It took a bit longer than I expected, but Slinky hit it (albeit obliquely) with his reference to the Radar Altimeter. The second drumroll is for LaMigra's pic of the Mi-17I (alphabetic disparity trivia lesson: the Iraqis sometimes call it the Mi-171 because the English capital I looks so much like the way we write 1 -- the Euro version is closer to the original Arabic numeral). The next drumroll is for JoA's Virtual Cockpit, and the final drumroll is for jon spencer's link dashing yet another cherished aviation myth right into the ground.
Ummmmm -- four. *Four* drumrolls.
Here's what the working side of the Whatziss looks like:
The red disk on the base of the Whatziss transmits the focused radar beam downward and the red disk forward of the chaff/flare dispenser receives the signal. The magical box inside the Whatziss interprets the time difference and translates it into a distance -- in this case, an AGL (Above Ground Level) altitude -- on the Radar Altimeter in the cockpit. It won't function as a GSI (part of Slinky's guess and Pat's primary one) because the beam is unidirectional.
The "Remove Before Flight" streamer John mentioned seeing is attached to an arming pin -- which must be removed before the RadAlt is armed. It prevents the pilot or a maintenance tech from turning it on inadvertently while a mechanic is doing mechanic stuff, or otherwise ambling beneath the tailboom. Mechanics have a low opinion of people who try to fry them with microwaves.
Some quick background on these particular Hip-Is -- they were made in Poland, assembled in Russia, and tweaked by Iraqi and American mechs in Iraq. *And* they come in two versions -- gunship and slick.
Heh. If the weather had been cruddy, there would have been three OH-58A/Cs on the pad doing hover work. Would have attracted even more spectators.
Said spectators wisely removed themselves during the runup -- even the fixed-wing folks are (mostly) smart enough to know that the sand on the pad won't be remaining on the pad for long...
Ummmmm -- four. *Four* drumrolls.
Here's what the working side of the Whatziss looks like:
The red disk on the base of the Whatziss transmits the focused radar beam downward and the red disk forward of the chaff/flare dispenser receives the signal. The magical box inside the Whatziss interprets the time difference and translates it into a distance -- in this case, an AGL (Above Ground Level) altitude -- on the Radar Altimeter in the cockpit. It won't function as a GSI (part of Slinky's guess and Pat's primary one) because the beam is unidirectional.
The "Remove Before Flight" streamer John mentioned seeing is attached to an arming pin -- which must be removed before the RadAlt is armed. It prevents the pilot or a maintenance tech from turning it on inadvertently while a mechanic is doing mechanic stuff, or otherwise ambling beneath the tailboom. Mechanics have a low opinion of people who try to fry them with microwaves.
Some quick background on these particular Hip-Is -- they were made in Poland, assembled in Russia, and tweaked by Iraqi and American mechs in Iraq. *And* they come in two versions -- gunship and slick.
Heh. If the weather had been cruddy, there would have been three OH-58A/Cs on the pad doing hover work. Would have attracted even more spectators.
Said spectators wisely removed themselves during the runup -- even the fixed-wing folks are (mostly) smart enough to know that the sand on the pad won't be remaining on the pad for long...
Granted helos don't do a lot of bomb dropping as it would tend to blow themselves up, it might be handy for rockets and guns.
Essentially you have a fighter's gun/bomb sight w/o the forward-looking ranging radar necessary for true CCIP.
Just a thought.
I dropped a sensor from 1,500 feet into the mouth of a cave four feet wide using that method.
Fixed wing types need all those expensive 'lectronic computational gizmos 'cuz they don't have chin bubbles to look through...
The reason we don't need chin bubbles is that the speeds we're dropping/firing require a mil solution that is well within the normal or expanded field of view of the HUD. The slower you're going, the further down from your longitudinal boresight you have to set your aiming reference, i.e., drop a lot later, putting the target more under your a$$ than under your nose.
But you knew that...
Rockets from an airplane that showed up twice as fast.
No chin bubbles required.
But, sadly, we have to turn around to get back home. So I guess you have us there...
*strangled mirth*
And, what the heck, when you're out of propane, only at 100 feet, and the 440 powerlines are looming, then dumping air in an attempt to land could be considered a dive being done on purpose...
In that situation, the "v" is superfluous...
'Tain't like it's never appeared here in that context!