Regarding the 737, I agree it's a fine aeroplane but believe it just is not suited to the rough and tumble of the Nimrods many and varied operating areas. A famous engineer once said "Count the number of engines on your aircraft and divide by two. If your answer is two or less, don't try to cross the Atlantic in it!!!" Also those massive underslung engines would cause all sorts of other problems manoevring at 200ft. I think the 737 would be okay if your concept of ops was to co-ordinate with a UAV and just get involved at high level in a benign environment, but that places severe limitations on role. Current thinking seems to be suggesting that UAVs are a long way short of the answer to a politicians prayer that was initially believed.
The huge advantage that MRA4 has is that it is truely adaptable. It can do high level co-ordination, designate targets and destroy them, get down low and prosecute submarines or perform SAR. The capability is being built into MRA4 to expand into many other areas of operation. ie C4ISR. So whilst the 737 is a perfectly good airliner the MRA4 does exactly what it says on the tin.
Multi Role and Attack! The Americans should have a rethink and buy a couple of hundred of them.

Hi Charlie,
I wasn\'t Paddle Switch but I am the phantom strummer. Mrs Eff is in the pink and misses the correctional taps she used to administer to you. The new band is called "Charlie Don\'t Surf" featuring Drew Steel on drums. DVDs are the way ahead but without SAR the opportunity to view is rare.
I remember Hooters and your pork pie hat and the waitress who objected to being bitten on the ###.
Hope Kerry is fine and you are enjoying life.

Rich Lear - Check your PM

PA02 made its maiden flight today 15/12 from Woodford. Landed at BAE Warton after 2 hr flight. Understand that PA03 has FF put back to May/June as additional gadgetry is being installed.

Here's to a successful test programme!

Anyone know who flew PA02??? Was it JT/BO again?

Mr Eff

Halcyon Days, you know I need to be closely supervised at all times and thus hold Cj responsible.:yuk:

As for the band I hope you have O2 and a Mars Bar on tap just in case the old fella gets carried away on a drum solo - I keep getting flashbacks to animal and the Muppets just picture it. As for the group name, point of order, Charlie does now surf, not gracefully as you will appreciate.:cool:

Now then for those who think the UK should have bought P3 variants it would have been a step backwards as the airframe does have a few limitations compared to the Norman and it definitely is not as graceful but does leak about the same, either bumping along at 100'or bumping along in the clouds as you cant get above them, combined with the constant drone(not sure if it is the props or siggie:E ) the lunch has risen a few times. It is also a requirement to wear the helmet visor down to pick my nose as I would have had my eye out by now.
The MMA airframe is a fine airliner and Boeing will sell it well to pilots looking for type ratings with BA/Virgin, along with selling the UAV option as politicians will love it as they will not have to face questions when some of their crews are paraded on N.Korean/Chinese/Iranain TV. What the MRA and updated P3s offer can not be replaced by geeks in trailers or enhanced AWACS type platforms but I feel the decision will be outside my paygrade and well advised by the civil serpents, regards to all the freaks and geeks at DLTS you know who you are.:8

Charlie sends
now where's me board luv, what white shark:ooh:

Agree with Siggie about the P3's rough ride - threw my guts up on my second tactical trip - only did it twice in 2500 hours on the Nimrod: L1 and after a night out in Nimes.:yuk:

Although able to out perform the Nimrod at low level, the P3 struggles getting anywhere with a decent payload, max bag you would be lucky to make FL 170 and TAS 350 ish.

Charlie - got yourself on Fincastle yet?

Aircrew on PA02 first flight were, Mark Robinson, Neil Dawson and Frank James. She was ready to fly again today but the weather was out of limits. Flight 2 and 3 now planned for early next week to begin mission system fight test. I am scheduled to be on flight 3. Fingers crossed.

Excellent news :ok: Please keep us informed in here, MrEff, as we tend to hear sweet Fanny Adams at work :(

MadMark!!!

Great news and congrats to all at Warton.

How long before one comes up to Kinloss for us all to have a look see?

RR

Ritchie - did you fly this week??

rich

Heard nothing about PA02 up here at ISK.

Perhaps I should be looking at Waddo's news pages....

OK, that was a naughty comment, I retract it. Sorry.

Mr eff
Hope you are taking your bit of string and protractor(?) with you, or have you gone all technical on us now.:8
Charlie sends

PA02 flew her 2nd trip on Tuesday with Yostie on board. She's tucked up for Christmas now. I'm on 1st flight of the new year ( I Hope). PA03 had 'power on' this week - ahead of schedule. Its all getting very real!
Charlie - I'll still be using whatever comes to hand as long as you keep rattling those chicken bones.

For anyone interested photos of MRA4s at Warton and Woodford can be found here:
http://www.edendale.co.uk/ANW/WTN.801.1.html

Very good - the stupid secure protection ensures that the images won't load properly....

I agree Beagle, would have thought a good PR slot went amiss.

Beags,

Works fine for me, just make sure you don't have your cursor over the 'protected' image, or it won't show. (Did someone say "Print Screen" ?)

:E

I/C

Maybe the fun police know of your thumb print?

I can't get the photos to load either, why not post them normally like everyone else on this planet does?!?! :mad: :mad: :mad:

Great photos - one hell of an ugly aircraft though.

Looks like it's had an argument with someones garden fence !

am l missing something, first flight, l thought these were old frames refitted not totally new???

any able to help me on that