Britain's ‘Catfish’ begins Tempest program.

[Resasi]

An Ex-TUI Boeing 757 has gone to Britain’s 2Excel Aviation to be used as a flying testbed for the Tempest future combat aircraft development work. Delivered on the 11th Nov to 2Excel’s MRO facilities at Lasham, it will undergo conversion work that will enable it flight test avionics and sensors for the UK combat aircraft program. One of the oldest fleet members which my son will not be flying having just been hired by TUI after the TC collapse.

https://aviationweek.com/awindefense/ex-tui-757-team-tempest-testbed

These types of testbed conversion with older larger aircraft have been done for years. I remember going to Farnborough as a boy and seeing a Lancastrian with a Double Mamba that later powered the Gannet on its nose. It shut down all four of it own engines and did a flypast using just the test engine on the nose.

Bitteswell Flight Testing (A History) | The National Archives

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The US’s NT-43A a Boeing 737 tested various airborne Radars on stealth coatings of early prototypes.

Goleta Air & Space Museum - NT-43A Radar Test Bed Sighted in Death Valley

Boeing 757 Catfish doing F-22 developmental work.

China’s J-20 test bed seen at The Yan Liang Flight Testing Facility in the outskirts of Xian is a highly modified Russian-built TU-204C that is almost a copy of the US ‘Catfish’

China PLAAF Yanliang Tu-204C canards as J-20 radar testbed

China PLAAF Yanliang Tu-204C canards as J-20 radar testbed A PLAAF Tupolev Tu-204 testbed aircraft was seen featuring a J-20 nose cone. It is believed to house the Type 1475 (KLJ-5) active electron…

defence-blog.com

 

[Cold_Collation]

It’s great to see that we’re actually cracking on with this.

 

[Soluton Architect]

Hmm, 2Excel who have neither experience with the 757 nor with avionics flight testing. The Old Boys Network in full effect again?

 

[SONAR-BENDER]

When I saw 'Tempest' in the title, I thought it was about 'Tempest'. But it isn't, even though I suspect there will be a considerable amount of Tempest testing. But it seems it is about another Tempest, so I'll go and lie down.

Nothing to do with Shakespeare.

 

[smallbrownprivates]

When I saw 'Tempest' in the title, I thought it was about 'Tempest'. But it isn't, even though I suspect there will be a considerable amount of Tempest testing. But it seems it is about another Tempest, so I'll go and lie down.

Nothing to do with Shakespeare.

Or with Catfish* the Film/TV Show


*term for using sockpuppets for nefarious ends, nothing like that ever happens on arrse...

 

[Gravelbelly]

Seems fair enough. The BAC 1-11 that we used to have based at Turnhouse for radar development (long loan, it belonged to Qinetiq, or DERA, whoever) would be a bit long in the tooth now...

...I spent a morning flying a racetrack between North Berwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed on a trial. Fascinating to see how our kit performed, but cramped, no trolley service, bloody cold, and f***ing noisy...

 

[Speedy]

It'll certainly make the skies over my house more interesting, I look forwards to seeing it coming over.

 

[Resasi]

Cramped, no trolley service, bloody cold, and f***ing noisy...

Coming back from Tripoli on leave once. The flight was a KLM to Schiphol connecting to Lon.
Fight was called and only about 10 pax responded and were led out of the terminal to a DC8.

As we boarded the hostie asked us to indulge her and led us all to the mid section of economy where she asked us all to sit together, telling us that after take off we could all move if we wanted.

Thinking it might be a CofG issue we all duly took our seats. After take off when the seat belt sign went off she was spotted wheeling a cart towards us. This was then parked in the middle of the group and turned out to be a drinks trolly. She then told us that it was open house and we could help ourselves to whatever we wanted. We were offered food mid party

It was a session never forgotten. Certainly noisy and I vaguely remember being assisted off in Schiphol where I only just made a 3 hour connection to LHR.

 

[Smudger1122]

Jesus...

 

[Yokel]

Surely all sorts of aircraft are used for test and development work? Missile seeker heads have been tested using the Hawker Hunter. Is this for the future 'Tempest' project, or TEMPEST related work for avionics?

And what was that about a Lancastrian girl with a Mamba? A Temptress?