Mate, you're having a laugh. You'd have to cut serious metal, do loads of trials, start a new fatigue monitoring program, get the Design Authority's agreement, and, and, and...

It would probably be cheaper to buy another couple of RJs and 3 more crews to fly them!

LJ:ok:

The correct question is BEagle's - why the hell didn't we specify booms on the A330 tankers? It would've supported the E-3Ds, C-17s and now the Rivet Joints. More importantly, it would have provided a significant UK addition to coalition ops (especially those minus the US), and if we'd have thought just a bit more, we could even have specified a UARRSI port on the tankers themselves. Who'd've thunk it?!? :ugh:

S41

S41 - yup, you are 110% correct... :ok:

Can the booms be retrofitted? The Aussie tankers are so equipped - even if the boom is not yet operational iirc (few issues with in flight weight shedding etc);)

RAF Boom Refuelling Requirements
 

Just some points to remember:
- Two important RAF assets, the C-17s and the upcoming Rivet Joints, are only boom capable.
- Flow rates are about one-third less using probe and drogue which makes a difference with large on-loads for big aircraft.
- Boom refuelling is easier in turbulent air and reduces pilot finesse and fatigue
- Any boom can be fitted with a drogue

There are some advantages in probe and drogue systems, including ease of modification (US Navy aircraft only need to carry a pod).

First RAF electronic warfare officers began training this week.

RAF EWOs trg - at Pensacola?

Surely the obvious solution (and therefore the one that will not be adopted) is to convert three of the Voyager orders to MRTTs. The later Voyagers have not been built yet or even started so the change should not be a problem for Airbus.

"Surely the obvious solution (and therefore the one that will not be adopted) is to convert three of the Voyager orders to MRTTs. The later Voyagers have not been built yet or even started so the change should not be a problem for Airbus."

They are under a PFI contract, any changes would surely just allow Airtanker to squeeze the MoD for a nice tidy sum?

there would have to be a cost - however the mitigation is AirTankers costs are likely to be minimal if the decision were to be made now, and thereforefairly easily absorbed by MOD - and political: if AirTanker quote a ridiculous price the MOD can start making noises in the media about dodgy PFI deals, and whether its lawyers should start looking at whether they can be ditched.

the government has a somewhat larger stick than AT - it writes the law.

No, that is far too political. MOD is not nasty like that.

Don't AirTanker want an aircraft they can also use in the civvy market when the MoD don't want to use them?

not many civvy street planes have booms attached.......

I believe Airbus have ably demonstrated that they are removable......

There is, apparently, talk of extending Waddo's runway to the South.

A quick look on Google Earth suggests, in theory, another couple of thousand feet could be added.

Presumably the extra 2000' can be folded away and packed in the back of a C-17 whenever the RJ deploys to a similarly inadequately runwayed airfield.

"There is, apparently, talk of extending Waddo's runway to the South."

WW statement stired up memories of the first Nimrod R take off at 109,000 lb ZFW. I can't rememeber when probably 1990 somethin. Bill Bateman was our weight and ballance engineer and suggested selling tickets in a grandstand by Burge's Garage. Bill was brilliant. I remember taking the a/c down to Boscombe to weigh it post a big mod we had completed. he was only one pound out and quite close to the CoG. (so much of the weight was electric string)

All this talk of flight refuelling probes is getting me down. Should the need arise I am sure the treasury would spring the cash. Marshall turned the C130s round in 19 days back in 1982. It may take a month now!!

Oh and most of our radios in those days were of US origin. Have Quick WW and even the RC HF9000 (first use of fibre optic on an RAF A/C) we used the GPS to time the radios. it took an age to get clearance to feed the twin Carosel IN and Tacan from the GPS. had a similar problem on the C130 a couple of years back (with clearances) so as back in Nimrod days declared UDI and fitted a stand alone system.

DA

Ref #151
 

No. At Offutt. RJ training is at the 55th Wing.

Basic EW training is at Pensacola. The RJ-specific training is done at Offutt. They have a great simulator for the entire backend.

I hope they pipe in the smell of curry & pies for max realism.

They'd better hurry up then - there's either the Eastern Lincoln Bypass and/or 35,000 houses going on that land !!

Plus also knock down Coleby Church as they will be obstacle limited!

I'm sure the the MoD has thought of every---Oooohhh !!!!!...

I notice 'Squarebasher' in Private Eye having a go at the Rivet Joint acquisition.

It's the usual mix of rumopurs and speculation, but one of his points caught my eye - is the RJ procurement under a UOR?