A B i W,. .Oh blimey, I suppose I should never drink and surf. However, now I've bitten....
The TAC trials went very well as far as I can tell from the people on them, especially as they say the software was actually pretty good.
Strip capability – I don’t know yet, but same undercarriage, similar wing and better engines don’t bode badly!
Limited pax numbers - routinely yes, but passengers are only meant to carried on a Herc as a last resort (and quite bl@@dy rightly too).
All broken in the good Wiltshire? Like I was told, 'We're going to ground the fleet AND bring all the aircraft back to UK.' “They” thought better of it after talking to the engineers. (Or perhaps it was the cost of shipping charges that put them off!) There are still an awful lot on the dispersal though. Perhaps the crews should work harder...
As far as the aircraft goes, everything it’s allowed to do within the RtoS it does to a standard generally greater than the K. The RtoS is annoying in areas (crosswind limits especially), although the rocket scientists tell us it’s for the good of our health. As far as other snags go, I may start a ‘Heard about the J Model’ thread ‘cos rumour control throws up some that even the aircraft haven’t thought of!
Anyway, to change the subject completely, heard about the A400M . . . . .