Thought i'd share some shots from Northolt Nightshoot XV, my first time doing long exposures on running aircraft

 

Thanks, 

 

Dunc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They're great! Love that last photo.

They do look really good! Do you work there? 

Fantastic photos    :clap:

I wondered what all the recent aircraft movements had been about.

 

There hadn't been ANY discernible  aircraft landing/take-off movements on the Harrow side for the whole of the summer.

 

And then , about 8 weeks ago, there was the familar sound, one night, of an aircraft doing "Radar Calibration" circuits and bumps between 12 midnight and 2 in the morning. And then about a month ago, civilian and military aircraft activity seemed to pick-up.

 

So presume, its the usual annual round of NATO/ Naval  autumn exercises and/or a civil defence one ?

 

(Hercules, Merlin and G-EMMs not usually based there).

 

 

What's that projection, rear Port-side on the Hercules  and the fancy coloured astrodome. And has somebody done a "Lowering -job" on the undercart ?

 

Ah ! Answering my own question. The projection + astrodome maybe the station-keeping kit referred to here:-

 

http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/herculesc1c3.cfm

 

Nick

Edited 27 October, 201312 yr by Clunkclick

Thanks for the comments guys! 

 

I dont work there, it was part of a fundraiser for the Battle of Britain museum they are building, they run them semi annually, and it is well worth going along for!

 

Clunkclick, the Pyramid shape to the rear of the aircraft is part of the Large Aircraft Infrared Counter-Measure system that this fitted to the aircraft. The R2D2 shape under the nose is an MX15 Low Light/IR Camera. The Clear dome ontop is the crew observation dome. 

LAIRCM system. The thing that does this:-

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzo474JO-xo

 

 

 Wow !

 

 I think this is one time when I'm going to use that well-worn word, "Cool".

 

Presume that fiited to the Hercules is the Northrop Grumman version of this type of thing:-

 

http://www.airforce-technology.com/news/newsuk-mod-awards-laircm-support-services-contract-to-northrop

 

 

Nick

LAIRCM system. The thing that does this:-

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzo474JO-xo

 

 

 Wow !

 

 I think this is one time when I'm going to use that well-worn word, "Cool".

 

Presume that fiited to the Hercules is the Northrop Grumman version of this type of thing:-

 

http://www.airforce-technology.com/news/newsuk-mod-awards-laircm-support-services-contract-to-northrop

 

 

Postscript

 

Correction, looking it up, it seems as the LAIRCM device fitted to the "K" version C-130 featured in your picture, is  limited just to detection and chaff dispemsing and doesn't include a directional  laser response device. However, the "J" does:-

 

http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/herculesc4c5.cfm

 

Wonder where that is on the "J".

 

 

Nick