EH101 Merlin
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Those who dismiss the problems of Merlin as the teething problems of a new aircraft are deluding themselves. It's been in Squadron service for over 6 years now, the pre-production aircraft were flying trials 15 years ago and the aircraft uses technology that was designed 20 years ago. 
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Those who dismiss the problems of Merlin as the teething problems of a new aircraft are deluding themselves. It's been in Squadron service for over 6 years now, the pre-production aircraft were flying trials 15 years ago and the aircraft uses technology that was designed 20 years ago.
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I thought that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft and that all the problemns were due to logisitcs and spares.... Are we now saying that the aircraft has something wrong with it.? Whilst Im here. Any truth in the rumour from MOD that the logistic support can only maintain stores support for 6 aircraft and that the rest of them are going to be mothballed? If thats the case and if my maths is correct, that would mean somewhere in the region of £171,000,00.00 sat in the hangar....Hmmmm
Now try explaining that to the little old lady waiting 18 months for her hip replacement !
Now try explaining that to the little old lady waiting 18 months for her hip replacement !
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I thought that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft and that all the problemns were due to logisitcs and spares.... Are we now saying that the aircraft has something wrong with it.? Whilst Im here. Any truth in the rumour from MOD that the logistic support can only maintain stores support for 6 aircraft and that the rest of them are going to be mothballed? If thats the case and if my maths is correct, that would mean somewhere in the region of £171,000,00.00 sat in the hangar....Hmmmm
Now try explaining that to the little old lady waiting 18 months for her hip replacement !
Now try explaining that to the little old lady waiting 18 months for her hip replacement !
Join Date: Jun 2000
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Well said junglyAEO
You ask any Bagger and he will not be able to tell you which aircraft the MASC should be based on - but he will tell you which it shouldn't be based on.
The undeniable facts are this: in the main, the bag is short of three things - height, speed and endurance. In the main, any helicopter replacement for the SK7 would not significantly alleviate these shortcommings.
We could even surmise that if the bag is replaced by Merlin it is absolute proof that we do not procure on the grounds of capability, we provide jobs for the defence industry (and that brings us back to Merlin again - sorry!). In the past this was fine because shortcommings were never brought to the forefront by people dying at the front line due to inadequate equipment!!!
You ask any Bagger and he will not be able to tell you which aircraft the MASC should be based on - but he will tell you which it shouldn't be based on.
The undeniable facts are this: in the main, the bag is short of three things - height, speed and endurance. In the main, any helicopter replacement for the SK7 would not significantly alleviate these shortcommings.
We could even surmise that if the bag is replaced by Merlin it is absolute proof that we do not procure on the grounds of capability, we provide jobs for the defence industry (and that brings us back to Merlin again - sorry!). In the past this was fine because shortcommings were never brought to the forefront by people dying at the front line due to inadequate equipment!!!
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Well said junglyAEO
You ask any Bagger and he will not be able to tell you which aircraft the MASC should be based on - but he will tell you which it shouldn't be based on.
The undeniable facts are this: in the main, the bag is short of three things - height, speed and endurance. In the main, any helicopter replacement for the SK7 would not significantly alleviate these shortcommings.
We could even surmise that if the bag is replaced by Merlin it is absolute proof that we do not procure on the grounds of capability, we provide jobs for the defence industry (and that brings us back to Merlin again - sorry!). In the past this was fine because shortcommings were never brought to the forefront by people dying at the front line due to inadequate equipment!!!
You ask any Bagger and he will not be able to tell you which aircraft the MASC should be based on - but he will tell you which it shouldn't be based on.
The undeniable facts are this: in the main, the bag is short of three things - height, speed and endurance. In the main, any helicopter replacement for the SK7 would not significantly alleviate these shortcommings.
We could even surmise that if the bag is replaced by Merlin it is absolute proof that we do not procure on the grounds of capability, we provide jobs for the defence industry (and that brings us back to Merlin again - sorry!). In the past this was fine because shortcommings were never brought to the forefront by people dying at the front line due to inadequate equipment!!!
