Aviation Thunderbirds are Go!

[andyglym]

It's like this Sarge

Mid 90's at RAF Brize Norton. Believed to be operator error when de-tanking fuel, tail fin overload. Broken up for spares.

Oops

 

[hard top]

tail fin overload.

What is that then exactly....?..

 

[andyglym]

What is that then exactly....?..

A VC10 Mike, or was.

Edit: Sorry, RTFQ! The tail and "wings" on the tail have integral fuel tanks. When de-fueling you need to do it in a balanced way. On this occasion he didn't thus making it arse end heavy and .......

 

[hard top]

A VC10 Mike, or was.

Yeah, I know, but you can't be saying the tail fin made that happen?

 

[andyglym]

Yeah, I know, but you can't be saying the tail fin made that happen?

Yup. Massive weight Mike

These "wings" on top of the tail are as large as the Hunter wings. Those and the tail had fuel in but none elsewhere.

 

[hard top]

Back in the early 70's when I was at primary school our teachers boyfriend was in the RAF, so we had a day trip to RAF Brize Norton.
We were allowed on the runway and walked about under the planes.
I remember all us kids slipping around on aviation fuel all over the tarmac.

Would not be a 'done thing' now, with Elf & Safety, but at least in those days kids learned something.

 

[zedwheels]

They didnt teach you about tails weighing too much though did they!

 

[mwpe]

All those rear engined aircraft were finely balanced but I think the Super VC10 was the only one with fuel tanks in the tail. The Boeing 727-200 was very tail heavy as well and easy to tip up.

 

[hard top]

They didnt teach you about tails weighing too much though did they!

No, and did not teach us about fuel tank balancing as I think they thought we were a bit to young to grasp that fact.
Any how, all we were interested in was sitting in the cockpit.

Oh, and it also looks like they did not bother to teach the ground crew either in this case.