A-5 FANTANS AT NIGHT

[fatman17]

x_man, MuradK or anyone who has the knowledge of the below mentioned, please comment:

" the pilot pulls his A-5 up to the compass swing area (notice the semi-circle on the ground) to check the cockpit instruments are in order, before moving away".

 

[shehbazi2001]

A google search gives the following,

Aircraft Compass Swing - November 2005 Issue - (Aircraft Maintenance Technology)


It seems that compass swing is required whenever the compass loses its accuracy. Aircraft is aligned to 0 degree (North) and if the aircraft compass does not show the same thing, then its adjusted.

This adjustement takes place outside hanger to avoid "ferrous" materials like steel or iron. From the webpage, it seems that its not required before every flight. Its done only when the accuracy of compass "may" get affected like parking the aircraft on the same heading for long time, any changes in cockpit involving ferrous materials, after lightning or electrical systems changes etc.

I think this procedure may be difficult in areas close to the poles, esp North Pole, where the compass is not accurate. I think its here that the difference between True North and Magnetic North comes into play. I dont know if in our area, there is any difference between TRUE or MAGNETIC NORTH.

 

[x_man]

Further to the Shehbazis post...

Every aircraft in the world whether prop, jet , single engine, four engine, rotary, fixed wing, F-22 or P-51 Mustang or Airbus 380, there is one piece of equipment that has always been there and will always be i.e. Standby Heading Compass……

No matter how sophisticated the Navigation computer systems becomes , they will always remain a chance that these can fail due to their dependencies on aircrafts electric system or may be other external inputs etc..Whereas S’by compass is independent of any external input and can still operate if everything else fails.

However, one inherent problem of S’by compass is that it can give erroneous heading information due to various reasons as mentioned by Shehbazi. So there the need arises to keep this compass synchronised all the time, therefore a Compass Swing is carried out…

How compass swing is carried out is simple…You start your aircraft, taxi it to the designated compass swing area…A ground crew will assist you and ask you to turn the aircrafts on different headings, at each position on the ground, on a piece of paper you also note the difference between correspondent parked heading and the heading on the S’by compass……

After noting the difference on 6 or 7 different headings, you switch off the aircraft, hand the paper to Ground crew and he will first curse you for your bad hand writing, with a heavy heart he will tighten few nuts here and there on the compass , make an entry in the aircrafts form and ..Compass Swing is done…

I think this procedure may be difficult in areas close to the poles, esp North Pole, where the compass is not accurate. I think its here that the difference between True North and Magnetic North comes into play. I dont know if in our area, there is any difference between TRUE or MAGNETIC NORTH.

You are right…Close to Geographical North/South poles and Magnetic N/S poles, the S’by compass is useless…It gives huge errors in reading and one cannot rely on it. It also gives errors during acceleration/deceleration and during turning as well…S’by compass neither aligns itself with True nor Magnetic north, rather its orientation is with Compass North…

 

[Super Falcon]

there are new versions of a5 why our airforce is not going for those. they are cheap too

 

[fatman17]

there are new versions of a5 why our airforce is not going for those. they are cheap too

wake up and smell the coffee bro. all A5s are being replaced by JF-17s in the ATG role.

 

[MZUBAIR]

This bird is beautiful. Its a heavy air craft.
PAF is going to replace all these A-5 with Jf-17 in 2009/10

 

[MZUBAIR]

A-5C: Export version of Q-5III with more western gears upon customers' requests, such as flight instrumentation made by Rockwell Collins, and western ejection seat made by Martin-Baker. Added the capability to fire western missiles such as the R550 Magic or AIM-9 Sidewinder. Exported to Bangladesh and Pakistan. Bangladesh Air Force's A-5Cs have been upgraded in 2008 to fire LS-6 and LT-2 ground attack munitions giving them advanced strike capability

These birds can also fire Nuclear weapons


I think PAF shld give these birds to PN. There shld be 2 dedicated Sqd of A-5. What should u people say. Plz comment.

 

[wangrong]

This bird is beautiful. Its a heavy air craft.
PAF is going to replace all these A-5 with Jf-17 in 2009/10

 

[wangrong]

These birds can also fire Nuclear weapons


I think PAF shld give these birds to PN. There shld be 2 dedicated Sqd of A-5. What should u people say. Plz comment.

it's impossible
BCZ Short leg

 

[MZUBAIR]

it's impossible
BCZ Short leg

Short Leg....sorry I am not able to understand.

 

[MZUBAIR]

As much as I now Pakistan have Q-5C but China upgraded this machine to Q-5D,Q-5E,Q-5E and advanced version Q-5J

---------- Post added at 12:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:56 PM ----------


Ur last pic looks that it has sniper also called Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP)

 

[Kamakazi 69]

I think that means a short range. It has a maximum range of 600 k.m.

 

[MZUBAIR]

Still waiting for comments for following suggestion

I think PAF shld give these birds to PN after replacing them with JF-17. There shld be 2 dedicated Sqd of A-5 for Pakistan Navy. What would u people say. Plz comment.

 

[MZUBAIR]

I think that means a short range. It has a maximum range of 600 k.m.

Hmmm..........but I think F-18 Hornet have Combat radius: 537 km on hi-lo-lo-hi mission (Acc to weki).

600 KM is not that short....I am not expert so I need more to understand.

 

[TaimiKhan]

Latest Q-5 with Laser designator for precision ground attack role.



Laser designator pod under the Q-5



Q-5 with both things