LADS (LASER Airborne Depth Sounder) Fokker F27
| LADS (LASER Airborne Depth Sounder) Fokker F27LOCATION: Cairns/AdelaideAirfield: Cairns/AdelaideTime Frame: September 2008-2009 | VH-EWP NEWSVideo of the 12- Sept 09 arrival viewVideo departure for test flight 14 Sept 09 view
Night time Sortie 15th Sept 09 view Video take-off YPAD view NOTE: Please allow videos to fully load before playing. Photo Gallery (view) (Gallery 2)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 VH-EWP Fokker F27 500 Arrives at YPAD for refit.The Navy Fokker Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) arrived in Adelaide 12 September 2009. It is to undergo a refit with it’s current equipment compliment to go into the new Dash 8 VH-LCL. The Fokker will be here for some time, at least till Friday 18th. We will keep you up-to-date as information is received. For those that would like to see the aircraft flying, it is going out on Monday morning around 0900 and Tuesday around 1400.You can see a short video of the 13- Sept 09 arrival here.
Departure for test flight 14 Sept 09 (view) Photo Gallery (view)
About LADS Fokker F-27 The Navy Hydrographic Unit operates a Fokker F27 as an Airborne Laser Depth Sounder. The aircraft is used to map the ocean floor. Using a high powered, pulsed LASER the aircraft scans swathes of the ocean floor more rapidly than a ship performing the same task.
Picture: On Tarmac at Cairns The LADS F27 is a specially fitted out aircraft. Complete with LASER, Data Logging, Cooling Units and Crew Facilities. The aircraft has been extensively modified to incorporate bay doors under the fuselage, additional fuel tanks, precise navigation systems, and a stabilised platform for the laser.
Picture: Inside LADS
The aircraft is piloted by civillian pilots and the electronic equipment is operated by Navy personel. Modifications to the aircraft include extra fuel tanks. The flight time per sortie can be up to 7 1/2 hours.
UPGRADE The equipment was recently upgraded (2008). The new system has improved performance and operational requirements over the old system. Specs for the new system are:
Picture: LADS How It Works Fixed Infrared beam provides precise height information. Green beam scans ocean floor up to 50 metres deep.
Simulated LASER Scanning Red Laser is fixed vertically/stationary to measure height.
Overall Specification
Links to other VH-EWP and LADS related items: Navy – Fondness for Fokkers http://www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS/editions/4903/feature/feature02.htm
Navy – Hydrographic Service
Navy – Hydrographic Survey http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Cairns#Fokker_F27-500_Laser_Airborne_Depth_Sounder_.28LADS.29 Item by David H. Information courtesy of LADS. Photos by LADS Staff & David H. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9th November 2009: VH-EWP (Fokker Friendship 500) returned to Adelaide to have the LADS gear from VH-LCL installed. No longer flying under the banner of “Navy Survey” she arrived as “EWP” and in a couple of weeks the aircraft should be ready to test the installed LADS gear in flight.
