Typhoon - first RAF overseas deployment
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OK, no-one need worry about telling a journo. Too slow Smarty!
It was a VERY minor electrical problem which occurred during post flight servicing and one that was fixed by the time the spare aircraft got to Cyprus. There are now three fully serviceable Typhoons at Akrotiri to choose from.
One hopes that someone has the sense to send all three out simultaneously for what would be a great photo opportunity, before the two jets fly on to Oman, and the third comes home.
It was a VERY minor electrical problem which occurred during post flight servicing and one that was fixed by the time the spare aircraft got to Cyprus. There are now three fully serviceable Typhoons at Akrotiri to choose from.
One hopes that someone has the sense to send all three out simultaneously for what would be a great photo opportunity, before the two jets fly on to Oman, and the third comes home.
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Is the deployment operational name 'Eastern Smile'?
Anyone?, BTW its was supposed to be a electrical relay that tripped or went U/S, took a few hours to track down the fault, which caused the replacement to be flown out, apparently AD was repaired before the other arrived.
Cheers
Anyone?, BTW its was supposed to be a electrical relay that tripped or went U/S, took a few hours to track down the fault, which caused the replacement to be flown out, apparently AD was repaired before the other arrived.
Cheers
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Remember Golden Budgie?
The last time they sent a sales team to malaysia 'et al' to try to sell F3's and Harriers to the Malays and Singaporeans it became a farce. The Tornado engineers were working all night to get 5 jets servicable in order to fly two the following day!! The Harriers were much better but did they buy any...... what do you think! As for the length of time away it was a joke. There were F3's littered all the way to malasia and back. They needed 5 hercs to go and keep ferrying parts and fitters all over the route to and from malaysia. Good fun for us herc crews, saw places I'd only read about, sales....none. Comment from one Malay senior officer I spoke to " Nice planes, too complex for what we want, too labour intensive, not very reliable in the heat and humidity out here". What a surprise. Again, he liked the Harrier but not suitable for the expertise of his pilot traing setup. 
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Uncle --
Did you mean Tornado GR1? Agree with much of what you describe - wrong aircraft, wrong place. But you shouldn't infer that we're in for a repeat performance - right aircraft, right place.
Typhoon's spec is quite different to Tornado: and with respect to your points it has a man-hour maintenance factor around four times lower than Tornado, a much higher reliability rate (both of which have so far been met or exceeded in-Service at Warton - amazing for any aircraft in its very early life), and it's also deliberately specified for worldwide operations (which Tornado wasn't ). And it's affordable (which Tornado wasn't).
Good Luck with your issue mate! Been there.
Jacko --
Sorry, signed off with a surfeit of wine before seeing your challenge. The show rolls on, but I can just imagine those PPruNers poised at their keyboards waiting to pounce on the next unserviceability. I hope they don't have the pleasure, but no doubt they'll exercise it in some way or other.
Did you mean Tornado GR1? Agree with much of what you describe - wrong aircraft, wrong place. But you shouldn't infer that we're in for a repeat performance - right aircraft, right place.
Typhoon's spec is quite different to Tornado: and with respect to your points it has a man-hour maintenance factor around four times lower than Tornado, a much higher reliability rate (both of which have so far been met or exceeded in-Service at Warton - amazing for any aircraft in its very early life), and it's also deliberately specified for worldwide operations (which Tornado wasn't ). And it's affordable (which Tornado wasn't).
Good Luck with your issue mate! Been there.
Jacko --
Sorry, signed off with a surfeit of wine before seeing your challenge. The show rolls on, but I can just imagine those PPruNers poised at their keyboards waiting to pounce on the next unserviceability. I hope they don't have the pleasure, but no doubt they'll exercise it in some way or other.
Last edited by smartman; 2nd Jul 2004 at 19:49.
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Heres a link to the first pictures if any ones interested.
http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/limage_typhoon_sing.html
ppf
http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/limage_typhoon_sing.html
ppf
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“as part of a sales push in the Far Eastern colony”
So 1963/1965 didn’t happen in the sheltered world of DCC RAF! What’s next? Push on to Honkers? Or back west to sort out the Fuzzy wuzzys?
So 1963/1965 didn’t happen in the sheltered world of DCC RAF! What’s next? Push on to Honkers? Or back west to sort out the Fuzzy wuzzys?
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Just got back from Sunny Akro. Update on the poorly typhoon is that it had a minor cabin pressure snag at some point trying to get out the first time. Dunno if that is on top of the electrical snag mentioned by Jacko. A Tri* should be trailing it home, if it hasn't already done so by now. That is, of course, providing the little bugger was fit to travel!
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.
Believe it or not, some countries want a 'clean' jet (and no AAR) in order to fill their requirements. Maybe now the 'True' range of the thing will come out.
BWOS have been quite secretive when the 'clean & unrefuelled' range is asked about.
.
Believe it or not, some countries want a 'clean' jet (and no AAR) in order to fill their requirements. Maybe now the 'True' range of the thing will come out.
BWOS have been quite secretive when the 'clean & unrefuelled' range is asked about.
.
