avatar_Weaver

AVPIN tales

Started by Weaver, August 24, 2010, 09:30:20 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Weaver

"Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot."
 - Sandman: A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Neil Gaiman

"I dunno, I'm making this up as I go."
 - Indiana Jones

Aircav

The Bristol Belvedere used AVPIN as well, horid stuff.
"Subvert and convert" By Me  :-)

"Sophistication means complication, then escallation, cancellation and finally ruination."
Sir Sydney Camm

"Men do not stop playing because they grow old, they grow old because they stop playing" - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Vertical Airscrew SIG Leader

nev

I remember my dad telling me putting AVPIN in peoples cigarette lighters was a favourite jape :)
Between almost-true and completely-crazy, there is a rainbow of nice shades - Tophe


Sales of Airfix kits plummeted in the 1980s, and GCSEs had to be made easier as a result - James May

Aircav

Mine was telling me about a barrel of AVIPIN that got away from the RAF crew as they round it down some planks out of a Belvedere in Malaya and it ended up at the bottom of a small hill with everyone running the opposite way.
I seem to remember that some of the torpedos ran on a form of AVPIN.
"Subvert and convert" By Me  :-)

"Sophistication means complication, then escallation, cancellation and finally ruination."
Sir Sydney Camm

"Men do not stop playing because they grow old, they grow old because they stop playing" - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Vertical Airscrew SIG Leader

PR19_Kit

Didn't Lighnings use AVPIN for something too? Perhaps starting, as they used big Avons as pushers.

There's a piccie on the Net somewhere of an F6 (maybe an F2A) with much of the spine fairing peeled back and signs of a serious fire having taken place, apparently due to some part of the AVPIN circuitry blowing up. Darned if I can find now though.  :angry:
Kit's Rule 1 ) Any aircraft can be improved by fitting longer wings, and/or a longer fuselage
Kit's Rule 2) The backstory can always be changed to suit the model

...and I'm not a closeted 'Take That' fan, I'm a REAL fan! :)

Regards
Kit

nev

Yes Kit - from memory I believe the white section as seen on the spine of some Lightnings was where the AVPIN tank was.
Between almost-true and completely-crazy, there is a rainbow of nice shades - Tophe


Sales of Airfix kits plummeted in the 1980s, and GCSEs had to be made easier as a result - James May

Weaver

Quote from: PR19_Kit on August 25, 2010, 10:21:10 PM
Didn't Lighnings use AVPIN for something too? Perhaps starting, as they used big Avons as pushers.


Yes, AVPIN was the standard starting mechanism on later Avons. Basically, it's a monopropellant fuel (like liquid rocket fuel). Put it in a closed space, compress it, ignite it and you've got LOTS of high-pressure gas. The Avon starter takes that and uses it to turn a small turbine which gets the main engine going.

Kinda related story from another site: one ex-groundcrew guy was relating how they'd "haze" virgin oiks by getting them to do the intake inspection on a Lightning, which involved crawling inside the intake. They'd then disconnect the AVPIN feed and ignition and hit the starter button: the oik would here the AVPIN pump spinning up, while they were inside the intake, and the bet was on how many seconds it took them to exit the intake again with their trousers filling..... :wacko:
"Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot."
 - Sandman: A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Neil Gaiman

"I dunno, I'm making this up as I go."
 - Indiana Jones