How did they destroy it?

Any truth in the rumour that a Harrier can now have a Herc silhouette under the windscreen?

I think it was a Tornado last time!

I understand that XV205 was destroyed by explosives, laid by troops at the strip.

They do indeed now have more Spits than Mk1 Alberts...

:eek:

"They do indeed now have more Spits than Mk1 Alberts..."

We'd better be careful with statements like that, or the front page of tomorrows 'Daily Hate' will be "RAF has more Spitfires than Hercules" :ugh:

No doubt some enterprising statitionisitionist (?) will declare:

"Nothing to see here - A higher proportion of Hercules are now serviceable than ever before..."

It's also one way of reducing Air Engineer manning requirements. Should help with the so called shortage!

The bean counters will be happy though, no doubt they will be thinking of reducing herc funding accordingly.

You mean there are a few Engineers left at Lyneham field........how many of the FE carrying hercs are left now, cant be that many. Glad the guys got out of it ok could have been any of us.

"Can anyone confirm or deny the following?

1) 205 was the 47 Sqn Print?"

Heard that after losing 206, they were trying to get a Sqn print with no tail number (or a made-up one) but were having hassle with the bureaucrats who were insisting on a valid tail number. Don't know what the outcome was.

N Joe

Squadron Prints #904 - XV205 & ZH878

http://www.squadronprints.com/images...sqn_raf_tn.jpg

Don't say it, don't even think it

TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION!!!!!

However, surely even this sqn print is out of date, as I note some Js are flying around in a green scheme now. Perhaps they should leave off the tail numbers on sqn prints from now on?

But why haven't we painted the few remaining Hercs a sandy colour - they go nowhere much else ?

Article today in The Sun that is so wildly innaccurate, I thought we'd lost another!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007410361,00.html

£50m Hercules blown up

[Picture of C130J]

By JOHN KAY
Chief Reporter
September 05, 2007

MILITARY chiefs blew up a 50million aircraft so its high-tech gear would not fall into enemy hands, it was revealed yesterday.


The decision to destroy the specially modified RAF Hercules was made after it crash-landed in a southern Afghan Taliban stronghold.
The loss of the plane, used to move SAS troops and equipment, is expected to hamper special forces operations for a while in the lawless Helmand badlands.

The hushed-up accident occurred last week in a blacked-out night landing on a rough dirt air strip.
Pilots using night vision goggles were guided in by four SAS troopers on the ground.

But the Hercules from 47 Squadron at RAF Lyneham — which is the most highly decorated unit in the air force — was badly damaged in what was described as a “very, very hard landing”. None of the crew or troops on board were injured and they were able to evacuate the aircraft.

After some equipment on board was removed, Army engineers were sent in to plant explosives and blow up the giant transporter and the rest of its contents. A source said: “The loss of the Hercules is a big blow but it was better to blow it up rather than risk letting it fall into the hands of the Taliban.”

The Hercules planes used by the special forces are equipped with highly classified digital encrypted satellite and high frequency communications suites to relay messages and video from SAS troops on the ground straight back to UK headquarters from anywhere in the world.

They are also fitted with the latest defensive aids including missile-approach warning gear — and have the ability to jam anti-aircraft missiles with flares and chaff launchers, which release millions of tiny metal particles to confuse radar systems.

Aircraft for SAS missions also have to be able to carry the Who Dares Wins regiment’s very heavily armed Land Rovers or Mad Max-style Special Utility Vehicles.

They also transport the SAS’s raider speed boats and mini-subs.
Until the RAF is able to convert other Hercules, the SAS will probably have to cadge rides with American special forces units.

Last night an RAF spokesman said: “We continue to manage our aircraft in order to maintain a required level of defence capability.
“Our first priority is to support operations.”


PS. Don't anyone go pointing out the mistakes, don't fall into that trap. But maybe the MOD should release just a little more to avoid this sort of thing!

Stoppers, you deleted your post. Have we been penetrated?

"PS. Don't anyone go pointing out the mistakes, don't fall into that trap. But maybe the MOD should release just a little more to avoid this sort of thing!"

Completely agree - we wouldn't want anyone thinking that we do actually "manage our aircraft in order to maintain a required level of defence capability".

N Joe

Ah, of course, this is just PMA 'management' of the number of airframes to fit the number of crews!:sad:

So, squadron print wise 47 have now lost 298, 179, 206, 205. Or basically the last 4 squadron prints is a row. Perhaps they should introduce a new tradition of not numbering their prints from now on. As the saying goes (or something like): "Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times a conspiracy." I don't think the quote mentions a fourth time but I think you get the picture/Jonah.

Just to confirm, at least from
http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XV

was indeed the one destroyed.

'XV205 Hercules C1 w/o 27/08/2007'

Spot of bad luck, at least I think thats what you Brits say,
sure cuts into the C1[SF] / C3A[SF] specialized SF support fleet. :uhoh: