Bombs Away, concluded - T33.jpg (1/1)

[Mitchell Holman]

[J.F.]

This almost looks like the tow dart system that was used for fighter pilot
gunsighting. I used to see them going in and out of Osan AB, Korea once or
twice a year back in the early 80s. It was a civilian company that flew
civilianized vintage F-86s that were painted light blue and white. Does
anyone know what I am talking about?

"Mitchell Holman" > wrote in message
...

[Andrew Chaplin]

"Richard Goldsberry" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Mitchell Holman" > wrote in message
> ...
> That's a tow target.

I believe it is a "Delrin" target drogue. They were made of Styrofoam and had
the radar cross-section of a blonde facial hair.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)

[Dave Kearton]

Andrew Chaplin wrote:
>> "Richard Goldsberry" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>> "Mitchell Holman" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>> That's a tow target.
>>
>> I believe it is a "Delrin" target drogue. They were made of
>> Styrofoam and had the radar cross-section of a blonde facial hair.
>> --
>> Andrew Chaplin
>> SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
>> (If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)




You just have to remind the gunners that you're towing the drogue, not
pushing it....




Funniest thing happened about 20 years ago at our Proof & Experimental
Establishment at Port Wakefield in South Australia. Well, it was
funny for me, since I wasn't involved.





It seems that a private target towing contractor, in his Learjet, was having
difficulties reeling in what was reported as a 6,000m (could have been feet)
cable that the drogue was attached to. The difficulties ended when
the cable snapped and the larger 'half' was released to resolve it's
personal conflict with gravity.



Port Wakefield is a small community that will one day become the bustling
metropolis that Hooterville had become in the '60s, so a missing tow cable
wouldn't normally cause any grief. Except that on this occasion, the
steel cable fell across a couple of overhead power lines, blacking out
communities from Pt Broughton, Dublin and ironically Lower Light.



The local papers went totally boonta, since the range was never a popular
feature of the landscape anyway, even the major metro papers weighed in,
suggesting that the range be closed or at least re-located further out.




Within a couple of days, the whole thing blew over ...





--

Cheers

Dave Kearton

[Andrew Chaplin]

"Dave Kearton" > wrote in message
...
> Andrew Chaplin wrote:
>>> "Richard Goldsberry" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> "Mitchell Holman" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>> That's a tow target.
>>>
>>> I believe it is a "Delrin" target drogue. They were made of
>>> Styrofoam and had the radar cross-section of a blonde facial hair.
>
> You just have to remind the gunners that you're towing the drogue, not
> pushing it....

.... frequently.

> Funniest thing happened about 20 years ago at our Proof & Experimental
> Establishment at Port Wakefield in South Australia. Well, it was
> funny for me, since I wasn't involved.
>
> It seems that a private target towing contractor, in his Learjet, was having
> difficulties reeling in what was reported as a 6,000m (could have been feet)
> cable that the drogue was attached to. The difficulties ended when
> the cable snapped and the larger 'half' was released to resolve it's
> personal conflict with gravity.
>
> Port Wakefield is a small community that will one day become the bustling
> metropolis that Hooterville had become in the '60s, so a missing tow cable
> wouldn't normally cause any grief. Except that on this occasion, the
> steel cable fell across a couple of overhead power lines, blacking out
> communities from Pt Broughton, Dublin and ironically Lower Light.
>
> The local papers went totally boonta, since the range was never a popular
> feature of the landscape anyway, even the major metro papers weighed in,
> suggesting that the range be closed or at least re-located further out.
>
> Within a couple of days, the whole thing blew over ...

It was only good luck rather than good management that we did not have
something similar happen.

Instead, a radio-controlled target flown by my battery went walk-about over
the town of Chatham, New Brunswick, and augered into the back garden of a
nursing home. Fortunately, this being February and Canada, the garden had no
old farts in it, and the target landed in deep snow. The commander of the
Combat Training Centre was not too pleased with the front page coverage we got
in the Miramichi Leader, though.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)