Actually there's a second company somewhere in the States which operates other Canberras including a former RAE B6. There's also a couple of former Navy TT18's somewhere in the US.

The company in question has two and a half ex RAE Canberras Tim, the half an airframe being from the one that used to fly on the UK display circuit and was stripped for spares and its nose earlier this year.

For those that haven't seen the Hunter yet, It was in the circuit for 15 mins or more? at a certain airfield in Lincs on Tuesday:)

V1

Just finished reading the excellent Vulcan 607 book by Roland White. In it he tells the story of how the RAF had to run around robbing refuelling probes for the Vulcans about to deploy to the South Atlantic. They even sent a Herc full of techies to the USAF museum at Castle AFB to rob the probe from the one that had been donated months earleir :ok:

I wouldn't dismiss this out of hand.

Civilian operation of an aircraft like this will neveer 'work' financially.

My thought is that a Civillian operator would be looking basically for a contribution to costs and the support fallout that they may get from an arrangement like this so I really dont find the idea supprising.

What about the BAe Systems A-4 Skyhawk operations out of Wittmund in Germany? Retired military jets doing target tugs duties, there are a fair few companies doing the rounds today.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...56/1057133.jpg

As far as I can remember, most Vulcans still had probes fitted at the time of the Falklands war, it was the 'Y' coupler from the refuelling probe, to the fuel pipes either side of the nose that were missing.

The Vulcan probes were robbed for the Hercules and Nimrod fleets.

In the book it say's they were robbed for the Vulcan as it had been so long since they were last used. Will have a look through the book later and post the details.

I think you will find ZH875 is correct not the book, why, because during Corporate the Hercs and Nimrod suddenly grew probes.

What else would they have come off?

V1

I didn't say anyone was wrong, I was just stating what the book said :ok:

Fantaman, point taken.

Anyway does anyone on here know if the 2 ex FRADU Canberra TT.18s are still active in the USA?

Also the Northern Light guys in Canada and ATAC in the USA are happily operating Hunters, on contracts I'mnot sure how many and which ones however.

Although they are all ex Swiss jets.

V1

If it's any help, it's true that all the Vulcans had their refuelling probes still attached until Operation Corporate, although the refuelling system hadn't been used for ages. The Hercules and Nimrod probes did indeed come from Vulcans and various Vulcans began to appear without their probes, once they were "robbed" for other aircraft, and as far as I can recall, all the ones that had their probes removed never got them back whilst still in service. Obviously, it was only the small fleet of Black Buck Vulcans (without checking, I think it was six or seven aircraft in all)that had their refuelling system restored.

As for HS125's comments, I don't think it's even open to question that leasing civilian aircraft has worked, does work and will continue work. Clearly, it's much less expensive to simply lease small numbers of aircraft for specific tasks, rather than fund complete squadrons together with all of their logistical support. It's the inevitable way forward, be it good or bad!

A few years back,
All the old GR3 Harriers had to have there hot nozzles removed and sent to front line squadrons for use on in service GR7/9's.This doesn't sound too bad until you find out the GR3's had been out of service for 10 years by this time and most were on gate guard or in museams around the country.
My squadron had a GR3 gate guard that had not been serviced for 12 years the nozzles were, lets just say in not good nick.
I know the guy that took them off ,bit of a tool, :oh: but thats another story.
He said they had to remove them all as the RAF had run out and the yanks had bought all the stock of special alloys needed to make new ones and we cant have any.

sounds about right to me

who said the Air farse is in trouble then ,not me!!!:ugh: :ugh: :ugh:

Valiantone

Which Canberra was that, then? Not '163, surely, and not the TT18?

No, he means the two ex-FRADU TT18's which I mentioned a few paragraphs back. I presume they're still flying but I don't know where.

Are they being used in their old role, if that isn't a beadwindow violation?

Are they the ones at Mesa-Falcon Field, Phoenix?

33°27'39.00"N 111°43'57.45"W

http://www1.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/open.file/104846/M/

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/jetre...ra-n76765.html

Neither of those flew on the UK airshow circuit, Tim.

I suspect that he means an extra airframe used for spares by HAMM/Airpower Inc/Air Platforms Inc. at Lakeport, who operate two ex DERA raspberry ripple B6 Mods - XH567 and WT327.

I wonder whether he means another of the ex RAE/DERA aircraft - WT333, or most likely XH568.

The 'half' Canberra that Air Platforms took was XH568 at Bruntingthorpe. Totally dismantled and shipped in March this year.

Jacko
. . . ex DERA raspberry ripple B6 Mods - XH567 and WT327

XH567 potted history.

WT327 potted history.

Note - WT327 is a B(I)8 Mod and WT333 (another B(I)8 Mod) is currently in taxiable condition at Brunty, taxies frequently in summer months.

:ok:

[quote=Valiantone;3010370]I think you will find ZH875 is correct not the book, why, because during Corporate the Hercs and Nimrod suddenly grew probes.

What else would they have come off?

I seem to remember they came from Sea Vixens which at that time were in RAF training at Halton and various Museums. They were sufficiently long to do the task.

Sharmine:ok:

ZH875 can remember the probes disappearing from various Vulcans around Waddington, and saw various probe spares on ASI with the F731's still attached from Waddington.

Maybe probes were scrounged from multiple locations.:)