AirForceOne From Canada, joined Aug 2006, 45 posts, RR: 0 Posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 5806 times:
Hey All, I was just wondering if Fighter Jets make contrails. Like when they cruise to contrails come out of their engines?.
I witnessed a F/A-18 Hornet take off and before, when I asked the pilot what they normally climb to he said FL300. Thanks for the responses
AirForceOne
Darrell
2H4 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 8950 posts, RR: 62 Reply 1, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 5790 times:
2H4 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 8950 posts, RR: 62 Reply 3, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 5772 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD DATABASE EDITOR
Quoting AirForceOne (Reply 2): Just a quick edit, When I ment that the hornet flew to FL300. He had no Contrail.
The production of contrails is dependent on many factors....altitude is only one. It's quite common for aircraft to fly at very high altitudes without leaving a contrail at all. It's also possible to leave contrails while still on the ground. It's primarily a matter of temperature and humidity.
MDorBust From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 5766 times:
Quoting 2H4 (Reply 3): It's also possible to leave contrails while still on the ground.
I had a car once that left contrails. Had to put more oil in it everyday.
Seriously though. Cars do leave contrails. That little cloud that follows you around in the winter is a contrail. If you got the temperature cold enough, and the air pressure low enough, that cloud would stick around for quite some time.
Vzlet From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 820 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 5578 times:
One of my favorite rejections shows some nicely persistent contrails from F-15s:
A pair of Bitburg "Zulu Alert" F-15s chalk up the sky as they run intercepts on each other. Seen from the cockpit of the E-3A AWACS that was controlling the fighters.
"That's so stupid! If they're so secret, why are they out where everyone can see them?" - my kid
Stretch From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 39 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 5550 times:
There was a great article in this months Air and Space Magazine about contrails.
Moriarty From Sweden, joined Jan 2006, 160 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 5463 times:
Very interesting article indeed. I really like the thought of geese making contrails
Really enjoyed your picture Vzlet! Nice contrails on that one!
Nowadays when airliners have various sorts of cameras connected to the IFE, wouldn't it bee cool to have a "contrail cam"? One pointing backwards from the aircraft...
Vzlet From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 820 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 5428 times:
Thanks for the positive comments, guys. The shot does have some photographic issues, but I thought it was unusual, interesting, and old enough (1981) to have a chance.
I've been doing fine since therapy.
-Mark
"That's so stupid! If they're so secret, why are they out where everyone can see them?" - my kid
Matell From Australia, joined May 2006, 10 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (5 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 5272 times:
I think the answer has more than adequately been given, but I just had to add at least one pic I took when on holiday in Sweden last year.
Driving back from Kiruna in late November on the E10 I heard a lovely sound, and looked up to see the odd contrail from a few JAS 39 Gripens from F21 (assumed) at Luleå. It was hard to follow what was happening +30,000ft above me, but from the engine noises, contrails, and odd flash of reflected winter light and colour from the aircraft I believe there were at least four Gripens up on an Air-Air training exercise.
I assumed when I took this photo that after being "Killed" the dead aircraft had to exit the engagement to the east, fly a racetrack orbit, before being able to leave the holding point and re-engage to the west (flying right over head in the process)
It was interesting as I figured you could tell the change in throttle setting by the density of the contrail, then several moments later you could hear the change. Unfortunately I didn't witness much of the actual engagements due to light cirrus clouds, occasionally masking the contrail, and I feel the actual engagements were taking place below the freezing layer.
Eventually they made their way further west or onto another ex, so I hurriedly drove the remaining 100km back to the E4. I couldn't believe it, but +1hr later as I approached the bridge crossing the river prior to the Luleå Flygstation exit I saw two Gripens do a low overfly of the airfield break into a tight circuit from upwind and then disappear below the treeline while turning onto final. By the time I got to the military side of the airfield they would've been shut down and the pilots most likely returning their kit.
Things I learnt - 3x optical zoom isn't enough, and when aircraft are about and driving, always have your camera handy!
Sorry for the long and irrelevant post - but hey, the RM12 is just variant of the F404 that powers the Hornet - and yes they contrail!
HaveBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2069 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (5 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 5132 times:
Cool post Matell, I enjoyed it and that would have been cool to see.
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