What Military Aircraft Would You Bring Back To Service?
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: UK
Age: 65
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not to bring back into service but I would really like it if they could get a Vickers Wellington flying again. Not the recovered one from Loch Ness at Brooklands but the one at Hendon that also featured in the Dambusters film when they first tested the bouncing bomb. It always seemed in very good condition.
Wouldn't the EE Lightning have been faster at Mach 2 however not for long?
From what I know there's a few of them hidden that are airworthy. I bought the POH for the BlackBird and it's really interesting, very complex airplane. There is still some pages classified. And also the actual flight envelope is likewise, classified. my guess is FL 90 and M 3.6
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Down South
Posts: 364
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's really not in good condition, and neither is it in a hangar and hasn't been for three years! It's been exposed to the elements, constantly. As for whether it's well looked after, that's debatable.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,838
Received 2,806 Likes
on
1,195 Posts
Even worse is the Canberra they bought to restore to fly, an odd choice I thought at the time as the Kemble? ones were for sale and airworthy, it was stripped down for rebuild then had the openings taped over and dumped outside near one of the crash gates, in effect open to the elements.
Once it ceased flying, the cash cow that was 558 died a death, as it would, and so much for the promises made to the Lottery re housing it for education etc.... it should never have gone to Doncaster, airside access was always going to put an end to runs etc that generated income.
Such a shame, but the writing was on the wall when she was grounded, she just became another Cold War relic slowly rotting away on an old airfield.
Last edited by NutLoose; 31st Oct 2020 at 22:33.
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Down South
Posts: 364
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Agreed, they let the engineers go and ran it shortly afterwards and thus it’s no longer inhibited I believe, it is or was dumped outside next to the poo farm.
Even worse is the Canberra they bought to restore to fly, an odd choice I thought at the time as the Kemble? ones were for sale and airworthy, it was stripped down for rebuild then had the openings taped over and dumped outside near one of the crash gates, in effect open to the elements.
Once it ceased flying, the cash cow that was 558 died a death, as it would, and so much for the promises made to the Lottery re housing it for education etc.... it should never have gone to Doncaster, airside access was always going to put an end to runs etc that generated income.
Such a shame, but the writing was on the wall when she was grounded, she just became another Cold War relic slowly rotting away on an old airfield.
Even worse is the Canberra they bought to restore to fly, an odd choice I thought at the time as the Kemble? ones were for sale and airworthy, it was stripped down for rebuild then had the openings taped over and dumped outside near one of the crash gates, in effect open to the elements.
Once it ceased flying, the cash cow that was 558 died a death, as it would, and so much for the promises made to the Lottery re housing it for education etc.... it should never have gone to Doncaster, airside access was always going to put an end to runs etc that generated income.
Such a shame, but the writing was on the wall when she was grounded, she just became another Cold War relic slowly rotting away on an old airfield.
I can't see why they bother to be honest.
She'll never fly again. Regular airside access is virtually impossible to make regular runs viable.
It's time to either contemplate moving it to a museum where it will be properly looked after, or, I reckon I could make good use out of its recycled aluminium every morning after a shower.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
just became another Cold War relic slowly rotting away on an old airfield.
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Greater Aldergrove
Age: 52
Posts: 851
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
F14 Tomcat. IIRC, Capitol Hill politics favoured the F/A-18E/F over the Tomcat 21. The refreshed Tomcat had a lot going for it, and would have given the fleet greater reach than it has today.
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Been around the block
Posts: 629
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
the super tomcat. I fly with ex tomcat and aardvark pilots. Evidently, Dick Cheney hated the CEO of Grumman. Also, everyone that I know who flew either of these aircraft says that towards the end, their mx requirements were well over 15:1 mx hour per flight. There’s a lot of moving parts and hydraulics in these planes. The F-18 is an 80% airplane. It does the job 80% as well as a dedicated attack or dedicated fighter aircraft. It would be nice to have a long range, tip of the carrier air group spear though...