Search found 813 matches

by mrclark303
27 Mar 2024, 10:48
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]
Replies: 13
Views: 336
United Kingdom

Re: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]

This book maybe of interest on transport aircraft topics https://www.crecy.co.uk/on-atlas-shoulder On Atlas' Shoulders: RAF Transport Aircraft Projects Since 1945 The coanda effect is used to aid lift by inservice aircraft today namely c17. An excellent book with some very unexpected aircraft that ...
by mrclark303
26 Mar 2024, 14:30
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]
Replies: 13
Views: 336
United Kingdom

Re: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]

avbucc_6.png Here's the aircraft that should have been developed post TSR2, the Blackburn P150. It was a realistic project, a long range strike aircraft using the Buccaneer as a starting point, stretching it, applying area ruling and using the already developed Spey with reheat combination from the...
by mrclark303
26 Mar 2024, 09:31
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]
Replies: 13
Views: 336
United Kingdom

Re: Post-War British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]

Jensy wrote: 25 Mar 2024, 17:58 On the subject of TSR-2 the RAeS had a fantastic series of lectures on the topic about eight months ago (July 2023): https://www.youtube.com/@Aerosociety/videos
I would love to have attended these having watched the excellent videos.
by mrclark303
26 Mar 2024, 09:26
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]
Replies: 13
Views: 336
United Kingdom

Re: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]

Re the AW681, I seem to recall that Lockheed offered a Hercules based project, with a UK designed STOL wing and RR Tyne engines. It would have given C130J levels of performance 30 years earlier. Lockeed understood the UK's excellence in Wing design even then, a really doable trans Atlantic project t...
by mrclark303
26 Mar 2024, 09:17
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]
Replies: 13
Views: 336
United Kingdom

Re: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]

avbucc_6.png Here's the aircraft that should have been developed post TSR2, the Blackburn P150. It was a realistic project, a long range strike aircraft using the Buccaneer as a starting point, stretching it, applying area ruling and using the already developed Spey with reheat combination from the...
by mrclark303
26 Mar 2024, 09:06
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]
Replies: 13
Views: 336
United Kingdom

Re: Post-war British Aviation - [Fantasy and Speculation]

So, rather than polluting other threads with misty eyed dreams about lost or cancelled projects and 'missed opportunities', I thought I'd go ahead and create a thread... [mods - hope this is OK?] Do you dream of gigantic, angular, variable geometry triangles from Barnes Wallis; rocket powered inter...
by mrclark303
25 Mar 2024, 14:31
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4067
Views: 950163
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

F35B is effectively a modern take on P1154 the Admiralty wanted 60 years ago Pretty sure the Admiralty wanted the Phantom. I would. I think you're right Ron, the Phantom was always the first choice of Navy. The P1154 was a politically forced solution, in reality it was a technological 'reach' to fa...
by mrclark303
24 Mar 2024, 22:34
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4067
Views: 950163
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

The question that people are really asking is do you want the political construct that goes with such a joint program. It really has little to do with the airframe requirement that’s just a smokescreen. A useful smokescreen in my opinion. Making GCAP carrier capable is very alluring, were it not fo...
by mrclark303
24 Mar 2024, 16:10
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4067
Views: 950163
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

We could see FCAS being more Tomcat size in which case it’s not hugely off the F22 or what we expect GCAP to be, and this gets me thinking with how long the QEs are expected to be in service and how this could see changes to CATOBAR at some point could we see down the line a carrier variant of GCAP...
by mrclark303
24 Mar 2024, 13:23
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4067
Views: 950163
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

Well with project Arkroyal for the QEC class carriers - i would love to see a CATOBAR GCAP ! but with money so tight, i cant really see it unless there is a major advantage over the F35 & lots more money invested in defence ! but in the 2040's when they start plannig for carrier replacement for...
by mrclark303
23 Mar 2024, 16:22
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Replies: 6067
Views: 1723702
United Kingdom

Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)

Didn’t the Joint Harrier Force have 70 a/c with 4 front-line squadrons, each with 9 a/c? Would be sensible IMO to copy that model - allows for one FAA squadron to be regularly deployed on the active carrier in a hybrid LHA role, and another RAF one to be deployed also on the carrier or land base, s...
by mrclark303
23 Mar 2024, 15:11
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Replies: 6067
Views: 1723702
United Kingdom

Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)

How would having more sqn with fewer aircraft mean more pilots? Problem with creating more Sqns is it requires more people, where do all these people come from? You seem to be a bod in the know how low does it take to turn a jet around for line maintenance Line maintenance? I take that to mean betw...
by mrclark303
23 Mar 2024, 15:05
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431485
United Kingdom

Re: Section Infantry Weapons

Possibly the first genuine potential contender to replace the GPMG, That would be an appalling choice to replace the GPMG, the size and bulk of the gun and ammunition rules it out as a light MG, even if the gun itself is a similar weight. Given improvements in fire control on AFVs, a round somewher...
by mrclark303
23 Mar 2024, 10:30
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Replies: 6067
Views: 1723702
United Kingdom

Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)

How would having more sqn with fewer aircraft mean more pilots? Problem with creating more Sqns is it requires more people, where do all these people come from? You seem to be a bod in the know how low does it take to turn a jet around for line maintenance Line maintenance? I take that to mean betw...
by mrclark303
23 Mar 2024, 10:02
Forum: British Army
Topic: Section Infantry Weapons
Replies: 1476
Views: 431485
United Kingdom

Re: Section Infantry Weapons

Ohio Ordnance in January introduced the 24.5 lbs Reapr LWMG (their take on modern MG-42/MG-3) in .338 magnum. US as a result of experience in Afghanistan looked for a LWMG with double the range of 7.62 NATO round MGs and picked the .338 Norma Magnum with its 300 grain bullet, double the weight of 7...
by mrclark303
23 Mar 2024, 09:51
Forum: Royal Navy
Topic: Type 31 Frigate (Inspiration Class) [News Only]
Replies: 8469
Views: 2142285
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 Frigate (Inspiration Class) [News Only]

Ron5 wrote: 03 Mar 2024, 13:08 Bloody awful resolution on those displays
They are only being used for playing pacman Ron, so they will be fine.....
by mrclark303
23 Mar 2024, 09:48
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4067
Views: 950163
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

Not directly related, but the defence ministers of both France and Germany claim to have made a breakthrough with the tank programme and FCAS was also mentioned as making "good progress". Quite the contrast to rumours late last year that Germany was about to quit the programme and comment...
by mrclark303
19 Mar 2024, 07:06
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Boeing E-7 Wedgetail (RAF)
Replies: 595
Views: 182065
United Kingdom

Re: Boeing E-7 Wedgetail (RAF)

Since when did we have to do a 'business case' for National Defence? Are the opposition going to be subject to CMA investigationi if they try to 'monopolise' us? All MoD equipment programmes go through several approvals rounds, larger projects above £100m will have the following ; strategic busines...
by mrclark303
13 Mar 2024, 14:43
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4067
Views: 950163
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

Bronk is a big mouthed tit who spreads misinformation like butter on hot crumpets. Totally in the pocket of we Americans and on record as repeatedly recommending Tempest be shit canned in favor of more F-35. Because, obviously, the US can always do it better. Prime misinformation example is the UK ...
by mrclark303
13 Mar 2024, 10:31
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4067
Views: 950163
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

Personally I'm thinking the next government if labour will definitely throw GCAP under the buss and try and hash a french plane , personally if I was BAE, I would turn around to the next government and say,we have a perfectly good plane and team up in gcap and if you want to throw it all under the ...
by mrclark303
12 Mar 2024, 12:21
Forum: Royal Air Force
Topic: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)
Replies: 4067
Views: 950163
United Kingdom

Re: Future UK Combat Aircraft (Project Tempest)

Open call from the CEO of Airbus to merge GCAP with SCAF... https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/11/airbus-chief-warns-europe-war-russia-second-trump-presidency Faury said: “We need to cooperate between European countries, including the UK, because we are in businesses where scale matters....
by mrclark303
05 Mar 2024, 13:51
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)
Replies: 479
Views: 49339
United Kingdom

Re: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)

@SW1 forgot to show the last paragraph in the article: That many accidents during a collective 1.7 million flight hours gave a rate of .87 class A mishaps per 100,000 flight hours, lower than the Army’s overall rate of 1.03 and lower than the H-60’s previous five-year rate of 1.04. Flightfax’s revi...
by mrclark303
05 Mar 2024, 13:38
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)
Replies: 479
Views: 49339
United Kingdom

Re: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)

Scimitar54 wrote: 05 Mar 2024, 11:21 Did not know that they were considering the Bristol Sycamore!
Well there is one in the Bristol collection and one at Western helicopter collection, I doubt we can afford more than that, so best get cracking with refurb.....

How about we throw in a Belvedere....
by mrclark303
05 Mar 2024, 09:20
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)
Replies: 479
Views: 49339
United Kingdom

Re: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)

@SW1 forgot to show the last paragraph in the article: That many accidents during a collective 1.7 million flight hours gave a rate of .87 class A mishaps per 100,000 flight hours, lower than the Army’s overall rate of 1.03 and lower than the H-60’s previous five-year rate of 1.04. Flightfax’s revi...
by mrclark303
03 Mar 2024, 23:03
Forum: Joint Service
Topic: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)
Replies: 479
Views: 49339
United Kingdom

Re: New Medium Helicopter [NMH] - (RAF & AAC)

The perfect all-rounder doesn’t currently exist. Which of the NMH contenders are: • As accomplished at ASuW as a Wildcat? • As accomplished at ASW as a Merlin? • As good a battlefield helo as a Blackhawk? It would need to be marinised with folding rotors, have excellent speed, perform well at altit...