Don,t worry about the spelling triv too many mates are being forced into OCC or equiv and ISS by thier Flt Cdrs and actually start to believe in it. Thus more paperwork and e-work posted around the workplace not actually achieving any more but just letting thier various supervisors and ROs know that they are doing something. But don't forget to put on a big signature bloc........not getting the credit you so rightly deserve would be a traviste of justice..................(SP see me!)
ANY WAY BACK TO THE TOPIC.
As with most military purchases it would appear that after the initial buy money is only spent on update/upgrade to fulfil a civil requirement or flight safety deficit for example TCAS, GPS, GPWS,FM immunity for ILS(though that was f***** up). A look at the successful designs and builds (though not both or entirely ref following examples) by our aviation industry they suffer at the hands of short term government money management. A government plan to get themselves re-elected will concentrate on vote winners for the next 3 year period to ensure a general election further period in power. Health, education, social services, benefits and other freebies will always win more votes while the Defence budget is easiest to cut (except the Reds that is) .
In looking at the VC10 it is just another example of a well built platform that has hardly been upgraded over 40 years, while fulfilling more roles and it would appear doing so quite successfully (i have certainly heard from other drogue and probe receivers (not just UK) who breath a sigh of relief when they hit the tow line and find a 10 with its free air wing hoses dispensing.)The new Boeing super cruiser has been reported as being capable of decimal 98 the 10 was capable of decimal 966 in 1962 (for the purists not the whole story i acknowledge). To look at a VC10 inside its systems (engines very noisy and fuel inneficient, electrics air con hyds etc) have hardly changed since it was built apart from the add ons. We did the same with the Victor and ended up with all sorts of rogue wiggly string problems and i would imagine the 10 will be the same.
When the Wessex exited the service only recently it was hardly updated and the Buccaneer was very highly thought of by its opperators and the story goes that when it was being used as a test bed for the MRCA programe the test pilots preferred the new kit in the old frame (maybe the TP is out there somewhere and would comment).
Overall i think modification programmes are done on a pathetically small scale so we soldier on with what we have till it becomes unworkable, but even that decision is made for us by gov't. I understand fully that we can not expect a gold plated solution to each role etc but by saving pennies we frequently waste millions of £s. The 707 has been upgraded and re-lifed but i understand there to be no spares back up package to do the same with the 10. The investment for a solid future was never made. Long term futures for aircraft are rarely if ever thought about. A simple test is to look at the age of most of our frontline types and the mod state thier components are at. Is any of this likely to change, i think the answer is found if you look at how far we have got or not towards any replacement aircraft and thier current/predicted capabilities and as to if there is any chance of them making an in service date.