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Well,
I was poised all ready to join in the Merlin slagging thread. After just finishing an Exercise in East Anglia with 6 AH, Lynx and CH 47 with rumours around that the Merlins were not quite up to the job and have already pulled out of this years NITEX. The ammunition was there.
However, Si Clicks post reminded me that the Merlin appears to be suffering from the same lack of support as the AH does. People (IPTs/DPA etc) want all the bells and whistles of new technology but dont want to support the aircraft with spares, software and infrastructure. Just enough, just in time philosophy does not work in a financially strapped environment.
So, Si - well done. Gossip is great and so is rumour, but sniping from the sidelines is just negative and doesn't do anyone any favours. If you fly the aircraft and you think that it is the best capabability there is and the issues of serviceability are for those well away from the cockpit/airframe...then good on you. Good to see some moral backbone.
In the AH world we too have endured some really ill informed comment from arm chairs afar. Speak to the crews, identify where the issues are and focus energy on the heart of the problem (dont just put yourselves in a flat spin out to see whingeing and whining like an astazou).
I was poised all ready to join in the Merlin slagging thread. After just finishing an Exercise in East Anglia with 6 AH, Lynx and CH 47 with rumours around that the Merlins were not quite up to the job and have already pulled out of this years NITEX. The ammunition was there.
However, Si Clicks post reminded me that the Merlin appears to be suffering from the same lack of support as the AH does. People (IPTs/DPA etc) want all the bells and whistles of new technology but dont want to support the aircraft with spares, software and infrastructure. Just enough, just in time philosophy does not work in a financially strapped environment.
So, Si - well done. Gossip is great and so is rumour, but sniping from the sidelines is just negative and doesn't do anyone any favours. If you fly the aircraft and you think that it is the best capabability there is and the issues of serviceability are for those well away from the cockpit/airframe...then good on you. Good to see some moral backbone.
In the AH world we too have endured some really ill informed comment from arm chairs afar. Speak to the crews, identify where the issues are and focus energy on the heart of the problem (dont just put yourselves in a flat spin out to see whingeing and whining like an astazou).
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Well,
I was poised all ready to join in the Merlin slagging thread. After just finishing an Exercise in East Anglia with 6 AH, Lynx and CH 47 with rumours around that the Merlins were not quite up to the job and have already pulled out of this years NITEX. The ammunition was there.
However, Si Clicks post reminded me that the Merlin appears to be suffering from the same lack of support as the AH does. People (IPTs/DPA etc) want all the bells and whistles of new technology but dont want to support the aircraft with spares, software and infrastructure. Just enough, just in time philosophy does not work in a financially strapped environment.
So, Si - well done. Gossip is great and so is rumour, but sniping from the sidelines is just negative and doesn't do anyone any favours. If you fly the aircraft and you think that it is the best capabability there is and the issues of serviceability are for those well away from the cockpit/airframe...then good on you. Good to see some moral backbone.
In the AH world we too have endured some really ill informed comment from arm chairs afar. Speak to the crews, identify where the issues are and focus energy on the heart of the problem (dont just put yourselves in a flat spin out to see whingeing and whining like an astazou).
I was poised all ready to join in the Merlin slagging thread. After just finishing an Exercise in East Anglia with 6 AH, Lynx and CH 47 with rumours around that the Merlins were not quite up to the job and have already pulled out of this years NITEX. The ammunition was there.
However, Si Clicks post reminded me that the Merlin appears to be suffering from the same lack of support as the AH does. People (IPTs/DPA etc) want all the bells and whistles of new technology but dont want to support the aircraft with spares, software and infrastructure. Just enough, just in time philosophy does not work in a financially strapped environment.
So, Si - well done. Gossip is great and so is rumour, but sniping from the sidelines is just negative and doesn't do anyone any favours. If you fly the aircraft and you think that it is the best capabability there is and the issues of serviceability are for those well away from the cockpit/airframe...then good on you. Good to see some moral backbone.
In the AH world we too have endured some really ill informed comment from arm chairs afar. Speak to the crews, identify where the issues are and focus energy on the heart of the problem (dont just put yourselves in a flat spin out to see whingeing and whining like an astazou).