Yeah, E86, still got a job!
Defence procurement has stood on their d1cks before this when buying helicopters.
1960s, buying Iroquois from the US. Machine comes fitted with ADF and Tacan. Oz intellectuals decide that because Oz is so big and there were only 8 Tacan stations in the whole country at the time, that the choppers wouldn't be able to use it anyway, being out of range. So, having already paid for the Tacan set, they then paid more to have them taken out. Oops, a cg problem arising. No worries, just bolt a slab of lead in the battery bay to make up for it. Fortunately, they left the rest of the aircraft as per the manufacturer, so it is still around today.
1970s, buying the Chinooks. Early teething problems with engines meant that engineless hulls were scattered around Amberley, making the place look like a caravan park. Sell the 12 C models, buy 6 D models, halving the operational capacity. Doesn't save money, though, because the Ds were more than twice the cost of the Cs.
1970s/1980s, looking for a training helo replacement for the grounded B model Hueys. Decide on the AS350 Squirrel, but insist on getting a throttle twist grip - unique in the world. Pay buckets to get it invented and certified, pay more for the fixes needed when the system kept fouling up.
1980s, buying Blackhawks. Remembering that Oz is a big country, insist on getting the wings with fuel tanks. Use them almost continuously, then notice the cracks in the wings. Contact the makers - "Oh, they are just for transit flights, not for continuous use." Or words to that effect.
It is hard to think of a project that hasn't been fouled up by putting unique requirements on Oz aircraft instead of buying it off the shelf, or by not allowing for the extreme climatic environment. Maybe the Caribou was one project we didn't interfere with too much, and it is still going strong.
Last edited by Ascend Charlie; 18th May 2006 at 02:27.