Post amazingly cool pictures of aircraft (Volume 3)

Post amazingly cool pictures of aircraft (Volume 3)

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Discussion

heisthegaffer

3,413 posts

198 months

Thursday 21st March
quotequote all
Voldemort said:
Tornado in 50 year anniversary livery

Very hard to make out it's true shape.

Teddy Lop

8,294 posts

67 months

Thursday 21st March
quotequote all
Tony1963 said:
They don’t, but for BAe to flight-test the aircraft, strange rules needed to be followed.
Thanks, I was wondering wtf was going on with that.

Tony1963

4,775 posts

162 months

Friday 22nd March
quotequote all
Teddy Lop said:
Thanks, I was wondering wtf was going on with that.
And the TSP logo is neatly positioned where “There is no God but God, and Mohammed is his prophet” would be located after a repaint.


Ian Lancs

1,127 posts

166 months

Friday 22nd March
quotequote all
Tony1963 said:
RizzoTheRat said:
I never realised they used the very RAF looking roundel.
They don’t, but for BAe to flight-test the aircraft, strange rules needed to be followed.

Part of the Tornado Sustainment Programme, thus the ‘TSP’ on the aircraft in the photos.

Edited by Tony1963 on Thursday 21st March 09:31
Three aircraft were brought back on the original TSP contract - CS026, CS037 and CT017. I think they were all put back on the Uk reg with their original registrations (not sure about CT17 as it was never used for trials). Pretty sure when they went back to KSA they were tactical grey, but that might have been done for the follow on TS3 deal (where CS003 and CS006 were used).

GliderRider

2,097 posts

81 months

Friday 22nd March
quotequote all
Voldemort said:
Tornado in 50 year anniversary livery

That will keep the modellers and the decal makers busy.

Tony1963

4,775 posts

162 months

Monday 25th March
quotequote all
Two E model Apaches escorting the last two serviceable and flying D model Apaches an hour ago at Wattisham Flying Station.





A minute or so later they landed, and that’s the end of flying for the aircraft I’ve spent the last 15 years working on.
I’ve a couple of months helping to tie up loose ends etc, then I’ll hopefully be starting a new job, somewhere, doing something. Can’t quite manage retirement, frustratingly.

GliderRider

2,097 posts

81 months

Monday 25th March
quotequote all
Tony1963, does the Apache E retain the folding main rotor capability of the WAH-64?

Edited by GliderRider on Monday 25th March 21:28

havoc

30,072 posts

235 months

Monday 25th March
quotequote all
Tony1963 said:
Two E model Apaches escorting the last two serviceable and flying D model Apaches an hour ago at Wattisham Flying Station.





A minute or so later they landed, and that’s the end of flying for the aircraft I’ve spent the last 15 years working on.
I’ve a couple of months helping to tie up loose ends etc, then I’ll hopefully be starting a new job, somewhere, doing something. Can’t quite manage retirement, frustratingly.
frown

Can't believe they're phasing out the -D already. Doesn't seem that long ago it was introduced.

Do helo airframes suffer more fatigue than fixed-wing?

Teddy Lop

8,294 posts

67 months

Monday 25th March
quotequote all
havoc said:
frown

Can't believe they're phasing out the -D already. Doesn't seem that long ago it was introduced.

Do helo airframes suffer more fatigue than fixed-wing?
Don't the British armed forces have a bit of a rep for flogging its stuff to death, wheras others either tend to either fear getting it dirty or have so much in reserve its mostly all on delivery miles?

Tony1963

4,775 posts

162 months

Monday 25th March
quotequote all
GliderRider said:
Tony1963, does the Apache E retain the folding main rotor capability of the WAH-64?

Edited by GliderRider on Monday 25th March 21:28
As far as I know, they do. It’s a feature of their portability. (I’ve not touched an E, so don’t quote me).

Tony1963

4,775 posts

162 months

Monday 25th March
quotequote all
havoc said:
frown

Can't believe they're phasing out the -D already. Doesn't seem that long ago it was introduced.

Do helo airframes suffer more fatigue than fixed-wing?
Many of the D models were sent to Alabama to be remanufactured into E models. Obviously there was major work involved. I earned some nice overtime taking them to Brize, and loading them onto C-17s for about three years!

borcy

2,882 posts

56 months

Tuesday 26th March
quotequote all
Tony1963 said:
Two E model Apaches escorting the last two serviceable and flying D model Apaches an hour ago at Wattisham Flying Station.





