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Re: [OM] Jim's Sonic Booms

Subject: Re: [OM] Jim's Sonic Booms
From: ChrisB <ftog@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2016 21:40:11 +0000
You’d think so, Ken, from the size of the leading edge of the Tornado’s wings, 
but it was really designed for low level penetration.  The F111 ended up in 
that role but it was good for speed at any altitude.  There were stories of 
them streaking back from Iraq in GW1 at 30k while the poor old Tornados were 
decidedly subsonic and needing more fuel anyway down a little lower.

It felt cool using the wing sweep, but it was a dreadful waste, as I ranted 
earlier: you see no variable-geometry wing forms these days.

Chris

> On 16 Dec 16, at 18:05, Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
>> Among several wastes of weight, space and money on the Tornado was the 
>> intake ramp of each engine.  It was required for use above M1.4, but we were 
>> never going to go that fast at low level, which was the intended flight 
>> regime.  Another waste of the same was the swing-wing design, which should 
>> have gone out with the F111.
> 
> When the Tornado was originally designed, I thought that high altitude
> was still a design requirement--as with the F111, but both ended up as
> being strategically beneficial at low levels while the BUFF owned the
> high altitudes.
> 
> You do have to admit, though, that swept-wings are awefully cool.

-- 
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