In Australia we have what are called “Airfield Defence Guards” they are the cream of the crop, I once went for a position with them but failed because I couldn’t do the push ups!

Anyway these guys are the toughest troops in Australia and the disipline that they go through if they make a mistake, is increadible!

Flex, mate that’s the gun there under that Puma, but it was mounted on a Panther, and I don’t know why but that’s the reason that the pather was knocked out of the comp.

You know and I know and everyone else knows that the BH is far heavier and since we’ve had them they have been nothing but trouble, maybe this was another step in the American plans to make Australia another state of theirs 😉

Yeah that’s what I ment United States Army Aviation Corp and yeah you are right PII, bugger I’m getting old

Bugger me, I cannot even remember seeing one like this! I got covered the Dauphine story pretty well as I am willing to do several Trumpeter Z-9 kits, but I have never spotteed any chin-mounted cannon there. Are you absolutely sure you ain’t mistaken this one with let us say Tigre?

Mate I remember it as clear as day, it looked so mean hovering wheels up just a meter off the ground. At the time the Tiger was a myth and the Apache was only just being issued to the USAAC (only one squadron had them and they were at Fort Worth).

Oddly enough the Panther lost out to the Blackhawk because it was too heavy, around 6 Tonnes, where as the Blackhawk came in at around 4.5 Tonnes. Others on offer at the time were B412. BK-117 (one of which the NSW Police took delivery of and on it’s first outing ended up in the drink never to serve again) the AB-412 was also offered by Augusta but lost out during first round talks because the Americans protested it being in the comp and being offered as a cheaper alternative to their own product!

Anyway mate I remember the bugger as clear as day especially the 20mm gun under the nose pointing up on a 15* angle just like an AH-64’s one does

Village Idiot?
Ok what ever, I’m not going to bite, I refuse to flame!

Anyway mate what was wrong with my statement? Just pointing out a few facts!

A-5s are good at what it does the best, and its close air support.

That’s right mate it is a good plane for what it does. It can take a pounding and still fly on!

I think PAF shouldnt expect it to be a multirole a/c.

They don’t, they know too well what it’s limits are and that is well documented especially in Chinese articles.

As for replacement, isnt FC-1 going to replace it as well as F-7s?

That’s right they are, which is why they are requesting 150 of them- the real question should be, how are they going to pay for them? The only answer I can come up with is a greater stake in landshare of Kashmir, something which the Chinese will take readily!

Does anyone have any pics of the Panter in Brizalian service? And the Gunship model as this was offered to the Australian Army years ago but we went for the S-70A-9’s

I remember seeing this pic of a Black Panther gunship and now I haven’t seen it since, I do remember however that it had a turreted gun under the nose! Any help?

Still retains the typical Russian look :p