Not sure why you would need a Sea Skua - or something similar FTM ? Agree maybe snap a couple of Penguin or Hellfire would do the trick. As for Observer shortage. How many Merlin flights are gapped an Observer?

Not sure why you would need a Sea Skua - or something similar FTM ? Agree maybe snap a couple of Penguin or Hellfire would do the trick. As for Observer shortage. How many Merlin flights are gapped an Observer?

Just to clear things up.

There is a big Observer shortage across the board.

The Merlin issue is short and not long term - in any case there are plenty of gapped Obs Merlin billets.

We have trouble recruiting observers.

Crossbow's Lynx to Merlin figures are a tad inaccurate.

There is a great deal of work going in to the right Lx/Merlin balance and the desire for a 2 aircraft type solution is very much alive.

ALL grey helicopter personnel should WORK TOGETHER to ensure it will work.

:hmm:

Just to clear things up.

There is a big Observer shortage across the board.

The Merlin issue is short and not long term - in any case there are plenty of gapped Obs Merlin billets.

We have trouble recruiting observers.

Crossbow's Lynx to Merlin figures are a tad inaccurate.

There is a great deal of work going in to the right Lx/Merlin balance and the desire for a 2 aircraft type solution is very much alive.

ALL grey helicopter personnel should WORK TOGETHER to ensure it will work.

:hmm:

Just sitting on the fence but will this have an influence on any decision to either discontinue, continue or increase the FRI (for the RN)?

IMO, keeping an eye on the commercial aviation sector, the airlines are starting to recruit more people with low houred fATPLs - a prime job for a disillusioned Obs williing to spend his/her gratuity on a licence.

As I said, just sitting on the fence and sorry to hijack the thread.

Oggin

Just sitting on the fence but will this have an influence on any decision to either discontinue, continue or increase the FRI (for the RN)?

IMO, keeping an eye on the commercial aviation sector, the airlines are starting to recruit more people with low houred fATPLs - a prime job for a disillusioned Obs williing to spend his/her gratuity on a licence.

As I said, just sitting on the fence and sorry to hijack the thread.

Oggin

Penguin gets my vote, much longer range and a bigger warhead than Sea Skua. I don't think you'd want to get something with the radar sig of a bus any closer to its than you have to.

Penguin gets my vote, much longer range and a bigger warhead than Sea Skua. I don't think you'd want to get something with the radar sig of a bus any closer to its than you have to.

So does a Sun reporter but it all depends who the reader is! It's called smoke and mirrors.

Wrong. It's been in squadron service for over 6 years. Hardly what I would describe as "brand new."

How naive :hmm: Take it you bought Windows XP and have not bothered with SP1, SP2 and all Critical Updates. After all if the software isn't correct why buy it?

You obviously know nothing about software development and block release strategies. Merlin is now on its third in-service block release of mission software. These were separately funded enhancements due to new requirements. It's due more block releases but I'm not going into detail here.

Ever flown an aircraft with software in it? If you had you would understand that frequent upgrade releases of software are normal, even in the commercial world.

:cool:

TOG

So does a Sun reporter but it all depends who the reader is! It's called smoke and mirrors.

Wrong. It's been in squadron service for over 6 years. Hardly what I would describe as "brand new."

How naive :hmm: Take it you bought Windows XP and have not bothered with SP1, SP2 and all Critical Updates. After all if the software isn't correct why buy it?

You obviously know nothing about software development and block release strategies. Merlin is now on its third in-service block release of mission software. These were separately funded enhancements due to new requirements. It's due more block releases but I'm not going into detail here.

Ever flown an aircraft with software in it? If you had you would understand that frequent upgrade releases of software are normal, even in the commercial world.

:cool:

TOG

Marlin, EHI 01
 

No Si. Disagree. Drop the political stuff; comes over all wrong.

2 a/c solution?

No dosh/need for one. See……

New(ish)Big one fast(er), talks to many at once, can find needle in haystack above and below the waves, can carry much stuff/peeps, now needs proper eyes to see in dark plus suitable weapons (see above posts).

