More Merlins?
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: firmly on dry land
Age: 81
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
These lads are engine nuts - the props are there to provide resistance to the crank and stop over revving I guess. ISTR that they are somewhere in the NW - Lancashire/Cumbria area.
Must sound just great, but I wouldn't want their fuel bill...., still I bet their wives don't have to wait long for the washing to dry
Must sound just great, but I wouldn't want their fuel bill...., still I bet their wives don't have to wait long for the washing to dry
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Nottingham UK
Age: 84
Posts: 5,575
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Further information here:-
http://members.lycos.co.uk/pwgrieve/
http://members.lycos.co.uk/pwgrieve/
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Mr-AEO
Can I ask where you heard that it's guff? My sources are impeccable, and confirm the orig. rumour 100%.
Expect it to be announced in about .... (now that would be telling too much )
Can I ask where you heard that it's guff? My sources are impeccable, and confirm the orig. rumour 100%.
Expect it to be announced in about .... (now that would be telling too much
)
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's very easy to confirm it as a rumour - I've heard it from 3 separate sources/communities away from PPrune - therefore I can confirm it as a rumour - slightly different to it actually being true. Professional Pilot's Fully confirmed truth network - I think not...?
Yes, I can confirm that it is true. Well it is true that it is rumoured that the MOD are looking at procuring a handfull of new cabs (sorry, couldn't resist - have just been listening to a similar comment by Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister 
)
Anyway, from talking to people in the know, I too have heard similar stories from various, usually reliable sources. And if what Mr AEO says is true, then logic would dictate that there is only one other place for them to end up - other than TELIC and being in pieces all over the hangar floor at Yeovilton!
)Anyway, from talking to people in the know, I too have heard similar stories from various, usually reliable sources. And if what Mr AEO says is true, then logic would dictate that there is only one other place for them to end up - other than TELIC and being in pieces all over the hangar floor at Yeovilton!
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SW England
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My mole at wastelands whispered in my shell like the other day that the MoD may siphon Danish 101's from the production line. Not sure what the Danes think about his but apparently the RMs were drooling more at that thought than at 2 egg n bacon banjos mmmmm!.
This plus a tlae a few weeks back about a UOR for Mk 1 DAS suites and it seems someone in JHC wahts more Green Plastic pigs to play with.
This plus a tlae a few weeks back about a UOR for Mk 1 DAS suites and it seems someone in JHC wahts more Green Plastic pigs to play with.
Hellbound
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Blighty
Posts: 554
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
JHC wants more cabs in the sky, preference would be for wokkas but restrictions from Government over spending the extra funding is likely to mean a UK-solution, leading to only one choice, Merlin.
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Somerset
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't debate that the idea is sound, and of course WHL want this to be the way ahead. But sat against a backdrop of FRC work looking at filling the Interim ML (of which Danish Merlins are not an option, unless they intend leasing them) and pressure from EC to give us Super Puma's - it just seems an 'Option' at the moment.
Plus, RAF don't acquire Helo's anyway. /semantics i know/
But like I said before, I like the idea because the Danish cabs have a great metallic paint job!
Plus, RAF don't acquire Helo's anyway. /semantics i know/
But like I said before, I like the idea because the Danish cabs have a great metallic paint job!
Rumour has it that 230 will disband, become a permanently detached flight from 33 and the Navy will stand up 825 NAS with a mixture of Navy and RAF SH guys flying the procured Merlins. Surely it would be easier just to add an additional flight to 28 (AC) Sqn, rather than stand a new Sqn up in this time of financial belt-tightening?
Wouldn't want to be a Merlin qualified guy in a rest tour at the mo.....the phone could be ringing soon....
Wouldn't want to be a Merlin qualified guy in a rest tour at the mo.....the phone could be ringing soon....
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: firmly on dry land
Age: 81
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No Merlins?
Des the magician said yesterday:
Importantly, General Richards judges he has the forces to maintain the relatively stable security situation that now exists. But I will continue to push for his requirements to be met, in full, as a matter of urgency.
Is there a contradiction here?
In Helmand, the UK Task Force also faces challenges . . . We are rebalancing our forces, taking advantage of the steady improvement in the Afghan army and police to concentrate our forces on the central area surrounding the provincial capital Lashkar Gah. . . .
Back in the UK, the main challenge – for me, . . . is to give our troops the resources they need to get the job done. This is a relentless task, but we are rising to it. We have now almost completely deployed the reinforcements . . . that includes: 2 more Chinook helicopters, and more flying hours for helicopters across the fleet; more capacity to train the Afghan National Army; engineers to take forward development; and more infantry.
Is thgat 2 more Chinooks from yesterday or from 10 Jul?
On 24 July I announced a new package for protected vehicles for both Afghanistan and Iraq, including 100 new Mastiff and 100 additional Vector, funded by new money from the Treasury.
And?
I believe we have shown we can be responsive to the requests of commanders and we will continue to be so.
Are, so they have the kit now?
In Afghanistan, we have to tackle the South and the East if we are to secure what has already been achieved in the rest of the country.
In Iraq, we have to support the Iraqi government, and their army and police
We will do all of these things – we cannot afford not to.
I am sure the House will join me in paying tribute to them again today.
How many tributes is a pint of beer?
Importantly, General Richards judges he has the forces to maintain the relatively stable security situation that now exists. But I will continue to push for his requirements to be met, in full, as a matter of urgency.
Is there a contradiction here?
In Helmand, the UK Task Force also faces challenges . . . We are rebalancing our forces, taking advantage of the steady improvement in the Afghan army and police to concentrate our forces on the central area surrounding the provincial capital Lashkar Gah. . . .
