Originally Posted by
pr00ne
POBJOY,
Are you sure? The way I read that piece is that the first 10 will be overhauled and refurbished by Grob in Germany, and the remaining 53 will have the same work done by Southern Sailplanes in the UK.
I
I can only quote the RAF 'news bulletin' 10 aircraft will be 'Modified' with new engines, props and cockpits and recertified by GROB in Germany.
Depending which Rotax 912 is used a ball par real cost per aircraft for all that work would be in the order of £65,000 (prob more) per machine plus moving them about.
The remaining 53 does not mention 'modified', only engineered which is not surprising as the cost would be totally uneconomic, and who is going to pay.
Remember the basic airframe was designed as a TOURING SLMG not a trainer, and indeed the alterations done under ongoing Air Cadet usage were in the main to beef up the undercarriage and mountings which also also added a bit more weight.
This also asks the prickly question of whether the machine is ideal for its planned use as a 'disability platform'. The over wing access is certainly not in its favour, nor the door system.
The whole concept does not stack up against using a C 172 which is far more practical, access wise, space, and handling friendly. plus has a cabin like a van which makes it rugged and easy to adapt.
No mention is made as to the sale price of these machines to the parties concerned, so all in all the Air Cadets have lost a worthy valuable fleet and have gained nothing in return. Unlike the Viking fleet the documents for the Vigs were in store at Syerston so that tends to confirm that the histories are not defunct and hence the machines were as airworthy as the engine state.
To re-power with the Rotax is a major firewall fwd operation plus cowlings and a new prop is also required. With labour and certification fees I suspect my estimate above will have been on the low side, so the final cost could be VERY EXPENSIVE. (No surprise there). To sum up:- The Cadets lost a prized training facility and the experienced staff, Grob get some more well paid work, S Sailplanes get some well paid work, and a far from ideal machine gets used for disabled service at a highly uneconomic cost. Nothing changes then.
Someone will be able to post the real cost of 'recovering' the Vikings, and this was a simple machine with no engine !!!! I suspect you will be staggered. on an operational point of view the Grob is still a tail dragger which has handling limitations in crosswinds, and does not lend itself to rugged grass strips. With an ever increasing airfield availability of a single runway, utilising is always compromised with a tail wheel machine.