Sorry for the confusion, I’ve no problem with the word ‘bodge’ it is a well known and accepted engineering term, and in many of the cases stated, highly appropriate, but I just didn’t want C-TT-18 singled out for criticism; he is young but as he quite rightly points out, a least he is taking the trouble to read about this period of our history.

And quite comendable as well.

As for your Falklands experience I am green with envy…..but I don’t doubt there was a lot of hard work too.

Well the first time was an adventure (Flight in a C-130 around the islands after refuelling a Phantom and a bit of fighter affil, Fox 3 kill on the Herc, plus had to do a trip down to MPA by S-61N, which had the RAF Engineering and Supply AOC on it. hour flight to MPA, turned into a four hour battlefield tour with a landing at the back of Government House (got to see Major Tomba’s dead Pucara near Goose Green on that ride). The Dagger wreck (C-403 flown by Capt. Donadille who safely ejected after being shot down by Steve Thomas in ZA190/”009”) was at the bottom of Mt Caroline, which had a comms relay station on the top of the mount. A couple of Army signallers were on the mountain fixing a fault, and the wind was a bit strong, so the ‘Eric’ (Bristow’s were operating the S-61N service at the time, hence the S-61’s were named after the crafty cockney) pilot dropped the rest of the passengers by the wreck, so that he could pick the army guys up without endangering the rest of us. I actually had the gun sight in my hand, but rules on battlefield souvenirs down there are very tight, and I knew that I would never get it though the baggage checks (was on my way to MPA to fly back to the UK, hence I chucked it in a pond by the crash site. A pity really, as my bags didn’t get checked on the way back. The following trips down south more of a bore (Though thanks to knowing my OC from my space cadet days, did San Carlos (interesting drive though the Sussex mountains), Goose Green, Mt Kent, Buff Cove and Stanley Airport (The first attempt to get there on my first trip ended up with me on foot being surrounded by signs saying ‘DANGER MINES!!!’ and a quick 180 about turn and withdraw). As for the work, ‘bodge city’ with a minimum two weeks turn around on spares for the kit I was on at the time.

Clearly, but I’m amazed it got even as far as these trials!

Yes, but personally I’d have taken a gas-axe to the lot! Even then I don’t suppose there was much chance of doing anything other than a vertical take-off. Maybe with a couple of weeks in a RN dockyard a ski-jump could have been ‘bodged-up’ (I mean superbly improvised!) but time was too short.

VTOL was the only way they could operate, and even then getting onboard at ASI was tricky due the temperture at any time of the day when the aircraft embarked,as it is HOT, HOT, HOT all of the time. As for the cutting, quite a large bit of stucture,and quite important in keeping the worst of the sea’s off the main deck as shown here.

As for the ramp, would a Harrier actually fit in the stern ramp?? it would be very tight.

Wasn’t it? Maybe I’ve got it all wrong but I’d assumed that the footage came from the tracker of the Type-22 that shot the Dagger down, so yes, I thought it was a head-on engagement?

When the Dagger pulls up, you can see the cockpit and I’m sure its the Sea Wolf Tracker video from HMS Broadsword (I’ve got a map somewhere that shows the location of the ships in Falkland sound on the Day, and Broadsword was not far from Ardent if memory serves).