View Full Version : Puma helicopter 50th anniversary paint scheme unveiled
NutLoose
6th Jul 2021, 16:17
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/puma-helicopter-50th-anniversary-paint-scheme-unveiled/
I was thinking, well that's another slap a bit of paint on the tail and call it done, then I realised the aircraft has been put back into the 70's scheme and it looks grand for it... deceptive but a joy to see, a full scheme. Niice one. :ok:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1333/ben_official_20210702_145_006_scaled_22466a99551cd353494f5e8 319dd106477fceab5.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x683/image_8f33d9412f86cff4e8eab4c068f4db379b5fce88.png
NutLoose
6th Jul 2021, 16:22
I won't even mention they have the flag on the stb side upside down.... Ohh I just did, oh well. :ugh: :(:E
ItsonlyMeagain
6th Jul 2021, 16:41
The Union Flag is always deemed to be seen flying with the flagstaff on the left. If seen from the other side, it will seem to be upside down.
And oh dear.... How the young grow old. First flown Nov 82 out of Gutersloh. Just me and the crewman.
Me
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
6th Jul 2021, 17:38
wait ... the stbd side is correct, so I assume the port side is wrong
well on reflection (no pun intended) the Americans do show the back of the flag on the starboard side so maybe you're right
Ninthace
6th Jul 2021, 17:45
If it wobbles as it starts like the 230 Sqn Pumas I rode in did, at least it will be waving the flag,:ok:
1. The stbd UJ is indeed correct, assuming the notional flagpole is aft of the airframe.
2. A tasteful scheme overall though. ✔️
NutLoose
6th Jul 2021, 18:02
wait ... the stbd side is correct, so I assume the port side is wrong
well on reflection (no pun intended) the Americans do show the back of the flag on the starboard side so maybe you're right
Yes, it’s supposed to be as flying from a flagpole at the front of the aircraft, so it would be the back of the flag as you put it. It amazes me in this day and age and the fact that no doubt the design would have been back and forward up and down the food chain before being approved, you think one of them would have the spotted it.
NutLoose
6th Jul 2021, 18:04
Mpn on aircraft as on a ship the “flagpole” goes to the front, so it is wrong, however that does not detract from a super scheme.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/615x410/image_cc1623cbfbf7fa707223ec4d1c18d511b095ea50.jpeg
You are of course correct, and it would look ‘nicer’ and more natural if viewed from the port side. 👍
ShyTorque
6th Jul 2021, 18:37
XW224 - I last flew her in September 1983. She and all her stable mates have been given a fair bit more power since those days...the engines they always needed!
But where did those 38 years go? :ooh:
matkat
6th Jul 2021, 19:18
XW224 - I last flew her in September 1983. She and all her stable mates have been given a fair bit more power since those days...the engines they always needed!
But where did those 38 years go? :ooh:
PCSF and 230 also 38 years ago.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
6th Jul 2021, 19:29
Yes, it’s supposed to be as flying from a flagpole at the front of the aircraft, so it would be the back of the flag as you put it. It amazes me in this day and age and the fact that no doubt the design would have been back and forward up and down the food chain before being approved, you think one of them would have the spotted it.
It wasn't spotted on the Typhoon where the flag was painted underneath, but the port and starboard wings were mirror images of each other, so one was always wrong regardless of where the pole was
In any event am I allowed to ask what'll happen once Scotland leaves? :E
diginagain
6th Jul 2021, 20:01
Interesting routing....
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/511x640/213732186_10226073436685562_4493470331471820033_n_333d88d3b1 cbb0f8bd0145efb1d72a373b95e8ff.jpg
Interesting routing....
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/511x640/213732186_10226073436685562_4493470331471820033_n_333d88d3b1 cbb0f8bd0145efb1d72a373b95e8ff.jpg
Whoever drew that up has failed in their application to join Gapan.
Fareastdriver
7th Jul 2021, 09:02
I started flying XW224 around NI in April 1973.
diginagain
7th Jul 2021, 12:19
Whoever drew that up has failed in their application to join Gapan.
Perhaps there's still a lot of faith in the map-reading skills of the bloke in the back?
