
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: One Three Seven, Disco Heaven.
Age: 65
Posts: 2,521
Likes: 0
Received 28 Likes on 15 Posts
It's doing smoke trials, as it may be the next air frame for the Reds.
Dan Gerous is offline  
Old 8th Apr 2021, 20:12
  #9 (permalink)  

Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bourton-on-the-Water
Posts: 1,017
Received 16 Likes on 7 Posts
You mean like this?



or this



airsound
airsound is online now  
Old 8th Apr 2021, 21:55
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Up yer nose, again.
Age: 67
Posts: 1,228
Received 12 Likes on 10 Posts
Just chemtrails, nothing to see hear move along please.
Peter Fanelli is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2021, 07:41
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: near an airplane
Posts: 2,764
Received 46 Likes on 37 Posts
The government will send a nice gentleman to your house who will explain everything to you... he'll be driving a black car.
Jhieminga is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2021, 08:22
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 1,958
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Vortices coming from outboard edge of flaps which is what one would expect.
ShotOne is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2021, 08:49
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: glasgow
Posts: 295
Received 29 Likes on 16 Posts
Originally Posted by Dan Gerous
It's doing smoke trials, as it may be the next air frame for the Reds.
Havent you read the Posts about the RAAF centenary flypast?? The smoke pods are in for maintenance. Do keep up!!
falcon900 is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2021, 08:57
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Here
Posts: 133
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by airsound
You mean like this?



or this



airsound
That's going to need a lot of red paint.
Ripton is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2021, 09:26
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Behind You...
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
No paint required. The public will be issued Rose tinted glasses - and everything will be Peachy Rosey...
Teej...
teej013 is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2021, 09:28
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,471
Received 2,597 Likes on 1,099 Posts
Originally Posted by Jhieminga
The government will send a nice gentleman to your house who will explain everything to you... he'll be driving a black car.
And when he puts his sun glasses on and pulls out a pen, close your eyes or he will flash you.
NutLoose is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2021, 10:24
  #17 (permalink)  

Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bourton-on-the-Water
Posts: 1,017
Received 16 Likes on 7 Posts
Ripton and teej013 - I wasn't thinking of continuing with the Red Arrows name. Maybe something rather, well, British - like The Grey Grizzlies

airsound
airsound is online now  
Old 9th Apr 2021, 10:36
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Under the clouds now
Age: 86
Posts: 2,498
Received 12 Likes on 10 Posts
We used to call the Four Argosy formation team in Aden - The thunderboxes.
brakedwell is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2021, 10:38
  #19 (permalink)  
Gnome de PPRuNe
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,538
Received 219 Likes on 133 Posts
Originally Posted by airsound
Ripton and teej013 - I wasn't thinking of continuing with the Red Arrows name. Maybe something rather, well, British - like The Grey Grizzlies

airsound
The Fat Lasses?

I do recall a formation transport team the last time I went to RIAT - might have been four Polish Let 410s? Long time ago now, I remember a sort of Prince of Wales Feathers as finale...
treadigraph is online now  
Old 9th Apr 2021, 10:59
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 8,445
Received 68 Likes on 46 Posts
Originally Posted by brakedwell
We used to call the Four Argosy formation team in Aden - The thunderboxes.
A four Argosy formation team? my mind has just been boggled!!
SWBKCB is online now  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.