And to complement Nic’s take on that post,
conformal fuel tanks haven’t seen prod. yet!

If interested, there is a lively discussion with
clues and pointers on Air-Défense about it,
including an option about fuel tank problems.
I did not say that it was human error; I said
that it could involve human error.
Either re-read my post or learn about conditional!
http://www.air-defense.net/forum/index.php/topic,12085.msg479690.html#msg479690
Our very own Kovy seems to think that Pascal is a
proper source as he mentions it in his blog : and
http://rafalenews.blogspot.com/2010/11/rafale-m18-crash-update.html
I’ll add that altough not best of friends with Pascal myself,
he knows his mili avia more than most here or elsewhere
and can be trusted on the matter at most times.

Good evening all, Tay.

The crash rate of Rafale ( 4 ) is unacceptable .. This incident could have severe consequences for Brazil and UAE ..Wrong crash at wrong time …This is not good…Its a bad omen…

LOL. Scorpion82 already answered that but heck, for fun…
No crash; a ditch!
No plane problem on any of the four A/C lost; accidents!
Bad omen only for very myopic seers!

@Scorpion82
I get that mate but… From 2001 with only ten planes,
and if you compare that fleet of Phoons worldwide 180+
with less than a hundred on plane operated/year …

Agreed that the accident could have happened on a training
sortie but that is why most airforces use dummies when training.

Good day, Tay.

Loke, I’m not sure at all about that total combined hours
for the Rafale.
I do remember that last year ( 2009 ) at Le Bourget air show,
Safran gave the M-88 at about 100 000 hours total.
Admitting that there are two of those per plane, that would
come to 50 000 Rafale hours by then.
Add time since with around 55-65 A/Cs available normally
for 10 000 hours and you get 60 000+.total.

It’s close to the Typhoon fleet’s total which shows that our
planes are used more intensively.

I’ll keep looking both for that and for news about reasons for ditching.

Good day, Tay.

@ Balu, triple posting, sic.

Four, BlueWings.

One Air a while ago by spatial disorientation of pilot,
Two M last year when one collided with the other.
And one now.

I can now confirm that although I said earlier that I had doubts as to my source
that it is the MinDéf’s exact comm.
Here :http://www.defense.gouv.fr/operations/autres-operations/agapanthe-2010/actualites/agapanthe-ejection-d-un-pilote-de-rafale-au-large-du-pakistan

http://www.ouest-france.fr/ofdernmin_-Crash-d-un-Rafale-de-Landivisiau-au-Pakistan_6346-1602485-fils-tous_filDMA.Htm

Crash confirmed!

A Rafale F3 of the 12F squadron based at Landivisiau crashed, sunday morning,
off the Pakistani coast, at the beginning of a support mission in Afghanistan. The Rafale pilot operating from the CV CDG ejected.

He was immediately rescued by the helicopter in charge of security detail. He is uninjured and supervised by the medical team aboard.

According to the MinDéf, an inquiry is already ongoing to find the cause of the accident.

Not the best of sources, I’m afraid but enough for now, Tay.

Darn it, swerve, stop!

We explained to you that :

One of those or a deputy benevolent to the cause of the military will
often rings bells and sirens as a way to accelerate things and/or wake
up the back benchers.
Posturing mostly, i’m afraid!

or

So, in order to make sure budgets are voted in time for the
work to be done, interested parties in parliament are speaking
at full level about the impending doom so as to alert their folk kin
that loss of technological independance is on our doorstep.

.

So in simple words, if you don’t put money aside for a MICA evolution
and eat your veggies right now*, the wolf/Balrog/Chtulhu/grim reaper
will come and take you to dependance-from-America-land and eat you!

*and then go to sleep, and let the big persons talk planes, LOL, 😀 .

Good day all, Tay.

P.S Thanks for the news nonetheless, Erakis.

O.K. swerve, mate, we’re getting back on track!
So, take your last posting adressed to me and do
understand that is precisely why we have to induce
conception now instead of later.

Let me give you an example where fanboyism is strictly exempt!
The case of the OSF first “mouture” ( brew ). sic
While it was being designed, it became clear that some of its parts
would become obsolete technologically and thus be pulled off the
production lines.
The next gen products were coming into existence but the French govt
had “forgotten” to finance the research bridge from old to new components.
The industry could produce it but are not interested as they are already
working on developing th3e next gen!
And there will have been a 10 years gap between OSF and OSF-IT
and I predict future additions to it.

So, in order to make sure budgets are voted in time for the
work to be done, interested parties in parliament are speaking
at full level about the impending doom so as to alert their folk kin
that loss of technological independance is on our doorstep.

Darn it, if you don’t let go of that ridiculous bone already,
I swear I’ll search every darn stupidity ever uttered by a British MP
and metaphorically rub your nose in it!
Just beware, that should come to as hefty an amount from your
side as it would from ours… er, well, maybe not… and yet,
it will still be a whole darn lot, enough to smother you with!:D

Tay:p.