NEW AIRCREW KNIFE

[HEIGHTSGOODBACK5]

Has anybody found a use for the new miniture J Knife. I have still to work out how to open a beer bottle with it, open the load pole hatch, peel an apple,stab the co-pilot,etc etc,etc. THOUGHTS CHAPS

[bad livin']

I'm told it's excellent for removing the stones from horses' hooves. Next time you get one down the back you'll be sorted!

[TangoMan]

I have never like the Aircrew Knifes. I would always be afraid of breaking the thing. What is really needed is a good quality hunting/survival knife. Something with a bit of meat to it. A truely multiporpose blade.

You Know When You've Been Tango-ed!! :D

[BigBulge]

It's amazing how we can go from what was obviously a good knife (many functions, most of which have been listed) to utter s*#t!!

[Mach the Knife]

Flown with both, new one is lighter, smaller and less likely to get attention from the local plod when refuelling your car on the way home (yes really). Alledgedly it's also really good at cutting straps and parachute lines (which the old one wasn't). Now have to carry a pocket knife to open beers/wine bottles and rely on the turnround kit to open up the panels

[Rude C'man]

I have found the new knife a real pain. It hasn't been able to cut through lashing tape or P strops so I now carry a leather-man in the pouch attached to the ring with a lanyard, highly illegal I know but I personally feel the leather-man will do a better job .I must add that i do wear one on my Immersion coverall. :rolleyes:

[bad livin']

As well as the new knife, has there been a proper chinagraph replacement organised yet? I heard tell of a semi-perm-pen-type-with-elastic arrangement in the works.

[BEagle]

Since I joined HM'sFC in 1968, there has never been:

1. A decent chinagraph.

2. A decent aircrew knife.

3. A decent aircrew torch

So perhaps I'll retire and start up 'Aircrew-things-wot-work plc'. Until then it's:

1. Lumocolour chinagraph from Transair.

2. Leatherman from the BX.

3. Mini maglite also from the BX.

..and I don't give a stuff whether QwintyQ haven't tested them at 10g, 50 fathoms or in outer space, whether they cause nuclear weapons to sulk or whatever. Because they're good enough to be used in civilian GA aircraft which smell of petrol without going bang - so they sure as $hit can be used in HM's without difficulty!

[ 11 July 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]

[tacpot]

Somebody ought to tell Special Branch that aircrew knifes are useless (as knives).

Last time I was at Farnborough (long-time ago), I got jumped by a couple of plain clothed-types who were foxed by the fact that I didn't have any stripes on the epaulets of my flying suit. Thought I was v. likely to attack Mrs. Thatcher with my crew knife (I said it was a long time ago). Whatever were they thinking of - the string is only six inches long - you couldn't reach your own throat to cut it, let alone someone elses!

[Flatus Veteranus]

Was not the original Air Staff Requirement for the Knife, Aircrew aimed at an implement that would enable aircrew, experiencing an uncommanded inflation of the dinghy in their seat-pan, to stab the bloody thing without
knackering themselves in the process?

[Jonny Ware]

In response to BEagle.

The new (to my outfit, anyway) Aircrew Finger Torch is pretty useful. It doesn't get in the way, is instinctive to use and enables one to read all of those dials and gauges that British Aerospace didn't bother to illuminate.

[BEagle]

B£oody embarassing if you want to scratch your nuts in a multi-seat aircraft though!

FV - back in the days of yore (1956-ish), a friend of my late father gave me some copies of 'Air Clues'. I well remember that in one of them the problem of aircraft, like the Meteor 7 which had a dinghy pack as part of the aircrew equipment assembly, suffering uncommanded dinghy inflation was discussed as that could be irrecoverable without a deflation knife. Hence the sharp pointy dinghy knife which lasted until the early 70s before being replaced by the pre J-type 'hooked' knife!

[Mr C Hinecap]

Now now chaps - let us at least pay lip service to flight safety. If you're going to give the flight crew a sharp knife they are only going to play with it and cut themselves. We don't want that do we?

[Max R8]

Following a certain incident concerning a Teuton today it is in my humble opinion that, within the UK, a NOKIA beats the **** out of any SARBE when it comes to telling Ops that you are down and safe! I carry a swiss army knife to open the wine/beer/champers bottles by the way.

[rolandpull]

I cant believe that you havent twigged that the new aircrew knife was actually designed for movers for the purpose of cut lashing tape!

[Talking Baggage]

As a rotareeee chap, I think the new knife is the dog's whatsits. A colleague of ours might escaped from a ditched helo and be alive today if it was not for the heap of **** that we had until recently.

Do agree with the comments about lighting - luckily we can get finger torches through stores, although maglites still prove illusive!

TT for now.

[DB6]

A knife? So that's what it is.

[Nozzles]

Got a chance to try the new knife not so long ago. Told the squipper I couldn't imagine how it would cut through a seat strap. So he let me strap into a drill seat. I put the blade up against the overlapped portion of the strap (i.e. double thickness)and pulled. Like a sharp thing through butter-most impressed (and bewildered). :eek:

Never reverse on a Friday-even if it loses you the fight.........

