RAF Helicopter equipment query

smokie32

Hi folks, a query i've been struggling with with regards to attachments to the airframes of some RAF helicopters and was wondering does anyone have any idea what they might be/used for? I've a few theories but could never find anyone to confirm or deny those theories, so hoping you of you lot could help?

Ok so having bother uploading a few pics to show what structure i'm talking about

tac foley

Give us a clue...................

If you can find any pics on Google 'images' that you can relay to us?

tac

smokie32

Cheers Tac
I reckon it might only apply to aircraft based in NI but here goes,
Its the shiny 'purple' cylinder type object usually on the underside of the tail of the aircraft, puma, lynx and sea king. On the Chinook it has two half cylinder shapes on either side of the rear rotor structure. I always guessed it was possibly to do with communications???
Will try to get pics, i have some saved on my computer but cant get them to post 

smokie32

smokie32

The object in question is just between the fuselage and tail section

tac foley

ECM.

tac

smokie32

ECM??? As in electronic counter measures???

Reggie.

smokie32 wrote: »

ECM??? As in electronic counter measures???

Yep

Gatling

I believe it's actually a flare dispenser your looking​ at

smokie32

But it doesnt look like it could project chaff etc, more like a receiving or transmitting device???

smokie32

To be honest, there doesnt seem to be any openings on it thats why it lead me to believe it was electronic. I have seen it up close (well close enough without being shot at lol ) and its a solid structure.

Gatling

smokie32 wrote: »

To be honest, there doesnt seem to be any openings on it thats why it lead me to believe it was electronic. I have seen it up close (well close enough without being shot at lol ) and its a solid structure.

Could an Aerial of some kind rather than a dispenser ,I think any flares would be higher up on the main fuselage

smokie32

Thats why, because it was mostly in NI that i thought it might be a jammer of some description???

tac foley

I've said what it is, and that is what it is.

tac - many times a soldier in Northern Ireland.

Psychlops

Gatling wrote: »

I believe it's actually a flare dispenser your looking​ at

ECM, its like lots of mini pieces of glass stuck together,

The below images show what chaff/flare dispensers look like on heli's

http://s6.photobucket.com/user/intruder_bass/media/mh-47g_soa_49_of_96.jpg.html

https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6151/6164653794_6f3093ce3d_b.jpg

Psychlops

Gatling wrote: »

Could an Aerial of some kind rather than a dispenser ,I think any flares would be higher up on the main fuselage

Chaff/Flare dispensers are low and usually pointing down & aft, not up into or anywhere near the main rotors.

tac foley

Why don't you take the answer from somebody who has flown around in them for years?

Jeez.

tac

Gatling

Psychlops wrote: »

Chaff/Flare dispensers are low and usually pointing down & aft, not up into or anywhere near the main rotors.

Totally not what I meant ,

knucklehead6

tac foley wrote: »

I've said what it is, and that is what it is.

tac - many times a soldier in Northern Ireland.

tac foley wrote: »

Why don't you take the answer from somebody who has flown around in them for years?

Jeez.

tac

Reggie.

knucklehead6 wrote: »

I don't think that's the case at all knucklehead

Savage93

knucklehead6 wrote: »

DIPSTICK

Tac is a longstanding and valued contributor to this and other boards.

tac foley

OK, OK, I was wrong, it's a soup dispenser for delivery of military soup to outlying units on the ground. It also doubles up as an airborne disco light for those military knees-ups that we are rightly famed for.

tac

Stovepipe

It is nicknamed the "disco ball" and it's job is exactly as tac has described; it puts out differing frequencies to jam potential enemy radars. It works in conjunction with chaff and flare dispensers so that the pilot knows that using ECM to try and jam, say, an IR homing missile would be a waste of time so he could fire flares instead, but there are dual function missiles that can do both, so he might dispense both to avoid being hit.When they came into service initially, it was common to see them covered by the crew after landing but now that they are so well known, the crews leave them uncovered unless it's to prevent damage by bad handling or environmental damage by sand or rocks.

Manic Moran

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/ALQ-144