Pardon! The Harriers vertical landing (and take-off) was it’s whole success in the Falklands, especially with the transits from container ship to carriers.
Used again when the sick Sea Harrier landed on a Spanish container ship.
As this is mainly a ship based discussion, probably pointless pointing out its vertical landing uses in Germany and UK excercises.
If something like this were to happen with an F-35B, it would probably burn a big hole in the freighter’s deck.
The F-35B was designed to be a STOVL aircraft, but will its vertical landing capability be used in practice by the RAF or RN (other than at airshows)?
The F-35B’s STOVL capability derives from its lift fan, which is big lump of heavy metal that has to be carried around ALL of the time.
If all that’s required is a STOL capability, rather than STOVL or VTOL, could a more elegant and efficient engine(s) design have been produced?
As part of the cutbacks in Defence expenditure, the RAF has introduced new, more cost-effective flight simulators 😀
I really liked how they designed the ski-ramp to helicopter operations the least amount possible. Rear elevator configuration has a lot to be desired though. Wastes a lot of space.
Agreed, but the Spanish must like it: the BPE seems to follow the design of their light aircraft carrier ‘Principe de Asturias’ in that respect (which by the way was in turn based on the USN ‘Sea Control Ship’ design).
The Merlins go naval but stay Utility platforms. There’s no capability gap created by such a move, and the Commandos would get a far better platform at the same time. The choppers, after all, will be used how and when they are needed, so being RAF or Navy manned won’t affect that too much. Once the HC3 are navalized, they’ll be a lot more flexible, being able to operate from ships as well. And being the Merlins merely 28, yes, all must go to the navy and possible be centered on RNAS Culdrose, with the possible closure of RAF Benson or its use for Chinooks if they really are to become 70: Odhinam would have trouble taking all of them.
The air tankers are the A330 of the FSTA contract. I don’t see true changes happening to that with the first two planes about to be handed to the RAF. The agreement will possibly involve selling hours of usage of the air tankers of the RAF to the Armeè de l’Air, which will postpone its own buy of new A330, possibly as many as 14. A larger “pooling” of air tankers may be obtained with time as cooperation expands and the french get their new planes, but that is a future development yet to be seen.
I doubt the little Bae 146 and Bae 125 are at serious risk, also. In future, to replace them, but this is only an idea of mine for a future that is quite far if they retire in 2022, it may be interesting to replace them all with a small cargo plane like the C235 or C27J which could have wider use for military ops as well as VIP transport and such, and also offer lower fuel cost and major survivability.
1. Maybe he meant the Merlins, based on the rumour that the Marines are moving over to the Army, and therefore there was no need for the Jungly replacement to be a Navy helicopter.
2. Sharing the A330s tankers with the French, or even in a wider NATO grouping, would make sense.
3. The few BAe146s and BAe125s are for VIP and Royal Family transport, so maybe they are not regarded as part of the military transport fleet? Agreed that the eventual acquisition of a smaller, twin-turboprop tactical transport aircraft would make a lot of sense, from the point of view of operational flexibility and cost effectiveness. Remember the Andover?
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