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By: - 12th February 2007 at 16:45 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Blue Note
Dak
The blue note is definately gun based, not engine. Kennets F6A produces the classic note (original gun barrels fitted), Swiss Hunters less so (same engine, different gun muzzles). Meteor F8 Winston, again a classic note (guns in place). NF11, no note (same engines, no guns). Apart from the actual barrels (obviously disarmed!!), the cartridge ejector chutes also contribute as "organ pipes". Fantastic noise!!
By: - 12th February 2007 at 18:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A gorgeous sound. Anyone got it as an audio file. What a ring tone that would make for your mobile phone! :cool:
Interestingly, while not the blue note, I seem to remember F-104s having a similarly distinctive howl, as did USAF F4s but not the British ones. Does anyone have similar memories??
By: - 12th February 2007 at 18:26 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
For all those who have heard it, the Blue note produced by the Hawker Hunter is a wonderful sound. I have heard this sound produced by Meteors and Canberras but not of the same intensity.
The term Blue note was originally coined to describe the sound caused by reheat under certain circumstances (combustion howl). It is normally called reheat buzz or screech these days.
By: - 12th February 2007 at 18:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A gorgeous sound. Anyone got it as an audio file. What a ring tone that would make for your mobile phone! :cool:Interestingly, while not the blue note, I seem to remember F-104s having a similarly distinctive howl, as did USAF F4s but not the British ones. Does anyone have similar memories??
F104s and US F4s had J79 engines, the Brits used RR Spey engines. Indeed the F104 fit was very prone to howl. I always found it a dreadful sound.
By: - 12th February 2007 at 18:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Blue note on meteor here:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/chris.gage/meatbox.rm
a few years ago I uploaded this, forgot about and it is now link from someone elses site (grump over). Still if they hadn't done that I would have lost it. I think it dates from 1999 or 2000 so video is pretty compressed as it was in days before adsl. File is real media and it is the second pass that he gets musical
By: - 12th February 2007 at 22:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The best Hunter I have heard produce a blue note is without a doubt Misdemeanor:cool:
By: - 13th February 2007 at 20:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hunter Blue Note
Hi
Anyone who attended the 50th Anniversary of the Hawker Hunter at Kemble in2001, would have been able to experience the sight and sound of a Hunter making the distinctive "Blue Note" sound. The display was by Hunter F-6A
XF516 and the pilot on that occasion was former Lightning display pilot, John Aldington.
Freebird
By: - 13th February 2007 at 21:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Try this one for a Blue Note?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mz4ZTTuEt0
and one of "Miss Demeanour"(no Blue Note) though
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFwxtFJHMYg
and the long version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG2WA5eO758
By: - 13th February 2007 at 22:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
HiAnyone who attended the 50th Anniversary of the Hawker Hunter at Kemble in2001, would have been able to experience the sight and sound of a Hunter making the distinctive "Blue Note" sound. The display was by Hunter F-6A
XF516 and the pilot on that occasion was former Lightning display pilot, John Aldington.Freebird
Agreed, it was a wonderful day.
The Blue Note is generally accepted to be primarily produced by airflow over and through the gun ports.
Poor old XF516 is very much missed and was the only Hunter at the time able to produce the Blue Note properly - because it had original blast tubes and an original gun pack in place. Despite what some will try and convince you, ex-Swiss Hunters like Miss Demeanor can't do it because of the blast deflectors. Kennet's XF515 doesn't give the full effect either because it has an electric start system fitted where the gun pack innards used to be and so the blast tubes have been tinkered with.
Thankfully we now have XE601 flying which carries on the tradition of being the only Hunter able to produce the Blue Note properly - see multivac's first youtube link in the previous post (Brian Grant being the pilot on that occasion).
By: - 13th February 2007 at 22:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Agreed, it was a wonderful day.Poor old XF516 is very much missed and was the only Hunter at the time able to produce the Blue Note properly (I don't care what anyone says, ex-Swiss Hunters like Miss Demeanor can't do it). Thankfully we now have XE601 flying which carries on the tradition of being the only Hunter able to produce the Blue Note properly - see multivac's first youtube link in the previous post (Brian Grant being the pilot on that occasion).
I believe that XF515 was also part of the display that day and she too, can produce that awesome BLUE NOTE, although not as good as 516 used to be.
