Warbird Information Exchange

The two guys sitting inside are either really brave or .......


Lightning Test Being Performed on a Northrop F-15 Reporter with the All Weather Flying Service.

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Zero Surprise!!...

In a Faraday cage I would assume.

Tom P.

I may be wrong!

But that plexy canopy does not seem like a Faraday cage like a door on a microwave.

Saving grace could simply be the fact that they do not seem grounded with the air frame. Again. Could be wrong.

The hit would probably be in an area with the most metal mass density. I wonder if they even added lightning surge antennas to the biggest metal parts.

But for sure the interior must be padded with insulation material for the crew.

As always Mark!!!! Sublime. Anyone has a good read up on the bird and the testing?

Neat close up on an F-15 even without the lightning.

Tom, makes you want to light up the array on the back 40, eh?

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Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

Be sure to watch the live-test video as well. Starts at about the 9:00 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE7VArI92As

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Van Graaf (sp?) Generator?


Saludos


Tulio

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Why take the best part of life out of your life, when you can have life with the best part of your life in your life?

I am one of them 'futbol' people.

Will the previous owner has pics of this double cabin sample

GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Press "1" for English.
Press "2" to disconnect until you have learned to speak English.

Sooooo, how am I going to know to press 1 or 2, if I do not speak English????

Looks more like a Tesla coil.

To generate that kind of power you need a lot of energy.

What he said.

I meant to,say Tesla Cpil, and Van Graaf came out.

Oh, well...not the first time I screw up.


Saludos.


Tulio

_________________
Why take the best part of life out of your life, when you can have life with the best part of your life in your life?

I am one of them 'futbol' people.

Will the previous owner has pics of this double cabin sample

GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Press "1" for English.
Press "2" to disconnect until you have learned to speak English.

Sooooo, how am I going to know to press 1 or 2, if I do not speak English????

I found that exact photo on page 122 of "Northrop's Night Hunter P-61 Black Widow" by Jeff Kolln, 2009. Chapter 9 is titled "Project Thunderstorm and NACA" and on page 122 is a discussion of "Lightning Tests". Basically the F-15A (45-59318) was flown to the Navy's Lightning and Transients Research Institute at then Wold-Chamberlain Field, now Minneapolis-St. Paul International, for the tests in February 1947. They say that the 40-foot high "generator device" could deliver up to 200,000 amperes at 100-million kilowatts. For the initial test the plane was drained of fuel and no crew was on board. Later, Lt. Eldor Schueler, the pilot, and Professor M.M. Newman volunteered to man the cockpit. It says "A metal conducting strip or diverter bar was mounted above the canopy of the F-15." There is some more detail on that page if you can access the book. Hope that helps.

Randy

Weather research, including the Black Widow, gets a fair amount of mention in Bob Buck's "North Star Over My Shoulder".

Ken

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"Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves."

Thank you Randy! I was curious about that.

I just wonder were the energy was diverted it the plane was not grounded. I guess if not grounded, the energy would have jumped to the ground on one of the oleo and simply bypass the rubber isolation of the tire.

But in the air....another story for sure.

Any good lighting strike story anyone?