Best in-Service UK military aircraft?
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How about the Gazelle?
Many many pliots learnt to fly in it,
Was used for offensive ops up untill a few years ago(tank killing supp)
Is still serving in a very important role in NI!
Cheap affordable and hard to see/hit
true stalwart IMHO
Many many pliots learnt to fly in it,
Was used for offensive ops up untill a few years ago(tank killing supp)
Is still serving in a very important role in NI!
Cheap affordable and hard to see/hit
true stalwart IMHO
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Daventry, Northants
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Worst aircraft I have been a passenger in.
I don't know about the best aircraft in service, but I do know the worst aircraft I have been a passenger in, the Beverley.
I used to be at a school near RAF Benson (Turners Court) in the early sixties, and used to watch these aircraft taking off, they always seemed to be struggling to get off the ground.
Aden 1967 I had the dubious pleasure of flying in one on an R&R flight to Mombasa, biggest sack of sh!te I have ever flown in.
Best aircraft I have ever flown in has to be the VC10, purely for the engine noise on take off/landing.
Happy days. John
I used to be at a school near RAF Benson (Turners Court) in the early sixties, and used to watch these aircraft taking off, they always seemed to be struggling to get off the ground.
Aden 1967 I had the dubious pleasure of flying in one on an R&R flight to Mombasa, biggest sack of sh!te I have ever flown in.
Best aircraft I have ever flown in has to be the VC10, purely for the engine noise on take off/landing.
Happy days. John
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By all accounts, the Beverley was actually a pretty good aircraft for its era, even if it was hideously slow.
If we're talking about useless aircraft, you open a whole can of worms, as the RAF has had the rather dubious pleasure of having had some of the most ridiculous aircraft through its history.
The Belvedere must be high on the list - incapable of lifting anything on most hot days, the infamous Swift which was pretty rubbish by any standards, the much-used but highly dangerous Meteor T7 with it's hopelessly undersized tail, the ungainly and under-performing Javelin, the Shackleton Mk3/3 which needed jet engines to get off the ground and then wore the wings off thanks to the added weight... the Marathon, the Prentice...
The remarkable thing is that even when they did have some good aircraft (like the very versatile Belfast) they couldn't wait to get rid of 'em!
If we're talking about useless aircraft, you open a whole can of worms, as the RAF has had the rather dubious pleasure of having had some of the most ridiculous aircraft through its history.
The Belvedere must be high on the list - incapable of lifting anything on most hot days, the infamous Swift which was pretty rubbish by any standards, the much-used but highly dangerous Meteor T7 with it's hopelessly undersized tail, the ungainly and under-performing Javelin, the Shackleton Mk3/3 which needed jet engines to get off the ground and then wore the wings off thanks to the added weight... the Marathon, the Prentice...
The remarkable thing is that even when they did have some good aircraft (like the very versatile Belfast) they couldn't wait to get rid of 'em!
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Originally Posted by Jackonicko
Wasn't Turner's Court a borstal?
And wouldn't they have been Argosies from Benson in the early 60s?
And wouldn't they have been Argosies from Benson in the early 60s?
Your right about the Argosies, they used to drone over us 24 hours a day, also the Beverleys were a regular feature.
The Red Arrows used to train here quite often as well.
Regards John
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TM
Couldn't agree more about the Bev. It climbed,cruised and descended at somewhere around 150 kts and as long as you didn't want to take the cargo very far, it could carry enormous loads for those times and had a very good short field performace to boot. It did tend to get through Centauri engines though and was reckoned to be the best petrol cooled, oil burning aircraft in service coupled with jokes about removing ASIs and fitting calendars.
I can't agree that the Meteor T7 was useless. It did a damn fine job if treated right and I didn't find the rudder too small. But then its horses for courses isn't it. No doubt about the nicest I flew. A brand new K Albert!
The A was more lively but once you start messing about with an aeroplane, more fuel , bigger engines, greater payload - you always loose out in another area..
I can't agree that the Meteor T7 was useless. It did a damn fine job if treated right and I didn't find the rudder too small. But then its horses for courses isn't it. No doubt about the nicest I flew. A brand new K Albert!
The A was more lively but once you start messing about with an aeroplane, more fuel , bigger engines, greater payload - you always loose out in another area..
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he remarkable thing is that even when they did have some good aircraft (like the very versatile Belfast) they couldn't wait to get rid of 'em!
Only had one flight on a Belfast, was very impressd. Thought it much better than the Herc.
Regards John.
Only had one flight on a Belfast, was very impressd. Thought it much better than the Herc.
Regards John.
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Surprised you'd rally to the defence of the Meteor T7! The tail was so small, it prompted Gloster to redesign the unit for the F8 and the later night fighter variants. Martin Baker must be delighted that their remaining pair of Meteors are "T7-and-a-half's" with Mk8 tail units... so much more civilised
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CH-47
Got to be the Chinook.
Delivered into service unmolested by Wastelands.
It does what it says on the tin, no ifs or buts.
The ability to operate world-wide and self ferry on occasion without the need for 5 star hotels or huge logistic and admin chains
Loved by Soldiers, Marines,Lara Croft, Politicians, needy folk in disaster zones and her Crew*; but not the Airforce!
I would like to be a Typhoon pilot though.http://www.pprune.org/forums/images/smilies/ugh.gif
*delete as appropriate.
Delivered into service unmolested by Wastelands.
It does what it says on the tin, no ifs or buts.
The ability to operate world-wide and self ferry on occasion without the need for 5 star hotels or huge logistic and admin chains
Loved by Soldiers, Marines,Lara Croft, Politicians, needy folk in disaster zones and her Crew*; but not the Airforce!
I would like to be a Typhoon pilot though.http://www.pprune.org/forums/images/smilies/ugh.gif
*delete as appropriate.
