If you could reintroduce into service an upgraded new build of a proven design.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,037
Received 2,914 Likes
on
1,247 Posts
If you could reintroduce into service an upgraded new build of a proven design.
I have been thinking of this for a while, with the throw away world we live in and the next new thing attitude.. and with the Twin Otter, a 60's design being put back into production, simply because it excels at what it does and the best thing to replace a Twotter with is another Twotter
With the likes of the Hunter still hanging on in there with FRADU, Canberra's still operating, all be it highly modified with NASA,
What aircraft from recent history, ( say post war ) if updated and built new, say utilising say some Carbon Fibre and modern structures in it's construction, modern avionics, systems and modern more efficent engines, would you think would still be viable in the world of today? And why?
After all, simply because it is new does not necessarily mean it is better than those that came before..
The ones I thought of were
The Hunter
The Buccaneer
The Caribou
The Canberra
With the likes of the Hunter still hanging on in there with FRADU, Canberra's still operating, all be it highly modified with NASA,
What aircraft from recent history, ( say post war ) if updated and built new, say utilising say some Carbon Fibre and modern structures in it's construction, modern avionics, systems and modern more efficent engines, would you think would still be viable in the world of today? And why?
After all, simply because it is new does not necessarily mean it is better than those that came before..
The ones I thought of were
The Hunter
The Buccaneer
The Caribou
The Canberra
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Exiled in England
Age: 48
Posts: 1,015
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bucc, TSR-2, EE lightning, SR-71, Concorde, Hunter, Vulcan, F-14.
Victor, Wessex, 'Tooms.
Transport A/C of someone else's choice.
V8 ragtop landys.
All sqn engineers will have at least one US muscle car as a pool car - just because....
Victor, Wessex, 'Tooms.
Transport A/C of someone else's choice.
V8 ragtop landys.
All sqn engineers will have at least one US muscle car as a pool car - just because....
How about a Lightning ‘6+’ version. A Pegasus for the lower engine (short takeoff and landing + VIFF), standard over-wing tanks and an option for stores carriage, and with export version under-wing stores pylons.
Modern radar, 4 smaller fuselage mounted missiles (Y pylons), and guns of course.
Conformal fuselage fuel tanks if more fuel required … (oh, silly boy).
But for panache, refinement, and for being just right … a Hunter.
Modern radar, 4 smaller fuselage mounted missiles (Y pylons), and guns of course.
Conformal fuselage fuel tanks if more fuel required … (oh, silly boy).
But for panache, refinement, and for being just right … a Hunter.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,574
Received 422 Likes
on
222 Posts
How about the Puma, after forty one years in RAF service (it'll never last of course), being reborn as...
..................THE PUMA!!
Eh, wassat? They thought of that already?
..................THE PUMA!!
Eh, wassat? They thought of that already?
RTFQ
I'm not sure you've all understood the question. I don't think Nutloose requested a list of past aircraft we like or have fond feelings for. He asked which could actually be reworked as a modern, relevant aircraft. As much as I love some of the aircraft mentioned I'm not entirely sure they have a place in a modern Air Force.
I think the most sensible options so far are Harrier (clearly still a useful aircraft) and Vulcan (a heavy bomber able to loiter for hours and carry a decent weapons complement is clearly a useful platform).
If I had to suggest something else just to show that I'm not all mouth I would probably say a newer version of the venerable Hawk made from some sort of composite and with a bigger engine and bigger cockpit to make a truly world class training platform (cynics might suggest you could call it the T-50!!).
BV
I think the most sensible options so far are Harrier (clearly still a useful aircraft) and Vulcan (a heavy bomber able to loiter for hours and carry a decent weapons complement is clearly a useful platform).
If I had to suggest something else just to show that I'm not all mouth I would probably say a newer version of the venerable Hawk made from some sort of composite and with a bigger engine and bigger cockpit to make a truly world class training platform (cynics might suggest you could call it the T-50!!).
BV