I was just curious:
1. Are the Thunderbird mics push to talk or voice activated?...I would think it would be the latter.
2. How many G's are pulled in the Diamond 360? (same as solo I assume but not sure)
Thanks.
Scooter
A couple of questions about G's
Re: just a couple of questions
PTTscooter wrote:1. Are the Thunderbird mics push to talk or voice activated?...I would think it would be the latter.
D360 = 4G's. Solo Max G Turn-Half Cuban 8 = 9G's.2. How many G's are pulled in the Diamond 360? (same as solo I assume but not sure)
LD
Thanks, Lawndart for your speedy response...
...I love how Maj. Haworth (I'm sure he's saying this from a prewritten script) says just before the Thunderbird 360 "and now for some more high G action"....shoot, 4 G's to the Thunderbirds are nothing...but I guess its something to the crowd.
once again thanks for your quick response
Scooter
...I love how Maj. Haworth (I'm sure he's saying this from a prewritten script) says just before the Thunderbird 360 "and now for some more high G action"....shoot, 4 G's to the Thunderbirds are nothing...but I guess its something to the crowd.
once again thanks for your quick response
Scooter
4G's is where most earthlings would gray out or even pass out in a fighter, but these guys can still hold a normal toned conversation at those loads; however, when you're 18-36 inches from another airplane at 400 knots and 4G's sustained for such a long time it gets demanding.scooter wrote:...shoot, 4 G's to the Thunderbirds are nothing...but I guess its something to the crowd.
The loops they fly also top out around 4G's (hence the "Riiight ooon into Foouurr" call as they pull skyward). Unlike the D360 the G's bleed off as they go vertical through the dynamics of a loop, whereas in the D360 they remain throughout the entire maneuver since it's horizontal.
EDIT: Added Q about G's in subject instead of yet another "generic question" thread.
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Rock
- Virtual Thunderbird Alumnus
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Here is a terrific quote form "Summer Thunder" by Brian Shul.
"The Thunderbird Diamond 360 maneuver is probably not near the top of the average spectator's list of "most impressive" when reviewing a show - but it should be. The maneuver consists of the diamond performing a 360 degree turn, at show center, at four G's. It closely follows the impressive maximum rate 360 degree turn in full afterburner by solo Number 6 - a tough act to follow. The diamond turn does not use burners, it is a wider turn, and it's not as loud as the solos, so it is understandable that few might realize that, by its very makeup, it is a more difficult manuever. In this case, what is invisible to the eye - the 4 G's - is what makes the diamond 360 so demanding, and a superlative example of the kind of muscle formation few would attempt to perform with such precision.
The 4 G's the diamond sustains when pulling up into the vertical maneuvers quickly diminishes as the aircraft slow near the top of their arc. In the diamond 360, a level maneuver, there are a constant 4 G's sustained throughout the entire circle. It is an agonizingly long turn for the pilots who must pull against four times their normal weight while making the delicate corrections required to keep a tight diamond. Simply breathing can become a chore.
Not wanting to increase the G loading in the turn, the one thing the Team could do to make the maneuver even more uncomfortable to fly, would be to make it a right turn, instead of left. By the position of the pilot's right hand on the F-16 side-grip stick, greater strength can more easily be generated for a left turning motion, especially during high G turns. The Thunderbirds perform the 4 G diamond 360 to the right."
"The Thunderbird Diamond 360 maneuver is probably not near the top of the average spectator's list of "most impressive" when reviewing a show - but it should be. The maneuver consists of the diamond performing a 360 degree turn, at show center, at four G's. It closely follows the impressive maximum rate 360 degree turn in full afterburner by solo Number 6 - a tough act to follow. The diamond turn does not use burners, it is a wider turn, and it's not as loud as the solos, so it is understandable that few might realize that, by its very makeup, it is a more difficult manuever. In this case, what is invisible to the eye - the 4 G's - is what makes the diamond 360 so demanding, and a superlative example of the kind of muscle formation few would attempt to perform with such precision.
The 4 G's the diamond sustains when pulling up into the vertical maneuvers quickly diminishes as the aircraft slow near the top of their arc. In the diamond 360, a level maneuver, there are a constant 4 G's sustained throughout the entire circle. It is an agonizingly long turn for the pilots who must pull against four times their normal weight while making the delicate corrections required to keep a tight diamond. Simply breathing can become a chore.
Not wanting to increase the G loading in the turn, the one thing the Team could do to make the maneuver even more uncomfortable to fly, would be to make it a right turn, instead of left. By the position of the pilot's right hand on the F-16 side-grip stick, greater strength can more easily be generated for a left turning motion, especially during high G turns. The Thunderbirds perform the 4 G diamond 360 to the right."
