RAF Chinook to Nepal
Discussion
I've flown to the Middle East in one. It was a horrendous journey. Never again!
Obviously no way theyd fly one to Nepal - it'd be knackered by the time it got there!
Don't forget both the aft pylon/vertical shaft and the forward gearbox also come out for air transport. Chinook doesn't have folding rotors but even if it did the airframe would still be too tall to fit into C17etc.
I've seen American chinooks with folded rotors, done manually not automated. Used for storage on ships but not for air transport.
Obviously no way theyd fly one to Nepal - it'd be knackered by the time it got there!
Don't forget both the aft pylon/vertical shaft and the forward gearbox also come out for air transport. Chinook doesn't have folding rotors but even if it did the airframe would still be too tall to fit into C17etc.
I've seen American chinooks with folded rotors, done manually not automated. Used for storage on ships but not for air transport.
Simpo Two said:
Ah, thanks.
It would be handy if they all swivelled round into line, but knowing the complexity of a rotor head I guess not possible.
Maybe move the spanner team to Brize and get the mission started a few hours earlier?
It won't just be the spanner team, although you will probably have the issue of finding them some where to sleep at Brize as it is rather full now, but also the specialised lifting equipment, special tools which all has to be moved. It would be handy if they all swivelled round into line, but knowing the complexity of a rotor head I guess not possible.
Maybe move the spanner team to Brize and get the mission started a few hours earlier?
For that do they use Motor Transport pool vehicles, but you might not have availability especially on short notice, or take a squadron vehicle for a couple of days, but this in inconvenience's everyone else. Certain bits of equipment might be on inventory so they might need to be sorted by the suppliers (you never want to trust suppliers with inventory issues).
There might be only one bit of specialist kit available at the Chinooks home base so you can't just take it elsewhere and a million and one other issues. Or the bit of kit to do the blades needed to be on a different aircraft so it was all setup for when the Chinook got to its destination.
So in the eyes of the RAF it is probably more cost effective and better time wise due what it is going out to Nepal for, to strip it at MOB, road transport it and disrupt the public and throw it straight in the back of an Antanov.
Eric Mc said:
Simpo Two said:
Carting a helicopter down the A40 on a lorry seems to me to be missing one of the fundamental advantages of a helicopter... couldn't they fly the b
d in?
Nepal is an AWFUL long way for a helicopter to fl;y from the UK.d in?civicduty said:
info
Thanks, very interesting.Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff