RAF interested in fitting booms to Voyager tanker fleet
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RAF interested in fitting booms to Voyager tanker fleet
The Royal Air Force has expressed interest in fitting its Voyager tanker aircraft with a boom, “if the funding can be sourced”, a senior official has said.
Deputy Commander of Operations Air Marshal Greg Bagwell said at the FIDAE Airshow in Santiago in March that the operational case for equipping at least some of the UK’s Voyagers with a boom had already been accepted.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/raf-...tanker-fleet/?
If only someone had some 'radical' thinking at the outset to buy the A330 MRTT with boom.......
Deputy Commander of Operations Air Marshal Greg Bagwell said at the FIDAE Airshow in Santiago in March that the operational case for equipping at least some of the UK’s Voyagers with a boom had already been accepted.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/raf-...tanker-fleet/?
If only someone had some 'radical' thinking at the outset to buy the A330 MRTT with boom.......
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Seems like a no brainer, C17, Rivet Joint, P8 and maybe picking up a few A model F35s in the future, not to mention interoperability.
Although, hope someone also does some more radical thinking and realises that the voyager should be able to top up its own tanks inflight!
Although, hope someone also does some more radical thinking and realises that the voyager should be able to top up its own tanks inflight!
Seems like a no brainer, C17, Rivet Joint, P8 and maybe picking up a few A model F35s in the future, not to mention interoperability.
Although, hope someone also does some more radical thinking and realises that the voyager should be able to top up its own tanks inflight!
Although, hope someone also does some more radical thinking and realises that the voyager should be able to top up its own tanks inflight!
PFI - 'Poms are F*cking Idiots!'.
So which of the 7 x 2-point KC2, 5 x 3-point KC3, 2 x 'fitted for' KC3 Voyagers, none of which have either receptacles or probes, would be fitted with booms?
Training up UK boom operators from scratch wouldn't be the only training issue - maintaining proficiency would be another significant problem.
As for taking on fuel using the 'reverse flow' technique from USAF tankers, does the KC-30A have that capability? Or would it be another UK-only requirement if the Voyager didn't have a receptacle?
Modifying the mission system wouldn't be much of an issue though, given that it still doesn't work anyway....
So which of the 7 x 2-point KC2, 5 x 3-point KC3, 2 x 'fitted for' KC3 Voyagers, none of which have either receptacles or probes, would be fitted with booms?
Training up UK boom operators from scratch wouldn't be the only training issue - maintaining proficiency would be another significant problem.
As for taking on fuel using the 'reverse flow' technique from USAF tankers, does the KC-30A have that capability? Or would it be another UK-only requirement if the Voyager didn't have a receptacle?
Modifying the mission system wouldn't be much of an issue though, given that it still doesn't work anyway....
Using the boom in reverse is a good way for a tanker to scavenge fuel from others, keeping it on station whilst sending other home with just the fuel they need. Having a tanker with a fuel receptical on the roof is also rather handy.
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They did, it was salami-sliced off as a cost saving in the early days of FSTA (as we only had two aircraft boom capable, one also had a probe (E3) and one didn't need IFR for it's planned operations (C17)).
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
But surely pushing fuel up hill will require the 'receiver' to be modified to do that, or will it suck it up? Even then would the receivers need modification to allow back flow?
One is reminded if the Valiant which was capable of 100% fuel transfer.
One is reminded if the Valiant which was capable of 100% fuel transfer.
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PN
When 214 did the trials.
Our crews used to pass fuel back and forth between themselves, and the game was to find a reason to land after passing fuel to your partner.
Leaving him to burn off enough fuel to land.
Also when we did the trials with the RN, there was a picture in the crew room of a Valiant receiving from a Sea Vixen. Someone had placed a cartoonists balloon on the Sea Vixen with the words, 'Please don't suck!'
One is reminded if the Valiant which was capable of 100% fuel transfer.
Our crews used to pass fuel back and forth between themselves, and the game was to find a reason to land after passing fuel to your partner.
Leaving him to burn off enough fuel to land.
Also when we did the trials with the RN, there was a picture in the crew room of a Valiant receiving from a Sea Vixen. Someone had placed a cartoonists balloon on the Sea Vixen with the words, 'Please don't suck!'
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Thanks, PN.
