Nimrod flies again at Kinloss!

[LeeME3]

Not Maritime I'm afraid, but one of Waddington's jets is up there most of this week doing local are work so there should be a 'Mighty Hunter' gracing the skies of Morayshire again...if only temporarily!

[anonymous-user]

Just two months left for the R1s. Then a capability gap for about 2 years before we get even older (nearly 50 year old) converted tankers to replace them!!

[davepoth]

Wow. It's almost like the RAF is turning into BOAC from the 60s. Trade in the Comets for 707s.

Nothing wrong with it though. The 707 was built in the same style as the B-52, which is looking like having an 80 year airframe lifespan. Plus it looks like the maintenance is contracted out to the USAF which will work out quite reasonably for us.

[LeeME3]

Actually the 'new' jets (i.e. the RJs) that will replace the R1 are based on KC135s not 707s - common misconception that one is derived from the other but it's not strictly true. They are both dervied from the same prototype programme but KC135 has always been a military derivative whereas 707 was always a civil airliner (one exception being the mighty Sentry AWACS 707-based fleet - in the case of the UK's E-3D's they are 707-320 series based, built as dedicated AWACS platforms, last off the production line along with the French E-3Fs).

It's a bit like saying we are descended from chimps - despite the evidemnce on the high street it is not the case, but we and the chimps do share a common ancestor if you go back far enough.

Anyway, better explanation here (of the 707 thing, not the chimps): http://www.kls2.com/cgi-bin/arcfetch?db=sci.aerona...

[davepoth]

I never knew that.

Still, it's a highly capable plane, with known maintenance costs and I imagine a courtesy plane when our ones are in for service. Pretty sweet deal really.

[LeeME3]

davepoth said:

I never knew that.

Still, it's a highly capable plane, with known maintenance costs and I imagine a courtesy plane when our ones are in for service. Pretty sweet deal really.

It is, indeed, not a bad deal (IMHO). With regard to the capability gap issue (Supraman), yes there will be a UK capability break, but we do have crews embedded in the US programme (first lot started training a few weeks ago) so as soon as we get our jets we'll be able to crew them and we're maintaining the skillset at least in the interim.

[Hooli]

davepoth said:

I imagine a courtesy plane when our ones are in for service.

I'd LOVE to see pics of these operationial with 'USAF Courtesy Plane' stamped down the side