Back in the UK, the main challenge – for me, . . . is to give our troops the resources they need to get the job done. This is a relentless task, but we are rising to it. We have now almost completely deployed the reinforcements . . . that includes: 2 more Chinook helicopters, and more flying hours for helicopters across the fleet; more capacity to train the Afghan National Army; engineers to take forward development; and more infantry.
Is thgat 2 more Chinooks from yesterday or from 10 Jul?
On 24 July I announced a new package for protected vehicles for both Afghanistan and Iraq, including 100 new Mastiff and 100 additional Vector, funded by new money from the Treasury.
And?
I believe we have shown we can be responsive to the requests of commanders and we will continue to be so.
Are, so they have the kit now?
In Afghanistan, we have to tackle the South and the East if we are to secure what has already been achieved in the rest of the country.
In Iraq, we have to support the Iraqi government, and their army and police
We will do all of these things – we cannot afford not to.
I am sure the House will join me in paying tribute to them again today.
How many tributes is a pint of beer?
Mi-17 and Mi-26?
Seems that the cunning plan may involve using Hip and Halo from a PMC, which would be interesting....
Daily Torygraph report
I note that the total number of Merlins on offer from Denmark is allegedly six.
Daily Torygraph report
I note that the total number of Merlins on offer from Denmark is allegedly six.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Some-r-set
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There's been one of the jobbies in and out of WHL for the last three days.
Nice and shiny.
Saw it as I went to get me lunch.
Nice and shiny.
Saw it as I went to get me lunch.
Last edited by High_lander; 3rd Nov 2006 at 22:23.
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Perhaps that means the Merlin idea is nothing more than AW's answer to Eurocopter's unsolicited Cougar bid to JHC - you can't blame them for trying to make it a more even playing field, even if they had previously been told they were not allowed to make unsolicited bids, can you?
Last edited by junglyking; 20th Oct 2006 at 13:26.
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: EGHH
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From the Daily Torygraph report ...
So there's another eight S/F Chinooks then?? 
Coz they surely can't mean the HC3's can they??
I'd somehow got the impression that the reason that the HC3's hadn't flown was because of a bit of a procurement/requirements/software-validation c
k-up.
If they DO mean the HC3's then that's a pretty nifty ' Hey, let's make it sound as if some tech boffins foolishly buggered 'em up when no-one was looking ' sort of move that someone's pulled there!
Cheers,
TS
“doing everything we can” to bring into service eight special forces Chinook helicopters that have never been flown after they were certified unusable following mechanical changes made by engineers.
Coz they surely can't mean the HC3's can they??
I'd somehow got the impression that the reason that the HC3's hadn't flown was because of a bit of a procurement/requirements/software-validation c
k-up. If they DO mean the HC3's then that's a pretty nifty ' Hey, let's make it sound as if some tech boffins foolishly buggered 'em up when no-one was looking ' sort of move that someone's pulled there!
Cheers,
TS
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Found this on a Rotorheads thread.
MoD forced to hire civilian helicopters in Afghanistan
By Francis Elliott and Raymond Whitaker
Published: 15 October 2006
Britain is so short of helicopters in Afghanistan that military chiefs are being forced to scour the world for civilian aircraft to support its troops after the US rejected a plea to help plug the shortfall.
An ageing fleet of just eight Chinooks is working around the clock to supply and reinforce soldiers in remote outposts facing waves of Taliban attacks. The only Chinook in the Falklands was taken away for use in the campaign.
The revelations come in the wake of the outburst by General Sir Richard Dannatt, the army chief, against the Government's military strategy last week.
The Independent on Sunday can also reveal that reconnaissance and intelligence missions in Afghanistan are being affected by the lack of smaller and more flexible helicopters. But senior military officials said that when UK commanders asked for temporary deployment of US helicopters in Afghanistan, they were told there were none to spare.
Instead, the MoD has been forced to seek out commercial operators for non-combat operations, to free more military craft for use at the front line. So urgent is the need that Britain is understood to be asking other nations that have ordered Merlin helicopters from Westland to allow the MoD to requisition them.
Just last weekend Tony Blair said: "If the commanders on the ground want more equipment, armoured vehicles for example, more helicopters, that will be provided. Whatever package they want we will do."
...
MoD forced to hire civilian helicopters in Afghanistan
By Francis Elliott and Raymond Whitaker
Published: 15 October 2006
Britain is so short of helicopters in Afghanistan that military chiefs are being forced to scour the world for civilian aircraft to support its troops after the US rejected a plea to help plug the shortfall.
An ageing fleet of just eight Chinooks is working around the clock to supply and reinforce soldiers in remote outposts facing waves of Taliban attacks. The only Chinook in the Falklands was taken away for use in the campaign.
The revelations come in the wake of the outburst by General Sir Richard Dannatt, the army chief, against the Government's military strategy last week.
The Independent on Sunday can also reveal that reconnaissance and intelligence missions in Afghanistan are being affected by the lack of smaller and more flexible helicopters. But senior military officials said that when UK commanders asked for temporary deployment of US helicopters in Afghanistan, they were told there were none to spare.
Instead, the MoD has been forced to seek out commercial operators for non-combat operations, to free more military craft for use at the front line. So urgent is the need that Britain is understood to be asking other nations that have ordered Merlin helicopters from Westland to allow the MoD to requisition them.
Just last weekend Tony Blair said: "If the commanders on the ground want more equipment, armoured vehicles for example, more helicopters, that will be provided. Whatever package they want we will do."
...