OK, the suspense is getting to be too much...cky7 wrote:the reason for the spey going in the FG1 ? there is a reason why they changed from the J79 and its not to do with uk jobs!
Only 28 of those wonder machines ever served (on carriers). Guess why? 140 were ordered for 5 carriers, only two could take them, one suffered a boiler room fire (so only the Ark remained; when the Eagle finally came back, she was not fitted with the extras to be able to operate Phantoms).
The Spey afterburners generated incredible thrust to cope with the shorter deck take-offs; the plates needed fire hosing after each take off to prevent them from melting.
- the additional bonus from that was a great initial rate of climb ( and agility at lower altitudes)
- the draggy (large) intakes reversed that advantage at higher altitudes (compared to US Phantoms)
interesting how one hears all about how the Spey phantoms were slower top end and up high but doesn't so often hear about the logical reasons for it and other side of the story. Media do seem tk sometimes assume these highly educated, experienced and highly intelligent people in the forces and MOD are utterly stupid a little too much. Yes, they make balls ups, but I doubt it's that often a case of total incompetence from anyone other than those who refuse tk properly fund the forces. Used to enjoy a couple of the RN chaps comments on TD when they'd give the other side of the coin to someone chipping in with 'if they'd done this x could have been solved easily' type comments (even if they could sometimes be a little too aggressive with some of the responses - no names mentioned!! 
)