[Perky Penguin]

If this knife is so GREAT give some of them to the bureacrats to cut the red tape. Would 10,000 be enough I wonder?

[ 16 July 2001: Message edited by: Perky Penguin ]

[Sloppy Link]

What is the point of having a piece of kit that is single use? I liked the pointy knife thingy that Beagle is on about, I think it was withdrawn for being useful.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Any chance of somebody posting a picture of this thing for the benefit of those of us now earning our living in civil aircraft?

G

[fat albert]

Comments about long winter nights notwithstanding, here you go:

http://www.stopstart.btinternet.co.uk/nife.JPG

[Gainesy]

Hmmm. Looks like a more robust version of the things Halfords sells.
Where can I get one? Anybody know who makes it & what they cost?

[Gainesy]

SHM,
Love it! :D

[Dan Winterland]

I'd be happy to find my old curved one. I have to hand it back in next week when I leave, despite the fact it's about to be replaced. Last seen opening beer bottles in Sigonella 4 years ago!

[Roland Pulfrew]

Have to admit a preferance to the old sharp pointy version that BEags is so fond of. Cuts, stabs, peels, skins and opens beer bottles. I still have mine and the Squippers aren't getting it back!

[jaundiced]

Just heard that the SAR Boys are getting a leatherman because the new knife can't do anything but cut straps and puncture dinghy's (and my finger!).

[snaggletooth]

Jaundiced, we wish! Our procurement people couldn't organise a... well you know. There's kit people are crying out for sitting on shelves somewhere, but can we get our hands on it? Bet you can't guess, let's just say that the bureaucracy that's supposed to help & support us does precious little of the above. :o

[NOCHALANCE]

jaundiced, you're not wrong... howevever the new knife does go some way to being an interim betwen the past and the present requirement in the SAR world.(The Leathrmen derivative maybe closes the gap even more.)

[stillnotarmy]

what do they say...stores is for storing, if we were to give it to you lot they would be called issues

[k kanarz]

It sounds pretty unanimous that the new "knife" is a piece of junk. Most people I know carry an illegal Leatherman or Gerber in the pocket intended for said junk. Have the Navy had this cr&p inflicted on them as well? The USAF knife is good, a flick knife + J-blade, so gets you out of your seat and still does all the "rear-end" panel opening, galley tasks, etc.
Incidentally, if anyone still has their old one, Silvermans are flogging them for £125!!! I wonder how much we got (paid?) for disposal of the old ones...

[ 14 January 2002: Message edited by: k kanarz ]</p>

[Recover]

Well, I was going to hand in my green bag so I could get a knife patch sewn on (I've been a little tardy in doing it since the removal of the old one <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> ), but having seen Fat Albert's picture, I don't think I'll bother. It's always fun waiting to see how long it takes the Fun Police to spot such indiscretions.


And.....


Recover

[Muff Coupling]

We can all sleep to-night...just heard, Paul Hogan has been offered a 6 month consultancy job for a new.."Naaa.. this, is a (Aircrew) knife"!! <img src="cool.gif" border="0">

[spicycoke]

Heard a rumour that whilst fast roping a boot neck got a bergan strap tangled.The crewman's SOP is to cut him lose mmmmm? could he do it? could he s**te.WESSEX mate snapped 2 breaking the wire tab on the GPMG ammo box.Can we have a piece pf kit that works please <img src="frown.gif" border="0">

[solotk]

Just on Beagle's (I think) point, on buying your own gucci kit that works, or setting up a company that "redesigns crap kit so it works"

In addition to the standard issue webbing I have, The first thing we all bought/blagged were spare utility or water bottle pouches, always useful for the grot mags and choccy. As regards knives, well most of us do like the USAF type survival knives, not the copy ones, the old RAF aircrew type clasp knives, were popular for escape kits, in addition to that, I also take my fathers old Sykes-Fairbain fighting knife.

I notice there is a lot of really good civvy designed kit, assault vests etc, far superior to the stuff we're issued with. I have an Allkits I think ,chestrig/assault vest that I can happily ditch webbing for..The lose guidelines, as far as Army are concerned is, if it conforms to standard pattern camoflague, and it keeps u happy and feeling war-ry, then it's acceptable. A really good example of this, is the Hi-tech Magnum assault boots, which are just the last word in excellent footwear, they really should make an aircrew boot

So, Beagle, get designing, I think you have a market..

Tony
(I'll do ur marketing and design a spiffy website)

[Rude C'man]

Spicey, you are indeed correct the incident signal is doing the rounds now, the j knife is crap and couldn't cut the guy free!
Talking bagage , talking bollox! must be a newbie... speak to the gentleman concerned and it's a different story.
Like i said before the old knife was ok , keep it sharp and file down the end to a nice point and there was no problems , however a silverman wave cant be beaten, imho
ttfn off to join the WAFU's <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

[Mr Wippy]

The new aircrew J knife is designed to assist the aircrew in freeing themself from a restraint harness should the QRF not work or to cut parachute rigging lines folowing an Ejection.

