Originally Posted by
Thud_and_Blunder
Very nicely done, kudos to 9 PARA RE and the QGE... but I still have a 2001-era handheld GPS with something like 150-160 LS locations carefully entered in Lat/Long using my UK-provided maps (the Brunei-issued ones, using a grid system devised in 1948 or similar, were considered Classified docs) and updated/corrected after each visit. OK, 40-odd of these LS were barrack squares and the like, but that leaves around a hundred jungle sites. I know that ATUDB have moved to S70-only ops (even longer wheelbase than the Puma, I believe), but that's still an awful lot of work for the Sappers (OK, mainly for the Bruneians) if they're serious about keeping sites in use. There was at least one LS in Temburong where the approach had to be made to a river followed by a 200m hover taxi under the canopy to the drop/pick-up point - I wonder if the increase in downwash has a noticeable effect on that, and on jungle winching (deadfall risk and so on).
Thank you for posting the pics, trim.
Thud, I don’t think you operated the Puma in the jungle but many others successfully did, in Belize. I was sent out there to learn how to operate the aircraft two months after joining my first Squadron. As far as suitable landing sites goes, all that’s needed is a platoon of Gurkhas either roping in, winching down, or hover jumping on the required site. Come back half a day later, this time you’ll be able to land on to pick them up. We landed on pads designed for AAC Scout helis, btw.
The HC1 was rather underpowered with 2600 hp but today’s HC2s have a far more useful 3600.