ShyTorque
7th Jul 2021, 15:00
Well, the Puma 10 ship appeared just about on time and on track over Nottinghamshire so they obviously used a better map than that one.
diginagain
7th Jul 2021, 16:05
Well, the Puma 10 ship appeared just about on time and on track over Nottinghamshire so they obviously used a better map than that one.
Give it time. Anyone warned Monaghan?
There was a good turnout at Scampton, with all ten helicopters arriving. (XW214 had a delayed lift, catching up with the rest en route).
Here are some of my photos. There was a very moody sky providing the background to approaching photos, clearing to a blue sky shooting them once passed.
The second five flew back to Waddington to refuel, subsequently rejoining the others around Newark on the second leg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1125/img_7359er_bb9f0efc2f4530e5160753bc2a5bc4c2117e72f6.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1334/img_7361er_f0c69ba6808e8499b1b9feaeb41f81a0716f8400.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1333/img_7370er_d881190d5217cb6ea107e3fda019e68d030d4d55.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1125/img_7379er_6e4fdfdda1b5af8f39e93a45c3001af879710bd0.jpg
NutLoose
7th Jul 2021, 16:18
Superb, I was hoping they would have transited close to EGNX as they were passing Nottingham Derby area but sadly not.
NIREP reader
7th Jul 2021, 17:01
They landed at Middle Wallop just after 3.30, but only 9 of them. Work stopped and a crowd gathered to watch them land and shut down. Looked very good, glad I was there.
Reminds me of happy times at Odiham and Aldergrove in the early seventies. I think the first Puma I saw was on the back of a low loader on the A30 returning I think from Stamford PTA where it had suffered a fairly catastrophic tail strike. I seem to remember there was some suggestion that the tail rotor was not revolving when it hit the ground but I believe this was subsequently disproved. Also recall the famous (at the time) incident when a Puma hit the hangar at the Aldergrove SH dispersal when taxiing in. The flying officers union at the time reckoned we could absolve the pilot from blame because there was a flying order that said in strong winds aircraft could be taxied into the hangar! Ultimately the captain was removed from the force and sent to the SAR world which is where he wanted to be anyway.
Great times and great memories of the Wessex/Puma rivalries and the outrageous (by current woke standards) happenings.
SASless
7th Jul 2021, 19:05
The "Flag" flown "backwards"....just fitting in with the times ya suppose?
OvertHawk
7th Jul 2021, 19:08
The "Flag" flown "backwards"....just fitting in with the times ya suppose?
Read the beginning of the thread SAS!
NutLoose
7th Jul 2021, 19:17
It used to be used as a sign of being in distress SAS.
To deliberately fly the flag upside down is a signal indicating a situation of 'DISTRESS'. It is also "lese Majeste" (which means: insulting the Crown), and is theoretically still a crime in the UK and its commonwealth!
http://projectbritain.com/geography/unionjack7.html
It is / was the same for your flag BTW
https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/xf-flip.html
The Helpful Stacker
7th Jul 2021, 20:00
Interesting routing....
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/511x640/213732186_10226073436685562_4493470331471820033_n_333d88d3b1 cbb0f8bd0145efb1d72a373b95e8ff.jpg
They were routed to pass over Stafford. Given how essential TSW has been to the Puma force and other rotary assets over the decades I'm sure this was intentional.
ShyTorque
7th Jul 2021, 20:03
The flying officers union at the time reckoned we could absolve the pilot from blame because there was a flying order that said in strong winds aircraft could be taxied into the hangar! Ultimately the captain was removed from the force and sent to the SAR world which is where he wanted to be anyway.
Damn, I wish I'd thought of that...
NutLoose
7th Jul 2021, 21:02
Isn’t that when the line got painted on the apron?
Krystal n chips
8th Jul 2021, 05:48
" They were routed to pass over Stafford. Given how essential TSW has been to the Puma force and other rotary assets over the decades I'm sure this was intentional."
As did the Tornado 3 ship. Apparently, according to friends who live near Stafford, their transit caused "some alarm " to the newer arrivals around Beaconside seemingly unaware of Staffords history.
