Cracking post drustsonoferp, (**** username tho') just goes to show just how lacking the service engineering has become due to those who CUT, CUT, CUT.

Yes George, I do mean you and your "synergy". :=

The cry of, 'they moved the goal posts', is number 1 in the defence contractor book of excuses.

The funny thing is, I've never yet heard of a supplier refusing a a change order. It's worth too much money to them, regardless of what it might do to delivery, quality, reliability etc.

I still have a fine collection of rivet bucking bars from Marshall of Cambridge - they came free with every Tristar major.

Marshalls have not done Tristar majors for at least 10 -15 years...

They are done at GAMCo which is now ADAT.

But ADAT used to give away free tools and set guess where this spare bit goes competition.

And John Sneller was doing the Marshall's talking head bit on the news as well.:ok:

AMS

The three C2/C2A variants (transports) are actually ex Pan Am, the other six tanker aircraft are ex BA.

No, all the seats face forwards.

Lots of trips to the deserts various, and a very occasional jaunt to the Rockies.

The tankers have a far more varied life.

When they are serviceable they sometimes even leave on time!

Yeah but if that ever does haoppen, we usually try to work a delay into the schedule at one of the next stops.:ok:

RAF Tristar Contract
 

How the hell can MoD justify spending £97M on an aircraft which has an OSD of 2013?!

OSD is currently 2015 - which is at least 6 years more service for those 9 airframes. The contract equates to £1.8m per aircraft/year, which compares quite favourably to the maintenance costs of similar types.

Dennis - What's the alternative then?

RAF Tristar Contract
 

With significant spare capacity in the charter market - outsource more service traffic. Tankers , well there's a story! What about a European Tanker fleet based on Airbus...

Dennis,

The AirTanker programme will not be ready to take over from the TriStar until 2014-ish - assuming no more delays. The programme is now at the stage where no long term replacement could be up-and-running in any shorter time-scale. You can, with hindsight, argue about the decisions that have created this situation until you are blue in the face, but it won't change a thing. A fleet of instant replacement tankers to buy off-the-shelf does not exist.

On the AT side, it is an often-used but little understood argument to pronounce more charter as the panacea. The MoD is already makes extensive use of charter, but the TriStar fleet has specialist capabilities that the civilian aircraft cannot offer.

£97m is not a large contract and, assuming that Marshall's deliver the goods, seems to be reasonable value.