IIRC every aircraft in the RAF carries a survival pack of some description which contains a proper survival type knife, and often a machete

The old knife was ****e!

[Duncan Bucket]

As the last post before yours Mr Wippy was in 2002, can we stop calling it the New Aircrew Knife. My old Aircrew Knife has been nothing more than a letter opener for over 4 years, and its quite good at that!

[PileUp Officer]

Somebody ought to tell Special Branch that aircrew knifes are useless (as knives). Last time I was at Farnborough (long-time ago), I got jumped by a couple of plain clothed-types who were foxed by the fact that I didn't have any stripes on the epaulets of my flying suit. Thought I was v. likely to attack Mrs. Thatcher with my crew knife (I said it was a long time ago). Whatever were they thinking of - the string is only six inches long - you couldn't reach your own throat to cut it, let alone someone elses!

Cut the string then stab her

[Rakshasa]

IIRC every aircraft in the RAF carries a survival pack of some description which contains a proper survival type knife, and often a machete

Both of which are quite often blunt as a babies bum. Do yourself a favor and invest in a Crocodile Dundee sized Gerber. :E

[Vim_Fuego]

A few years ago I managed to walk through a metal detector machine at Tenerife airport in full flight kit, including old stlye useful knife, and the machine did not go beep! El guardo nearly woke up he was so surprised, as was I!

During GW2 when kit was short on the ground I found a really useful mini mini torch the size and shape of a plectrum. You could shine it at the press of a sprung loaded button or put it on permanently and clip it to the front of your flying suit (which was green..shortage of kit!) and it would light you up enough that you would make it to briefing without being mown down by Humvees in the desert night. It cost $1.99 in the BX tent and still works today...bloody brilliant!

Beags...I'm with you on the common sense kit that works plc. The amount of notice people take of procurement advice these days you would be snowed under with orders for stuff that might actually serve you or save you.

[Logistics Loader]

The old style knife has been on ebay....
Think the last one went for about £40....

Still got one in the shed somewhere...!!!

[heights good]

The new style cutter is pants as a cutter but amazing for peeling an orange!!!!

Strange but true :rolleyes:

[Logistics Loader]

already sold 2 brand new flying suits....!!! good profit too !!!
flying boots have been laid to rest..past sell by date...!!!

[Logistics Loader]

the inference is YOU THOT i paid for them !!!
take your blinkers off !!

[movadinkampa747]

According to the dicionary that I would be inclined to believe the meaning of the word profit is

Profit

What's the definition?


The amount earned after deducting costs from revenue.


Over to you.

[Logistics Loader]

My dicionary is spelt

DICTIONARY !!!

Profit is also extra money gained by selling something for more than it cost to buy or make....

If it was free that means

Zero cost
Profit = 100 % more revenue...

[Mobile Muppet]

movsthingyamajig

You should be careful what posts you make to online as you might look like a tit and you never know who looks at this thread

Oops you already have :-)

MM

[The Rocket]

Logistics Loader,

As you seem to be so eager to correct everybodys English,
Perhaps you should put your own house in order,

the inference is YOU THOT i paid for them !!!


Is it just me, or is anybody else tired of LL's constant ill informed statements on every subject posted on PPRuNe?

[movadinkampa747]

Well said Rocket. Go away LL.

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

He/she does seem to have a very ill informed opinion on most Prune topics............but as he/she is of the "baggage crushing" persuasion it comes as no great surprise:rolleyes:

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

[Safety_Helmut]

He/she does seem to have a very ill informed opinion on most Prune topics
I was wondering when people would tire of LL.

Safety_Helmut

[RS15]

back to the knife.... try 'pocket rescue tool'. - German, good quality, expensive but does fit perfectly in the pouch intended for the new plastic ****. Just dont tell your trappers..

website such as:

http://www.heinnie.com/eickhorn/rescue.htm

[Rakshasa]

I found that Taylor's Eyewitness range has great pocket knives too. Bargain prices and Sheffield steel. Perfect if you dont want to spend more than 20 quid.

[Roland Pulfrew]

RS15

Call that a survival knife? This is a survival knife...

http://www.heinnie.com/cgi-bin/heinnie_store/web_store.cgi?page=Wilkinson/WK-DARTMOOR.htm&cart_id=390100.27561

I bet that can cut through strops and para cord!!

[RS15]

fair cop. may smart a bit in your pocket though...

[bumpy start]

new aircrew knife gets a big thumbs up from me....... never found a better tool for peeling an orange without stabbing the fleshy parts.
Couldn't do that with the old one!!!!!!

[Stitchbitch]

Peeling oranges AND cutting through the kevlar rigging lines of a spanking new 'chute...thats squip buisness for ya ;)
You haven't mentioned that you can't open puma doors with this one yet....oooops...:O