ShyTorque
8th Jul 2021, 06:40
I wish I’d seen those Tornadoes dropping in for a refuel.
Give it time. Anyone warned Monaghan? excellent diginagain - probably not understood by those unfamiliar with S Armagh and the border:ok:
ShyTorque
8th Jul 2021, 07:52
Crab, not to mention Dundalk….but in all meanings of the phrase, “let’s not go there”!
chopper2004
8th Jul 2021, 09:01
I was at IWM to see they fly over so here are my photos
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x640/71b92ab4_ede0_4c2f_8e6f_70994cb1af38_2a073ffcb4f20c06e688a8f 5789ae63e6937c364.jpeg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x640/e78e2596_e401_47a8_bde0_852013d47961_946ff1f0dc603833912e340 a92e79b03ad6828ca.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x640/83126ccc_ba63_471f_911f_360411e872a6_de00c2608f4dbee2380ae5f 86b8a8fe877cac8b4.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x640/0139127e_56a6_4c13_a126_d4b655a0118c_1617659a33620a5466d892a 6e0b4498468cb4c7b.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x640/8c0f160b_e107_46f1_9800_cc79adaca09d_92ef4f672cd552d3797e4e4 245a6817f14162c26.jpeg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x640/c2f2f30c_d01b_43ad_8d02_8f5106b28b01_f0b36d9ca7fd5936a502b51 b711fa5ab85686cbb.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x640/8453ff0a_f9f1_46b5_99fd_1778f5d99880_4e539cade7a594428db51f7 0658c4580b8c95c26.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x640/24178972_33f5_4e9b_ae80_1f537c37b0f0_b54bac3a521858c65b47d11 1adb0067382d6e5cb.jpeg
cheers
Crab, not to mention Dundalk….but in all meanings of the phrase, “let’s not go there”! Green telephone box anyone?:)
ShyTorque
8th Jul 2021, 14:07
They're all the same colour in the dark....or so I was told..
BEagle
8th Jul 2021, 15:47
Well the Puma has certainly given excellent service to the RAF!
Back in 1976 I was serving at RAF Brawdy and we did a commemorative event for the Hunter's 25th anniversary, with 4 of us in F6As joining up with a T7 which had Neville Duke on board. But it was deemed 'not a good thing' to celebrate in the meeja, according to MoD PR, because 'flying aircraft that old puts the RAF in a bad light'.....
Yet now the RAF celebrates 50th anniversaries. How times change!!
NutLoose
8th Jul 2021, 16:55
It’s a testament to the design that the Airforce appears to be struggling to find a replacement for it, and to think back in 76 we thought it would never last.
reds & greens
8th Jul 2021, 17:12
I guess the bean-counters will be ok with that scheme, we didn't go overboard with the Red, White and Blue paint did we?
NIREP reader
8th Jul 2021, 17:20
Excellent memories as a passenger in Ulster, Baghdad and Balad. Seems only yesterday:bored:
NutLoose
8th Jul 2021, 17:33
I guess the bean-counters will be ok with that scheme, we didn't go overboard with the Red, White and Blue paint did we?
I take the the grey camo was added over the standard green, I noticed it was wrap around instead of the normal black underside for the scheme
ShyTorque
8th Jul 2021, 18:50
It’s interesting to compare these long lived airframes with older designs. The Puma is now the Mk2 version, after 50 years. The Spitfire was only in RAF service for some 17 years and yet the final version was the Mk24!
Although the Puma had some rather awkward limitations and nasty vices, Aerospatiale did alright with it, by my reckoning after over 2500 hours on them.
oldbeefer
9th Jul 2021, 10:10
Was on No 4 Puma course (the first batch of aircrew for 230 Sqn), and ended up with 3000 hrs. Not many problems other than a blown hydraulic jack at night so ended up with only two wheels down and no AP. Oh, and half a tail rotor blade that came unstuck in the middle of Belize.
