RAF to revert to Prop engine aircraft for ground attack role!

[papa_smurf]

Makes sense.... £5 million vs £60 million. As you yanks say "Do the math"

[Hakahura]

Hmmmm
Typical Pongo thinking.

Remember big SDR coming up in the UK soon.
The 3 Services are just squaring up against each other for the biggest slice of the pie (or the smallest cuts)
An aircraft like this might be useful in the counter insurgency role.
But absolutely no ****ing use against an adversary with any kind of Airforce!
No one knows what tomorrows war will be.
Balanced Forces with capabilities across the board are what is needed.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Hakahura

Hmmmm
Typical Pongo thinking.

Remember big SDR coming up in the UK soon.
The 3 Services are just squaring up against each other for the biggest slice of the pie (or the smallest cuts)
An aircraft like this might be useful in the counter insurgency role.
But absolutely no ****ing use against an adversary with any kind of Airforce!
No one knows what tomorrows war will be.
Balanced Forces with capabilities across the board are what is needed.

Aye but tell the bloody bean counters that...

[Highbury]

Originally Posted by Hakahura

But absolutely no ****ing use against an adversary with any kind of Airforce!

Well the thinking is based on the fact that most countries with a useful Air Force are all friends.....





...for now.

Of course you will always need front line, cutting edge units.. but using the US as an example.. do National Guard pilots really need to be flying state-of-the-art jet fighters? In alot of countries reservists are not even armed (alot of National Guard members should not be lol).

I was in the Navy, and any military man can understand wanting the latest and greatest toys, but it is not necessary in every level of the service.

[bookworm_020]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Everything old is new again. Might be time to dust off some of those Vietnam vintage Skyraiders.

You beat me to it!


If you had a squadran or two of light attack aircraft that can double as trainers and gerneral purpose aircraft, it may be cost effective. How many wars or peace keeping missions would they suit?

If you had a squadran or two of light attack aircraft that can double as trainers and gerneral purpose aircraft, it may be cost effective.

The RAF used Hawks like that for many years in many roles, many countries still have them as front line combat aircraft.
What is the issue that some find objectionable?
Is it that it has a propeller?

[DeerHunter UK]

The Tucano's payload is poor at best, the RAF should be looking at A-10s as a cost effective weapon. I like the idea of using Skyraiders though, wonder if there's any left in a serviceable condition?

[TarJak]

Only two airworthy exmaples left in the US. The UK decommissioned it's RNFAR Skyraiders in 1962. Unlikely they would look to a 60 odd year old design that's no longer in production anywhere in the world.

The 1.5 ton payload isn't insignificant given the advances in even iron bomb technology since the Skyraider left service.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by DeerHunter UK

The Tucano's payload is poor at best.

How much payload do you need to take out some insurgents? I think small cheap propeller planes might be an alternative for the jets in the close support role in Afghanistan and other countries like that. Sure they aren't that useful against a modern army (actually they are pretty much completely useless against them) but for now they could give a hand in the deserts of this world at an unbeatable cost/efficiency ratio. Imagine, just cut down your Typhoon orders by one plane and buy ten close support prop planes.
Sure the Typhoons, Tornadoes etc. can't be replaced by those aircraft and have to be available in case that the big sh*t hits the fan. But for now those planes could help in easing the financial burdens of the military.

[HunterICX]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Somewhere in deepest darkest Spain, there is a Dutch man who is frantically writing a letter to the MOD...

Pleeeeeaaaaaasee...bring back the Typhoons and Tempests



HunterICX

[gutted]

Good luck finding "fighter pilots" willing to fly them.

[XabbaRus]

The lolwaffles are all current on the Tempest, Typhoon and Spitfire and all its subtypes.

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by XabbaRus

The lolwaffles are all current on the Tempest, Typhoon and Spitfire and all its subtypes.

You would quickly lose all the money you otherwise saved on the replacement parts if you let us fly them...

[AVGWarhawk]

Right! We're off:



Bearcat:

I dunno if jets were banned and everybody went back to prop planes, I would join the Air Force in seconds flat. (Well I can't because I have 20/80 vision. )