Old small grey one slow, talks to self plus one other (but usually self), wheezes in hot weather, carries nowt. Can join in most stuff if pressed by thrusting CO but not much kop unless opposition in basic war canoe armed with sharp guava fruit. Perfect match for FF/DD. “ MO” to creep up on death mission with fingers and legs crossed and let rip (respect here – thank goodness not done much). Otherwise good fun for 1 tour eh chaps. Face it. It’s OVER.

Give all kit needed to new(ish) Big one and let small old one dribble on until drones replace. Keys to FAA strong box should be handed over NOW.

Look ahead. Small attack helo? Is a Hind small? Combat power? Don’t make me laugh.

Marlin, EHI 01
 

No Si. Disagree. Drop the political stuff; comes over all wrong.

2 a/c solution?

No dosh/need for one. See……

New(ish)Big one fast(er), talks to many at once, can find needle in haystack above and below the waves, can carry much stuff/peeps, now needs proper eyes to see in dark plus suitable weapons (see above posts).

Old small grey one slow, talks to self plus one other (but usually self), wheezes in hot weather, carries nowt. Can join in most stuff if pressed by thrusting CO but not much kop unless opposition in basic war canoe armed with sharp guava fruit. Perfect match for FF/DD. “ MO” to creep up on death mission with fingers and legs crossed and let rip (respect here – thank goodness not done much). Otherwise good fun for 1 tour eh chaps. Face it. It’s OVER.

Give all kit needed to new(ish) Big one and let small old one dribble on until drones replace. Keys to FAA strong box should be handed over NOW.

Look ahead. Small attack helo? Is a Hind small? Combat power? Don’t make me laugh.

Si Clik:
You amaze me. Crossbow in error? Surely not. :}

Si Clik:
You amaze me. Crossbow in error? Surely not. :}

EH-101 Woes in Canada Continue
 

Air force juggles rescue choppers
The Daily News (Halifax)
Fri 30 Sep 2005
Page: 11
Byline: Chris Lambie


The air force is juggling its fleet of relatively new search and rescue
helicopters around the country because of cracking problems.

Two CH-149 Cormorant helicopters from Trenton, Ont., will head east to
Greenwood and to Gander, N.L., to ensure those bases always have two
choppers on standby.

"They want to make sure that each search and rescue squadron on the coast
has at least two perfectly running aircraft all the time, " said Capt. John
Pulchny of 14 Wing Greenwood.

The Annapolis Valley base now has three Cormorants. Two are flying and one
is in maintenance. A fourth is on loan to Trenton.

The Ontario base will use Griffon helicopters for search and rescue until at
least next spring.

The military blames the Cormorant move on ongoing problems with cracked tail
rotor assemblies and a shortage of spares, including main gearboxes and main
rotor heads.

Canada started to buy the helicopter in 2001. But it grounded the 15
choppers temporarily in October 2004 after discovering cracks in the tail
rotor half hubs. A British Royal Navy version of the chopper crashed because
of the same problem.

According to newly released documents, Cormorant crews have faced 182
serious incidents, often forcing them to execute emergency landings or abort
takeoff. Canadian military engineers have been working on finding the cause
of the cracks for almost a year with no results. They have opted to
repeatedly replace parts and restrict flights.

What a peice of crap!

Let's hope it doesn't kill someone like the other EH-101's have in the past!


:mad:

A poster from Connecticut raising a small whiff of sour grapes ?

Every aircraft has had teething problems - even Sikorsky's finest.

Hope they sort the problems.

Question... Have there been fatalities invloving production aircraft? Am aware of fatal accidents involving the prototypes during test and development, but was not aware of anything after that.

Agree with the fairy... Give it a go and don't let the fact that your nose is a little out of joint after the award of a recent high profile order colour your judgment too much. Sikorsky are in no position to raise the issue of tailboom cracks!!! (and that comes from one who knows and loves the 76).

Sweeping statement

It's an "A" model behaving like all "A" models do.

To make a statement like "what a piece of crap," is uninformed. The Cormorant already has accomplished many successful rescue missions that could not have been done in the past, including the farthest offshore rescue anywhere, ever.

It's going to take some time to work the bugs out, and the military beingthe military, it might take that much longer than many of us would like to see.

RH