Mogwi
12th Jul 2021, 12:16
Reminds me of happy times at Odiham and Aldergrove in the early seventies. I think the first Puma I saw was on the back of a low loader on the A30 returning I think from Stamford PTA where it had suffered a fairly catastrophic tail strike. I seem to remember there was some suggestion that the tail rotor was not revolving when it hit the ground but I believe this was subsequently disproved. Also recall the famous (at the time) incident when a Puma hit the hangar at the Aldergrove SH dispersal when taxiing in. The flying officers union at the time reckoned we could absolve the pilot from blame because there was a flying order that said in strong winds aircraft could be taxied into the hangar! Ultimately the captain was removed from the force and sent to the SAR world which is where he wanted to be anyway.
Great times and great memories of the Wessex/Puma rivalries and the outrageous (by current woke standards) happenings.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x2000/d9864db8_025c_474d_97e3_803f81803a99_4bba0797a4a2bc723a37222 43505f22d11f8241f.jpeg
Did we larf!! £100 and loss of seniority, as I remember. Mog
NutLoose
12th Jul 2021, 12:30
A bit late in the day to put the intake blanks in :E
Ahh tail strikes.... One I remember was night flying at Upavon when they stuffed it in with a young WAAF in the centre seat.... after a couple of rotations it stopped and she didn't realise that they had been in an accident despite seeing the hangar...hangar...hangar... whizzing past, the crewman checked the tail rotor blades with his torch and it was initially looking good as the blade was intact where he started , but they got decidedly worse as he went around them all, then the give away was the hump in the transmission covers where the drive shaft had decided enough was enough..
The other was a certain Hyphenated Wing Commander, he of toppling Wessex fame i believe, who having stuffed the skid in at Odi on his Puma course more or less accused the Rigger on his turnround of missing the skid hanging off, as well as his crew assumedly on their preflight etc, it then followed some poor beggar having to drive all over the airfield looking for the tell tale sign of a strike!
..
Fareastdriver
12th Jul 2021, 18:20
That sorry looking Puma is XW214. When the blades clipped the door gantry it turned over and after the blades had disintegrated the head started winding up the gannet wire surrounding the hangar. One of the blade weights went across the pan, through a thin brick wall and carved a groove along the desk of the occupant. Just before it had gone to NI Airfix used it as a model for a 1/72 kit. When the kit was ready we were asked to collect the first (gratis) kits at Battersea and fly them in XW214. We then had to break the news that yet another of their kit sources had suffered an accident.
We flew them, anyway.
When we first got our Pumas in 1971 they were not equipped with 'stings'. After 230 were equipped we then started getting Pumas in the 231 range. They were fitted with the stings so we waited for them to be retrofitted to our earlier examples. No way; was the official line, they are going to stay like that.. Then XW219 had this discussion with the the ground in Stamford PTA.
Two weeks later they were all fitted.
Haraka
12th Jul 2021, 18:31
Ahem " Vortex Ring" 1975 in South Armagh Mike Trace and George Blackie IIRC. I helped with the BOI supplying the internal imagery aspects.
Ninthace
12th Jul 2021, 18:42
Walking out for a ride in a 230 Sqn Puma to one of the Gütersloh out stations I say a techie walking away with a toolbag in his hand. I recognized him as a someone who had previously sat before me in one of my classes in Halton on my previous tour. As I recall, he was not the best student in the class but those who came after me must have done a good job because it stayed in the sky. I suppose the moral is, it doesn't matter how far you are from the front line, you never know when your work may come back to bite you so best do the best job you can.
Fareastdriver
13th Jul 2021, 08:32
Ahem " Vortex Ring" 1975 in South Armagh Mike Trace and George Blackie IIRC.
That was XW 215 in the middle of a field. I collected it from Weston after it had had a new lower hull section put on.
Earlier I had collected XW219 from Weston. The previous attempt had ended in the pilot returning to Weston after a few miles because of the vibration.
The factory insisted it was within limits so I was sent down to collect it with the orders to bring it to Odiham if it was flyable. It wasn't that bad; I had flown worse but when I landed it back at 230 Sqn's dispersal the crap hit the fan because 230 didn't want it.
It went to the main engineering hangar and was immediately cannibalised to get another one out of the door.