Harrier Gate Guard

[Xplumberlives]

I thought these might be of interest!

Whilst serving/holidaying in Belize I was roped in to help prepare this Harrier GR3 for presentation to the people of Belize!

[MOD]

nice shots. I wonder what it looks like today?


Mod

[Xplumberlives]

JUST a GUESS!

[Aceyone]

Well your occupation was certainly more interesting than moving miserable commuters from A to B !

[Xplumberlives]

:)) Well your occupation was certainly more interesting than moving miserable commuters from A to B !

To be honest, there was very little to do in Belize once the Harrier GR3s left for the UK, we did a fair bit of cleaning up after them and then instituted a rapidly growing roster for who had a day off! We also had a SABRE RATTLING detachment of Harrier GR7s.

The Gate Guard gave me something to do, although when asked if I would do some of the work, I wasn't expecting to have to fit and remove the wing three times! The other thing that went wrong with her was that after enquiring expressly of my bosses as to the absolute final use of this airframe and checking and re-checking that I could cut through wiring looms in order to remove various items for painting before the rebuild started. Two days after dropping the outboard pylons and cutting through the "Corporate" wiring looms, we received a signal from RNAS Yeovilton requesting them for their Sea Harrier fleet. My boss had to signal back that they were found to be damaged when we tried to recover them for the navy!

[Aceyone]

The above is soo typical !

What I meant was your job enabled you to go to far flung places and get paid for it,I only ever got as far as Ramsgate ( hardly Belize ) and you got up close to aircraft ! beats changing the shoe-fuse on a Class 365 Unit between New Cross and London Bridge !

[Gaz]

ooops!!

Nice pics though, Dave!

[Xplumberlives]

ooops!!

Nice pics though, Dave!

No OOOPS about it, I'd done my checks!

[Gaz]

ooops!!

Nice pics though, Dave!

No OOOPS about it, I'd done my checks!

Wasn't ooopsing you mate, just the situation in General. That "Sod" (Of "Law" fame) can be a right "Bast*rd" sometimes

[Xplumberlives]

Indded it can!

[Lucas1860]

If you go on Google Earth you can still see it.

Jim.

[MOD]

That is also sympathetically displayed using just strops (and keeping the undercart deployed) rather than sticking a great pylon up its ar=e...


Mod

[Hydealfred]

beats changing the shoe-fuse on a Class 365 Unit between New Cross and London Bridge ![/quote]

To be honest I would very much enjoy train driving - something I've always had an interest in from a small lad in the 70's. I always fancied being a Freightliner driver and I'm still envious even today when I see them ploughing up the bank at Winchester towards Wallers Ash.

Like the shots XP - also the story regarding the navy wanting the bits is most amusing. It could have been all round

[Xplumberlives]

Siemens!!

[Jet Morgan]

Siemens!!

Indeed - drivers don't change fuses around here, its always left for the Siemens fitters!!!

[Hydealfred]

Can somesone tell me what the strange sound is that Desiro units make as they move off ? Sounds very Sci-fi

Sorry I've gone a bit off thread here

[Jet Morgan]

Can somesone tell me what the strange sound is that Desiro units make as they move off ? Sounds very Sci-fi

It does and no, I don't know either - and I work with them all day every day too!!!

Sorry I've gone a bit off thread here

I'm sure XPL won't mind...

[Xplumberlives]

I'm all for a bit of "OFF TOPIC" banter, it's what makes this Forum so different from the ORDINARY ones!

[RLN]

Can somesone tell me what the strange sound is that Desiro units make as they move off ? Sounds very Sci-fi

Sorry I've gone a bit off thread here

It's actually the control electronics that make the traction motors work that make that noise.

Networkers and Cl323's use Gate Turn-Off (GTO) Thyristors which is why they sound like they're changing gear as they accelerate and brake using the regen brake. Newer stuff like Electrostars and Desiros use the next technical development called an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT). It does the same job as a GTO Thyristor but uses less current, switches faster and can be made smaller and lighter. They also sound very different making more of a whining noise.

Simples

I think this is the noise you mean.

[Jet Morgan]

It's actually the control electronics that make the traction motors work that make that noise.

Networkers and Cl323's use Gate Turn-Off (GTO) Thyristors which is why they sound like they're changing gear as they accelerate and brake using the regen brake. Newer stuff like Electrostars and Desiros use the next technical development called an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT). It does the same job as a GTO Thyristor but uses less current, switches faster and can be made smaller and lighter. They also sound very different making more of a whining noise.

Simples

Thank you! Wanted to know for ages but hadn't found anybody that knew the answer, as not even people who work on 350s knew exactly what caused the sound as the units accelerated away from the platform...

[RLN]

TBH, I only googled it

[Dan4th]

TBH, I only googled it

And There I Was all set to suggest a weekly BEEB
show called: "Ask Martyn"

D.

[RLN]

Aw shucks I know nothing - and anyway, I don't do that small wire stuff.

[Hydealfred]

Thanks very much for clearing that one up for me - I could understand the REPS, VEPS etc but the new stuff - not a clue.

[Aceyone]

Regarding the regen brake ,when it was introduced on the South Eastern service the original intention was that the electricity produced by the " dynamo " effect while braking with the regen on ( it could be turned off and discs only used ) was to be fed back into the system,needless to say it never was !