I have had the fortune to have been on the receiving of a Jonathan Whalley/Miss Demeanour airfield beat up (and more than once) during my time as part of the Kemble Air Services Airfield Maintenance Team, we were prime targets with our high viz's on and I can confirm that I have never heard her produce a Bluey.
By: - 13th February 2007 at 23:05 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
buccsociety, it seems you were writing your post at the same time I was editing mine! I'm glad we came to the same conclusions on XF515 and Miss Demeanour!:)
By: - 13th February 2007 at 23:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Despite what some will try and convince you, ex-Swiss Hunters like Miss Demeanor can't do it because of the blast deflectors.
Now correct me if I am wrong. I think I have heard Miss D produce the blue note and I think I have it on video. Oh well must drag out all the old airshow videos again. My wife will be pleased.
I shall look out the vids and listen closely.
keep you posted.
By: - 14th February 2007 at 10:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I don't know what Jet Heritage/Eric Hayward did, but there are two other Hunters in Europe that can produce a noise likened to a Blue Note! The first is T.7 G-VETA now based at Exeter with Skyblue Aviation, and the second is Karl Theurer's T.68 G-HVIP.
Superb :D
By: - 14th February 2007 at 11:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There was a 'blue note' before all these newfangled jet thingies, made by the original Fairey Flycatcher in a dive. Obviously a different origin and probably sound (I know of no existing recordings) but that's what the RN chaps called in back then.
By: - 14th February 2007 at 11:46 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There was a 'blue note' before all these newfangled jet thingies, made by the original Fairey Flycatcher in a dive. Obviously a different origin and probably sound (I know of no existing recordings) but that's what the RN chaps called in back then.
I was about to post the very same thing! Apparently it was caused when the Flycatcher dived and then levelled out and throttled back so it might have something to do with a particular resonance at a certain engine/prop speed or something...
By: - 14th February 2007 at 12:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi XN,
Gotta get up early...
Here's a the sound of the Temora Aviation Museum's Meteor F-8 (the ex-Winston alluded to earlier) making a low pass. It's on this page, from Keith Webb's Old CMP website:
http://www.oldcmp.net/Aircraft_sounds.html
And sound like this:
http://www.oldcmp.net/Audio/Meteor_pass.mp3
Be warned - it starts off silent, you turn it up, them WHAM. ;)
By: - 14th February 2007 at 13:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Off thread a little I know.
But that Boomerang sounds unbelievable!!
http://www.oldcmp.net/Audio/Boomerang.mp3
Thanks James!!
By: - 14th February 2007 at 13:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I was about to post the very same thing! Apparently it was caused when the Flycatcher dived and then levelled out and throttled back so it might have something to do with a particular resonance at a certain engine/prop speed or something...
The P51 also makes a distinctive sound in the dive....not so much a blue note, more of a scream!
By: - 14th February 2007 at 13:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I don't know what Jet Heritage/Eric Hayward did, but there are two other Hunters in Europe that can produce a noise likened to a Blue Note! The first is T.7 G-VETA now based at Exeter with Skyblue Aviation, and the second is Karl Theurer's T.68 G-HVIP.
Superb :D
The Mark 68 is a twin-gun job, so I wonder if that makes a difference with the T-birds? Can't explain G-VETA though, unless the boys at Exeter have been drilling holes in strategic places so it makes nice noises!:D
By: - 14th February 2007 at 14:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
But that Boomerang sounds unbelievable!!
http://www.oldcmp.net/Audio/Boomerang.mp3Thanks James!!
Don't thank me, thank Matt Denning who basically spent his whole life rebuilding it, and Keith Webb's excellent sound man recording it.
It's a pleasure to have seen it, and met Matt.
Posts: 116
By: Dakkg651 - 12th February 2007 at 15:59
For all those who have heard it, the Blue note produced by the Hawker Hunter is a wonderful sound. I have heard this sound produced by Meteors and Canberras but not of the same intensity.
Question is, what exactly produces the sound.
Having talked to many Hunter pilots, old and new, there seems to be no definitive answer. Some seem to think that because the T7 doesn't produce the goods, the four gun barrels in the single seaters are the culprits. Others say that it is shock wave build up or jet pipe resonance.
Anyone know the real answer?
PS If you haven't heard the blue note, get hold of a copy of the film 'High Flight'.