Tomcat Yawstrings

[jmcquate]

I have the week off (starting s new job). I went to NASM Udvar-Hazy today and took the highlights guided tour........the F-14 yawstring was included as a "highlight". Made me chuckle. It was compared to the yawstring on the Wright 1903 Flyer.

 

[Rocketman]

or like this one on my rental PW-5

 

[Jim123]

You should have out-nerded the tour guide and pointed out that the Wright's yaw string also functioned as an AoA indicator- while the instrument for that in the F-14 was a much more complicated affair

 

[Renegade One]

I have the week off (starting s new job). I went to NASM Udvar-Hazy today and took the highlights guided tour........the F-14 yawstring was included as a "highlight". Made me chuckle. It was compared to the yawstring on the Wright 1903 Flyer.

Probably falls under the category of "If it ain't broke…"

 

[jmcquate]

Probably falls under the category of "If it ain't broke…"

True dat............as I have stated here before, I'm a fan of yawstrings on fleet air defense platforms.

 

[Catmando]

FWIW, that F-14 yaw-string was indeed a preeecision instrument. Seriously.
It was fun to trim, and trim again and again, to try to get it perfectly aligned.
You guys wouldn't know offhand, but I think I had one in the F-9 too.

 

[Renegade One]

FWIW, that F-14 yaw-string was indeed a preeecision instrument. Seriously.
It was fun to trim, and trim again and again, to try to get it perfectly aligned.
You guys wouldn't know offhand, but I think I had one in the F-9 too.

"Grampaw…what's an F-9?"

 

[jmcquate]

FWIW, that F-14 yaw-string was indeed a preeecision instrument. Seriously.
It was fun to trim, and trim again and again, to try to get it perfectly aligned.
You guys wouldn't know offhand, but I think I had one in the F-9 too.

Panther yawstrings.....maybe Tigers too. A Grumman innovation.

 

[Catmando]

"Grampaw…what's an F-9?"

As you know, it was once The Advanced Training Command's, "Transonic" Fighter.



We had one syllabus hop - it's only purpose was to break the sound barrier.
On mine, most of the hop was spent to climb to high alt. Then at full power, go into a steep dive.
Some guys exceeded Mach 1, I didn't. Close... as in hand grenades and horse shoes.

 

[Renegade One]

As you know, it was once The Advanced Training Command's, "Transonic" Fighter. We had one syllabus hop - it's only purpose was to break the sound barrier.
On mine, most of the hop was spent to climb to high alt. Then at full power, go into a steep dive.
Some guys exceeded Mach 1, I didn't. Close... as in hand grenades and horse shoes.

And the purpose of this "syllabus hop" was….?

I assume you got a Pink Sheet? "Failure to achieve flight objective"?

 

[Catmando]

And the purpose of this "syllabus hop" was….?

I assume you got a Pink Sheet? "Failure to achieve flight objective"?

Seriously, it was a free-bee, fun hop. But still a legit, syllabus hop.
Some of the old and bent F-9's with centrifagal flow engines could; and some couldn't achieve the purpose - to break Mach 1!

You couldn't get an "above" or "below" grade unless you crashed, or saved the free world.

 

[BusyBee604]

You guys wouldn't know offhand, but I think I had one in the F-9 too.

You're right Cat, we flew F9F-8s in advanced at Chase, and they did have yawstrings. I recall we found them to be strange in a (then) modern swept wing jet Fighter.
BzB

 

[nittany03]

We had one syllabus hop - it's only purpose was to break the sound barrier.
On mine, most of the hop was spent to climb to high alt. Then at full power, go into a steep dive.
Some guys exceeded Mach 1, I didn't. Close... as in hand grenades and horse shoes.

Reminds me of a guy I went through Meridian with (who shall remain nameless) who scared himself shitless on his T-45 FAM solo by discovering transonic pitchup. Tried to see how fast he could go, and almost over-Ged the jet on his dive recovery/decel to stay in the MOA. Followed by a frantic check of NATOPS upon landing to double-doublecheck that he hadn't overstressed the airplane. For better or worse, I was not so daring the first time I got the keys to a Goosehawk.

 

[Lovebug201]

During my time the great boondoggle/freebie was to send NFO's to Beeville/Kingsville to catch a ride or two in the F9F. Killing time between P-cola & Glynco. Great time, I got Beeville, better deal because the Q was full so PerDiem & live in town for 3 weeks. My roommate was a Navy guy who had to punch out on his 2nd flight. Both OK, but he returned to P-cola and DOR'd.

 

[MAKE VAPES]

Reminds me of a guy I went through Meridian with (who shall remain nameless) who scared himself shitless on his T-45 FAM solo by discovering transonic pitchup. Tried to see how fast he could go, and almost over-Ged the jet on his dive recovery/decel to stay in the MOA. Followed by a frantic check of NATOPS upon landing to double-doublecheck that he hadn't overstressed the airplane. For better or worse, I was not so daring the first time I got the keys to a Goosehawk.

Threadjack...
It was tough to get going fast enough from ~23K to 10K to actually get above ~.94 in Meridian... by the time you got fast, it was time to pull up... On the umpteen A-Pros done, I don't remember the nose pitching up so much as losing aileron effectiveness.... "screaming" (with that fat little wing on the Goosehawk) at 40 degrees downhill from 41K with the stick 3/4 left or right (started at around .91 if I recall) to maintain wings level was pretty interesting, and always caught the new FCF folks by surprise no matter how well we briefed it...

One of the other "less talented" FCF guys came back one day and told me he got supersonic... he was probably giggling knowing that I was walking on an A-Pro, and knowing I'd try to outdo him.... got to .98, 3/4 left stick and the ailerons got a-buzzing, I thought they were going to depart the jet. Needless to say, I never tried again... Fahgedabahdit. Do not try this young grasshoppas... disregard that NATOPS says you can get supersonic. You might do it... once.