RAF "Glass Cockpit" special forces chinooks

[phil gollin]

Does anyone know what the latest state of affairs is with the RAF "Glass Cockpit" special forces chinooks ?

Last I heard they were still just in storage.

[heights good]

A few things before i answer your question. Joining a forum and asking a question like that just cries out journalist. Secondly asking about special forces subjects will not get a response on a public forum. Thirdly if your asking these questions then you dont need to know.

These kind of things wont get answered. If you really want too know phone the home of the chinook and enquire through the correct channels.

And too answer your question i dont know whats happening with the aircraft :)

[phil gollin]

Well you are free to think up any conspiracy theory you wish, your own paranoia is your own concern.

The fact that there is a problem with the special forces chinooks is well known. I did a searcvh on the site and couldn't find a relevent thread.

Aren't you interested in what is happening to the expensive helicopters sitting in a hangar, or are you just more concerned with lunatic ideas ?

[airborne_artist]

Try Hansard - plenty there on the subject.

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

Now if that is not a classic TROLL response FILL then what is. You mention SF you will be told to go fornicate at a distance...........it's not rocket science you ar@e

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

[Archimedes]

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=109805

[TheInquisitor]

I note that he didn't deny being a Journo.

There are 1 or 2 Journos on here, Phil, who are regular contributors, do not hide what they are and have the respect of (most) of the regular PPRuNers. A different approach may serve you better.

[phil gollin]

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=109805


Don't know why my search didn't come up with that thread.

Very surprised to see nothing else for 2 years though.

[ORAC]

Defence Industrial Strategy - Dec 2005 (http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm66/6697/6697.pdf): Section B5.10 - "Assessments are also well underway on the work necessary to field the 8 Chinook Mk3s procured from Boeing in the late 1990s which are not in service as we have been unable to certify their airworthiness. A decision will be taken next year on whether to proceed."

[Lafyar Cokov]

They are all sitting in Area 51 waiting to be beamed up to the mother ship. I hope this helps and I haven't said too much.

[Blacksheep]

The Bell 47 had a good glass cockpit. So did the Alouette.

[heights good]

Let not forget the flying chicken wing as well. :)

[tucumseh]

The theory so far:

Given that the same Directorate in PE had successfully, on a number of occasions and very publicly, delivered far more complex programs to time, cost and performance, I think it’s a pretty safe bet that someone there would have been able to predict what was going to happen (having demonstrably avoided the same pitfalls by, one assumes, following mandated procedures).

While it does not necessarily follow, it’s also a good bet those people advised senior staffs of the precise risks and what would happen if they were not mitigated.

From the open source information one reads regarding the state of the aircraft, it would seem these risks were either assessed and accepted, or ignored. (As they would not seem to have been mitigated).

Either way, a contract was let, the company delivered and acceptance off-contract took place. To a lay-man, this would tend to indicate that, at a given level, the MoD was content and the aircraft are at the contracted standard. Either that or the company has, for some years, been billed for UK storage costs of aircraft that are still held on charge against their (still open and unpaid) contract. Press reports suggest the former.

However, the big hole in my theory is that only a complete wally would let such a contract without a honking great stage payment associated with safety/airworthiness, which the MoD state cannot (so far) be achieved. So, I am at a loss…. But not as big a loss as the financial one borne by the poor taxpayer. (Allegedly).

[phil gollin]

From :

http://p216.ezboard.com/fwarships1discussionboardsfrm3.showMessage?topicID=5085.topi c&index=18

and specifically post 71 from "JunglyAEO" :


Ron - on this (though often not other stuff) I am right. trust me!

The Chinook money is the "fix-to-field" for the dodgy SF birds. They allocated £250m, but my sources indicate Boeing's bid is nearer £400m. £1Bn is Merlin Mk1 CSP, £1Bn is for Flynx and the rest for SARH and some technology projects.

You will note there is no money for a Chinook CSP, bu the OOSD is 2015 and similarly no money for a Merlin Mk3 CSP (which given Merlin Mk1 obsolesence should be needed in a couple of years). So Air Cdre Dixon's industry options better be pretty damn special if we're to afford any decent lift in the near future.

[MarkD]

Well if RAF aren't using them could they loan them to Canadian Forces for a bit? They're a bit embarrassed that they are thumbing lifts from the Dutch on the Chinooks Mulroney sold them a few years back and rumour has it that they are going to refit naval (very old) SKs in the troop transport role. :uhoh:

They probably wouldn't need the super swishy bits to work, just the engine and associated lift bits. :E