Will Puma Survive?
Speaking of Pumas I was driving up the M40 yesterday at 11.00 ish and a Puma came over the carriageway lower than I've ever seen a helicoter in flight not at an airshow. It could not have been more than 60-70 feet high, possibly lower.
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Just as well they were authorised to fly at 50ft then! All perfectly above board and legal.
Yes Puma front end crews still get to the cockpit through the cabin and between the broom cupboards.
Yes Puma front end crews still get to the cockpit through the cabin and between the broom cupboards.
Yes Puma front end crews still get to the cockpit through the cabin and between the broom cupboards.
I cannot think of any other Puma/Super Puma/EC225 crews that do that worldwide.
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Why bother opening a door when you have a man (or maness) to do it for you. A door has been lost since the event mentioned when a 'visitor' fiddled and it was missed on pre-flight walk around. (NI IIRC) Besides which it is windy and wet far more often then nice weather and the cabin is usefull to doff ones kit (LCJ / helmet / armour / weapon ) whilst keeping warm and dry.
was missed on pre-flight walk around.
In 1978 a Bristow 330J lost the pilots door through reasons unknown; probably somebody fiddling;or the pilots nav bag interfering with a jettison lever as the nav bag went with the door. To reduce the chances of it happening again the indicator wire was moved to the inside lever so it was part of the cockpit checks and a frangible plastic cover was placed over it. The wire was touchable around the cover and it was designed so that it fell away from the vertical if broken. There has not been a case of a door falling away since and the doors are frequently used by the pilots during offshore operations. On top of that offshore workers are notorious fiddlers.
At that time there was a fair amount of communication on the technical side between the RAF and Bristows, (it took a long time for Bristows to get their engine alignment tool back from Odiham) so this modification, approved by the CAA, would have been known to the RAF. Whether they followed it up I do not know so it may well have been done.
Just a thought, anyway.
Originally Posted by Fareastdriver
On top of that offshore workers are notorious fiddlers.
Avoid imitations
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It could not have been more than 60-70 feet high, possibly lower.
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Yep, £14 million per airframe for how many years return of service? Has someone in the RAF got compromising photos of MPs and thus blackmailing them in to squandering the budget on P2?
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One could easily say exactly the same about either Wildcat variant or Merlin 2, so steady there...
I heard £2m per airframe, not sure about the planned exit date of Pu2, but I heard Eurocopter are content the airframe is a simble box and really isn't subject to fatigue, so potentially, like most MOD aircraft, I expect it will have every last drop of life squeezed from it before they finally retire them.
I heard £2m per airframe, not sure about the planned exit date of Pu2, but I heard Eurocopter are content the airframe is a simble box and really isn't subject to fatigue, so potentially, like most MOD aircraft, I expect it will have every last drop of life squeezed from it before they finally retire them.
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wg13 & lottery winner et al
Let it go, move on, Puma Mk2 lives and is moving forward. You must be FAA? Remind me how much for Wildcat HMA (around twice that). How much for the great (grey) elephant of the Merlin Mk2 to Mk4 CSP upgrade? Spreadsheet Phil, I imagine, knows a good deal when he sees one and he'd probably recognise Merlin CSP isn't one of them. Were he to acknowledge that, he may call a halt to the nonsensical Green Merlin Mk3 marinisation. Sense would prevail, transition to the RN canx and Merlin Mk3 would remain where it currently resides - with RAF SH providing Land Lift to the Army (apologies to CHF). Spreadsheet Phil (or his successor, or the next govt) actually might try (or be enforced) to balance the books. Following on from Harrier, they might cancel (or sell on completion) the carriers, canx Dave B/C and the boats and the landing craft. Just like MPA and the demise of Nimrod MRA4, we wouldn't be in the LitM game anymore....
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The programme to extend the life of the Puma helicopter agreed by the previous Administration (Puma HC Mk2 project) remains within its approval level of £339 million and is progressing well. As with other battlefield support helicopters, we are also enhancing Puma's capabilities to match the threat environment. The Strategic Defence and Security Review has confirmed the ongoing need for Puma.
Concur with cost/point of Wildcat
WG,
Be careful with your numbers; that quoted figure for P2 probably includes several years worth of support costs - it's unlikely to be just for design, parts and manufacture. P2 will be a superb airframe, and will outperform the Merlin in most areas and give the CH47 a run for its money in others.
I think history won't be kind to the acquisition and running costs v capability arguement for Wildcat, Me 2 and, particularly, Me 4....
OSD 2025? Highly unlikely IMHO (unless AW are going bust again)....
Be careful with your numbers; that quoted figure for P2 probably includes several years worth of support costs - it's unlikely to be just for design, parts and manufacture. P2 will be a superb airframe, and will outperform the Merlin in most areas and give the CH47 a run for its money in others.
I think history won't be kind to the acquisition and running costs v capability arguement for Wildcat, Me 2 and, particularly, Me 4....
OSD 2025? Highly unlikely IMHO (unless AW are going bust again)....