December 14th, 2009
Via the BBC, the European Union is proposing changes to MP3 players to prescribe default safe listeing levels for MP3 players. Current legislation mandates that “a statement be put in the instruction manual to warn of the adverse effects of exposure to excessive sound level”. The new proposals would see that the default sound setting for any device “shall be the ‘default’ settings on products”. January will see the start of a two-month consultation of all EU standardisation bodies with a final agreement expected in the spring of 2010.
The EU notes that safe use depends on exposure time and volume levels, “At 80 dB(A), exposure should be limited to 40 hours/week. At 89 dB(A) exposure should not exceed 5 hours/week”.
November 17th, 2009
The Bristol f.2b Fighter makes one of my favourite aircraft sounds. Each time I record it I discover another facet of the complex soundscape it generates. The sounds the Rolls-Royce Falcon III on this machine makes sounds like the whine of a supercharger when you get downwind of it flying but I think this is the sound of the epicyclic gearing, which I think in itself is a unique feature in an engine this early.
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The picture below was taken during the display.
 Bristol Fighter, August 2009
October 20th, 2009
Using a small sample group, CNET have concluded that that people cannot tell the difference between Sky’s streaming audio at 48Kbps AAC+ and Spotify’s use of 160Kbps OGG Vorbis.
Continue reading and listening to 48Kbps AAC+ and 160Kbps OGG Vorbis Testing
September 14th, 2009
A sound recording of P-51 Mustang “Janie” recorded in August 2009.
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And a spectrogram of the recording.
 P-51 Mustang Janie Spectrogram
September 14th, 2009
Sound recording of a recently rebuilt P-51 Mustang “Marinell” at the 2009 Little Gransden Airshow.
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And a spectrogram of the recording.
 P51 Mustang Marinelle Spectrogram
August 4th, 2009
The BAC Strikemaster is the same aircraft as a Jet Provost (the piston version being recorded elsewhere in this blog). As a militarised trainer, the aircraft looks very aerobatic in display. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Viper Mk.535 turbojet producing 3,410 lbf (15.2 kN).
Doing a bit of digging around using the aircraft serial number, this may not be the billed Strikemaster but a T.3 Jet Provost. Some information from Jet Provost Heaven
Jet Provost T.3 XN637 was built by Hunting-Percival at Luton, and after flight tests was declared ready for collection on 31st August 1961. It was ferried from Luton to RAF Shawbury a week later (7th September) where it went to 27MU, for final preparations for RAF service began. On 5th October 1961, XN637 was issued to No 3 Flying Training School (3FTS), based at RAF Leeming in Yorkshire. This Unit had reformed the previous month as a Jet Provost squadron. XN637 remained in service, latterly as aircraft number ‘13′, until January 1963 when it returned to RAF Shawbury for storage. It stayed mothballed with 27MU for nearly ten years until November 11th 1972, when it was moved to RAF Kemble for further storage, this time with 5MU. On 14th February 1973 XN637 was officially declared a NEA – Non Effective Airframe, and within a month it had been struck off charge
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Here’s a snap of the photo during the display. The serial number on the plane in the photo confirms a Jet Provost (?).
 BAC Strikemaster, Old Warden, 2nd August 2009 Recorded on 2nd August 2009, Old Warden, Beds, UK.
August 4th, 2009
A Mark 1 Hurricane and Sea Hurricane displaying in formation. Not something you see or hear everyday!
The Sea Hurricane is operated by the Shuttleworth Collection and the MK1 Hurricane (R4188) is a Battle of Britain veteran aircraft. More information about R4188 is available from here.
Some interesting information linking these two machines from the web site about the Mk1:
During its lifetime, it was fitted with no fewer than five Rolls-Royce Merlin III engines, and underwent four major rebuilds. It is still powered by a Merlin III (the only other aircraft in the world to retain a Merlin III is the Sea Hurricane at Shuttleworth). It is said to be the most historic fighter aircraft to have survived the war.
During the display you could hear a difference in the two engines although difficult to tell in a blind test. The Sea Hurricane is flown in a very conservative style, no suprise considering the age and rarity (of the two). At a push, the Sea Hurricane has a softer sound.
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Recorded on 2nd August 2009, Old Warden, Beds, UK. This is a quick snap I took of the Mk1 and a photo of the Sea Hurricane from July.
 Hawker Hurricane MK1 R4188 at Old Warden  Hawker Sea Hurricane, Old Warden, July 2009
August 4th, 2009
This Merlin engined Spitfire PR.11 PL965 (G-MKXI) turned up at Old Warden at the weekend and did a fantastic display. The sound I recorded starts with the aircraft looping over the field and then a fast flyover right on axis with my mic setup.
Another one of the great aircraft at Hanger 11, North Weald. More information from the Hanger 11 web site.
For a change I took my camera and took a few snaps instead of relying on Wikpedia content.
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See also more Spitfire recordings here: http://www.field-recording.org.uk/supermarine-spitfire/
 Supermarine Spitfire PR.11 PL965/R overhead After the display PL965 prepares to land.
 Supermarine Spitfire PR.11 PL965/R landing Recorded on 2nd August 2009, Old Warden, Beds, UK.
July 22nd, 2009
I recorded these sounds of an early 1960s Sankyo Cine Camera before throwing it in the bin.
This one is of the camera running at 48fps (pretty sure that means feet per second)
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This one at 32 fps.
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July 22nd, 2009
This is a recording made last year (3rd August) of the DH.88 Comet ‘Grosvenor House’ starting up prior to a taxi at Shuttleworth. A few times a year the aircarft is started up and taxiied but not flown. A while back a runway extension was made to the airfield which I thought was to support this aircraft but still it doesnt fly.
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5 of these were built for air racing in the 1930s, 3 specifically for the MacRobertson Race from England to Australia in 1934. Wikipedia has this to say about the winning performance of Grosvenor House in 1934.
“The scarlet G-ACSS was the property of Mr.A.O.Edwards and was named Grosvenor House after the hotel which he managed. The crew were Charles W.Scott and Tom Campbell Black. When the Mollisons ran into problems at Karachi, Scott & Campbell Black took over the lead and were first into Allahabad. Despite a severe storm over the Bay of Bengal they reached Singapore safely, 8 hours ahead of the DC-2.
They took off for Darwin, but over the Timor Sea lost power in the port engine when the oil pressure dropped to zero. Repairs at Darwin got them going again, although continuing oil warnings caused them to fly the last two legs with one engine throttled back. Their lead was unassailable despite this, and after the final mandatory stop and more engine work at Charleville they flew on to cross the finish line at Flemington Racecourse at 3.33 p.m. (local time) on October 23. Their official time was 71 hours 18 seconds.”.
More information about these aircraft is available from wikipedia by following this link.
 G-ACSS Grosvenor House on display at the Farnborough Air Show in September 1988
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