Ultimate Helicpoter show last night

[Mr C Hinecap]

Some good stuff on there I thought.

Apart from the lack of RAF input. I thought the bit about the 'RN's Merlin' was splendid - they must be the only Merlins in service then.

Do we think our PR people perhaps missed a trick? From that show, you'd think only the US Army & the RN flew helicopters. :(

Edited 1 time for thud

[breakscrew]

They are the only ones who seem to have a good PR machine, who work for their lads and not against them IMHO.

[cazatou]

Large "nightcap" was it?

SPELLING!!

[Thud_and_Blunder]

you'd think only the US Army & the RN flew helos
You may be correct there. For some time the RN always used the abbreviation (such a long word, that...) helos while the other operators always referred to helis. I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason. No, really.

[Mr C Hinecap]

FFS - I'll flog myself later for sperlunk errors and improper abbreviations. Did you see the show? I was attempting to make a point that 'we' didn't seem to have much of a part in a potentially PR-positive show.

[Arthur Rowe]

Reminds me of the hand written amendment to AP129 (anyone remember that?) - 'delete Hicopleter, insert Hecilopter'.

[Lazer-Hound]

Programme was a bit dated, though - a big segment on Commanche, the next Big Thing.

[Widger]

Reminds me of the change to the old JSP318 A some years ago.delete "dying" insert "flying"!

[BEagle]

Not as bad as the old MAFL amendment:

Delete: R.A.F.

Insert: RAF

Throughout the whole $odding manual!

[allan907]

Bloody hell Beags that must have been in '64 or thereabouts when they changed the service writing system.

[[email protected]]

I was attempting to make a point that 'we' didn't seem to have much of a part in a potentially PR-positive show.
"We" being who exactly? Or are you one of the RAFPPRuNe bigots? :mad:

[Cornish Jack]

Arthur Rowe
The original " for hicopleter read helicopter" was courtesy of Boscombe Down in an amendment to the Whirlwind Pilot's Notes.... 1964 'ish. Now that was a proper hicopleter!!:ok:

[SASless]

1864....Balloon Pilot Notes it wuz for ol' Beags! He trained on Boxkites as I heard it.

[Mr C Hinecap]

"We" being who exactly? Or are you one of the RAFPPRuNe bigots? :mad:

I'm curious grunt - please enlighten me as to the definition of 'RAFPPRuNe bigot'.
I used the term 'we' as a member of the Royal Air Force - a fair player in the military aviation world on this small collection of islands we call home. You have my definition - pray tell me the meaning of yours.

[[email protected]]

No need to pray.

[ACW418]

We had to do the Hicopleter amendment when we started flying training in January 1963 so its a bit older than you think. Still refer to them as Hicopleters which tends to raise a few eyebrows with the younger guys. Confirms their opinions about me I guess!
ACW

[BEagle]

I watched about 5 minutes until the predictable droning spamspeak started...

Best PR I've seen for the AH64 was on South Today when they visited MW - and also, of course, about 30 sec on Top Gear.

Since there's no money for anything in the underfunded, overstretched UK mlitary, it's hardly surprising that there doesn't seem to be much for PR...:rolleyes:

[scottishbeefer]

Didn't Channel 5/Discovery do a "10 Greatest ever helicopters" recently? Didn't AH-64/Lynx Mk7/Sea King feature (all Brit)?

That's not bad PR.

Grunt - do you concur?

[[email protected]]

Don't know, me ole. I spend far too much time on here to watch trivia such as TV. :E

[diginagain]

Sorry, beefer, which bits of the Apache, Lynx or Sea King are ours?

[[email protected]]

:confused:

[Lord Louis]

:confused:

Doesn't take much to confuse a Grunt does it? :)

[southside]

Sorry, beefer, which bits of the Apache, Lynx or Sea King are ours?


Pretty much all of them seeing as they were built a couple of miles away from where I work.

[diginagain]

Thanks, southside, I'm quite well aware of where these aircraft are assembled, but to call them 'British', as Scottishbeefer implied, is a bit much, and the good people at Sikorsky, McDonnell Douglas/Hughes and what remains of Aerospatiale might concur.

[Tourist]

Erm.
Lynx:confused:

[diginagain]

Erm.
Lynx:confused:
Erm, Aerospatiale, with assistance from Westlands.

Nice camper, and since Scottishbeefer referred to the AH7 specifically, can you explain how a single customer makes it a 'greatest' helicopter?

[Tourist]

Ask yourself which direction the blades turn on a lynx, then consider who can take credit for its design.

[airborne_artist]

Ask yourself which direction the blades turn on a lynx, then consider who can take credit for its design.

And when you've looked at the main rotor, have a look at the tail - convential or cheese-eating fenestron?

[scottishbeefer]

Have IQ's just dropped?

None of these A/C are truly British - we all know that. I meant that they were featured being operated by Brits - therefore good PR for the Services etc etc. Who cares if they're "great" or not?

I think we all know who originally got the pencil out for most of these cabs.

[diginagain]

Point taken, Scottishbeefer, point taken. Please accept my profound apology for the semantic nature of my recent posts. :ouch:
All three aircraft mentioned are operated in a manner that does great credit to the operators. It's a real pity that the MoD PR machine doesn't seem capable of making more of the assets available to them. Or am I being contentious again???? :(

[[email protected]]

None of these A/C are truly British
How many aircraft can be called truly any nation's? Technology from various British projects have been used in a huge number of aircraft from a number of nations over the years. Similarly we've used 'foreign' technology in ours.

can you explain how a single customer makes it a 'greatest' helicopter?
Does the fact that the spams are the only operators of the B-52 doesn't stop it being (arguably, I'll admit) the greatest heavy bomber ever. But as you refer to the Lynx, you probably have a point. :ugh:

[scottishbeefer]

Digin'

Concur that the MOD PR machine is sh*te. Anyone from DCC care to comment?

[Rakshasa]

The facemen definetly. (do they recruit the PR from failed movers? :hmm: )


To be fair, they did alright with the Top Gear stints though.