The BAES Electronic & Integrated Solutions' (E&IS)
Co-operative Avionics Test Bed (CATB), known as Catbird, made its
maiden flight at Mojave, California, in January.
Catbird is a Boeing 737-300 converted into a flying test-bed that
replicates the avionics suite of the F-35. Modifications include an
extended F-35 shaped nose and radome, and twin 12 ft sensor 'wings'
behind the cockpit representing F-35 wing leading edges. Inside the
fuselage there is an F-35 cockpit displaying sensor inputs. There are
twenty work stations for test engineers.
Catbird will be used to develop and evaluate the F-35's extensive sensor systems.
Hawker Nimrod Query
Ralph Hooper noticed in the Spring 2007 Newsletter
that it was claimed that the Nimrod II has a steam cooling system. He
understood that it was the High Speed Fury that was fitted at one time
with the steam cooled R-R Goshawk.
The July
'Aeroplane' explained that the more powerful Kestrel V, replacing the
II of the Nimrod, produced too much heat for the cooling system to cope
with and the coolant was, at high power settings, turning into steam
which was discharged through a vent pipe.
To cope with
this a brass steam condensing tank which formed the leading edge of the
upper wing centre section, was introduced. A pipe took the steam up one
of the struts to the condenser tank whilst coolant was returned down
another pipe under the control of a shuttle valve.
So, not really a steam cooling system, more a steam condensing system.
