Airfix are back I believe.........

Soddim,
You have been at the old cooking sherry again mate - the F3 a good weapopns platform?? now you are having a laugh!

The last time I went tanking in my E-3, the tanker had to come DOWN for the F-3, 'cos it couldn't get up that high! and it was empty. And the tanker was older than both of us put together!
Hmmmm I rest my case.

TSM

Just to get my pedantic quota (PQ) up, Ludendorff didn't say 'lions lead by donkeys' the quote was made-up by historian who's name escapes me at the moment and has been taken as fact ever since, especially by those whose anti-establishment agenda it fits (when discussing WW1) Subsequently it's been taken up by the world and his wife, no problem with that, just felt the need to point out its mythical origin


oh, I know, I'll get me gascape....

Don't worry chaps, the MOD has just decided that the light at the end of the tunnel is to be turned off as an economy measure!

I once thought I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it was just some ba$tard with a torch bringing me more work...

Just to help Maple's pedant quotient...

Alan Clark, that great wielder of the old actualite was the historian.

The line - or almost all of it - was first used (at least in the 20th Century) as far as can be ascertained by a Japanese officer who claimed that the Russians were 'Lions led by asses'. Source being Sir Ian Hamilton's diaries of his time when a staff officer assigned to observe the goings-on in the Russo-Japanese war.

Why can't we use the Lancaster in the BBMF as part of our heavy bomber inventory, and then we also have the Vulcan that i believe is just about done (or is it already up and flying);)

PFI deal with the Vulcan Operating Company and BAE to provide XH588 for long-range bombing missions and selected air shows?

To save a bit more money.....
We won't need a F1250 ID card any more because we'll all know each other!:uhoh:

There is a real opportunity here - we could raffle off a place in the jump seat, probably lots of idiots out there who would pay big bucks to go on a REAL bombing mission. Maybe buy some spares with the proceeds?

You've still got 6 SH Squadrons operating 3 aircraft types, and a Rotary SAR fleet.
You probably haven't come across them as:

A. There always deployed.

B. As they aren't fast jets (most of which serve little purpose) they tend to be dismissed by the 'real RAF'.

Suggest you look at the sharp end a little closer.

Wokka Out

No, Swinging Monkey, emphatically no cooking sherry - a few Timothy Taylor's maybe.

You're right about tanking height but the F3 does not normally have its' probe in the nosebag when it engages the opposition - nor does it have to fly so slowly. Your E3 might be happy below 300kts IAS but the F3 only needs to be that slow for tanking and landing.

In its' operating environment it is a capable fighter - not the best but the best we have right now.

Melchett01
 

Ta. As Cpl Fraser (Dad's Army) would say "We're doomed, we're definately doomed".

However, we are not!! The boys (and girls) will raise to the occasion despite slack leadership at the top and the :mad: politicians.

My stamping ground was FI and the work the boys did was unbelivable. (Even if PhanDet were olympic whimps!!

Soddim - only the best since the Sea Harrier retired! Now that was aI am biased but I am not WEBF in disguise! Prepared for incoming as the thread title is "What do we have left?"!

'In its' operating environment it is a capable fighter'
 

soddim - granted, but since the F3 operating environment seems to be UK QRA, why can't we just have a single sqn, split into 2 flights, Northern at Lossie and Southern at Marham to cover Q? Then scrap the rest, close a few stations and then put all the saved money and personnel into something really useful like SH or AT.

F3s The Best We Have!!!!
 

Just to put the F3 into perspective. Even UK Q is questionable. The biggest air threat to the UK is a hijacked airliner as per Sept 11. However, just how will the F3 ever get up to intercept and V ID the A330 or 737 in the cruise at FL330 or above?
I have heard that a nimrod returning from a trip up North (back in the days when there were serviceable ones) was to be intercepted by the Q jet which was launched on the MR2's arrival at the UK FIR boundary. It eventually managed the intercept as the nimrod was descending to Kinloss passing through F190 some 40 mins later. Then again I guess the only city under threat was Aberdeen!!
Wouldn't give the powers that be too much time to make the decision to shoot!! However, I wouldn't expect them to even make a decision.:ugh:

What about Typhoon?
 

Nav attacking- in fairness AMRAAM could probably bridge the airframe performance gap for the F3. Typhoon may have its uses after all. As soon as they are ready to take on that role, they could bin the F3 and put the resources somewhere else (NHS knowling our luck). I'm pretty sure a Typhoon could catch an airliner.

Yeah, but could the VC10 Tanker that would have to accompany it?

Just so I do not get accused of posting a one word answer. YES.

There's a deal of misinformation here - take it from one who has done it - VIDs in the F3 are OK well above FL330. If you want to fly in close formation with the target, that is a different ball game.

Cannot comment on the report of the Nimrod intercept - would need a lot more information. However, I cannot envisage any performance problem that would preclude an intercept on this target and a VID. Weather might be a factor - one normally needs to see the target to get a positive ident.