A minute or so later they landed, and that’s the end of flying for the aircraft I’ve spent the last 15 years working on.
I’ve a couple of months helping to tie up loose ends etc, then I’ll hopefully be starting a new job, somewhere, doing something. Can’t quite manage retirement, frustratingly.
You not being retained to work on the E model?

Tony1963

4,775 posts

162 months

Tuesday 26th March
quotequote all
borcy said:
You not being retained to work on the E model?
It’s a little complicated, but:

The E model contract is run by a different company. The MoD is extremely short of money. Without the cash, the MoD can’t give anything more to the new contract company, and so the new contract company can’t recruit.
Everyone involved, especially the army, wanted a smooth transition of the civilian workforce over to the new contract as the set up ‘just works’, especially as the U.K. armed forces have such well publicised challenges with recruitment and retention.
Of course, a new financial year ‘may’ see the cash being made available, but damage has been done, as we’ve been losing people in stages for about two years as the D model fleet numbers have been reduced.

As has been mentioned on many forums over the years, within a few months of being made redundant, most people are happier than they were, so probably won’t return, and that is going to cause some headaches if they try to recruit again.

borcy

2,882 posts

56 months

Tuesday 26th March
quotequote all
Tony1963 said:
It’s a little complicated, but:

The E model contract is run by a different company. The MoD is extremely short of money. Without the cash, the MoD can’t give anything more to the new contract company, and so the new contract company can’t recruit.
Everyone involved, especially the army, wanted a smooth transition of the civilian workforce over to the new contract as the set up ‘just works’, especially as the U.K. armed forces have such well publicised challenges with recruitment and retention.
Of course, a new financial year ‘may’ see the cash being made available, but damage has been done, as we’ve been losing people in stages for about two years as the D model fleet numbers have been reduced.

As has been mentioned on many forums over the years, within a few months of being made redundant, most people are happier than they were, so probably won’t return, and that is going to cause some headaches if they try to recruit again.
That doesn't surprise me. Hope it works out for you.

Mind you get the army out of the gym/mess and get some proper work done wink

Tony1963

4,775 posts

162 months

Wednesday 27th March
quotequote all
borcy said:
That doesn't surprise me. Hope it works out for you.

Mind you get the army out of the gym/mess and get some proper work done wink
Thanks. We’ve almost no outgoings these days over and above the regular bills, so almost any job will do til I retire. That really takes the pressure off.

And yes, the army know the effect that ‘diversions’ have on aircraft maintenance, but that’s the way it is. Tuesday is their productive day, the rest of the week is pretty much written off. It’ll be interesting to see how this year pans out with serviceability rates and combat readiness.

Baron Greenback

6,986 posts

150 months

Wednesday 27th March
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Boom's XB-1 supersonic demonstrator completed its maiden flight at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California

According to Boom, once its aerodynamic characteristics and flight worthiness are confirmed, the XB-1 will increase speed until it is flying on later tests in excess of Mach 1.
Other one I bumped into, ok not real pic yet, 108-m (356-ft) long Radia Windrunner as poor old Antonov is not more. payload weight is a whopping 72,575 kg.



Edited by Baron Greenback on Wednesday 27th March 15:45

hidetheelephants

24,373 posts

193 months

Wednesday 27th March
quotequote all
Baron Greenback said:
Other one I bumped into, ok not real pic yet, 108-m (356-ft) long Radia Windrunner as poor old Antonov is not more. payload weight is a whopping 72,575 kg.
Hot vapourware ready to separate the gullible from their money; big Airlander vibes from that.

generationx

6,750 posts

105 months

Wednesday 27th March
quotequote all
Story, no pictures as I was driving but I’m pretty sure I saw an E-3A AWACs over Cologne, Germany today, heading west.

aeropilot

34,612 posts

227 months

Wednesday 27th March
quotequote all
generationx said:
Story, no pictures as I was driving but I’m pretty sure I saw an E-3A AWACs over Cologne, Germany today, heading west.
The NATO E-3's are based at Geilenkirchen, which is about 40 miles due west of Cologne, so very likely a regular sight over the city.


generationx

6,750 posts

105 months

Wednesday 27th March
quotequote all
aeropilot said:
generationx said:
Story, no pictures as I was driving but I’m pretty sure I saw an E-3A AWACs over Cologne, Germany today, heading west.
The NATO E-3's are based at Geilenkirchen, which is about 40 miles due west of Cologne, so very likely a regular sight over the city.
Thanks Aero - I’ve been here in western Cologne for 11 years and this is the first time I’ve seen one. Only about 50km from us. We have a lot of local Luftwaffe activity here too, there’s a fighter base nearby with, amongst other things, pairs of Typhoons regularly going overhead.