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By: FLY.BUY - 21st March 2018 at 14:14
I believe that some of the British Airways pilots transferred over to the RAF to fly the Tristars.
By: Carpetbagger - 21st March 2018 at 13:52
I remember visiting Cambridge for an AEF in the early 80’s and seeing one parked up outside Marshalls still in it’s BA livery.
Memorable for other reasons too, Pilot: “What would you like to do today?”, Me: “Aerobatics please sir”, Pilot: “I hoped you’d say that”. 🙂
John
By: rutley78 - 18th March 2018 at 09:41
They were bought by the MOD and then modified at Marshall of Cambridge, with retirement taking place in March 2014. Been at Bruntingthorpe ever since with the idea of being independent tankers for any paying military customer. Running costs of these may be prohibitive as well as age of airframes.
By: smirky - 18th March 2018 at 02:02
Perhaps worth mentioning that they were procured at short notice and low cost to support the Falklands and gave over 30 years service.
By: J Boyle - 17th March 2018 at 16:12
Yes, they were converted airliners. Ex-BA and Pan Am.
I don’t believe any TriStars were delivered as tankers.
By: Seafuryfan - 17th March 2018 at 15:31
What? The military don’t thoroughly research systems requirements before signing contracts? I don’t believe it.
By: Flanker_man - 17th March 2018 at 11:08
I can remember visiting Boscombe Down years ago with a group of aviation enthusiasts – and they had a recently acquired Tristar undergoing trials.
They had been bought with the intention of using them as 3-point refuellers – with wing mounted drogue pods (Flight Refuelling Ltd?).
But – so our guide told us – it was discovered that the Tristar’s ‘Active Ailerons’ or active control system (ACS) precluded fitting the wing pods (something to do with stresses) – so they could only be used as single-point tankers.
Maybe the tests should have been done BEFORE they were purchased ?
Ken
By: paul1867 - 17th March 2018 at 10:58
Yes I believe they were.
By: AlanR - 17th March 2018 at 10:46
Were the RAF aircraft modified civilian Tristars ?
By: smirky - 17th March 2018 at 09:52
Wow $7M, that’s about 50x less than Airbus isn’t it?
By: paul1867 - 17th March 2018 at 00:34
The Ex-RAF TriStars, presumably still at Bruntingthorpe. Tomayto,tomahto. The thread wouldn’t have been on Historic if they were still in service.:D
It would seem that Tempus have acquired the TriStars with a view to providing air to air refuelling services to the USA and NATO. As a member of NATO it could be possible that RAF planes will be refueled from TriStars.
By: Pen Pusher - 16th March 2018 at 23:08
The RAF doesn’t have any Tristars, The MOD sold them all in 2014.
Brian
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March 16, 2018 at 10:24 pm