Well, that's great news for those of us who like to watch and listen, but I expect Tonks would like a change
Tonks - a question. I live in Wiltshire, not too far from Keevil but not in line with the flight path. Every two or three weeks I hear a multi-engined jet taking off somewhere in that direction and it's very loud and I can hear it for a long time. I've never yet been able to get a glimpse.
But I wonder....could it be.....? Or would it compromise National security for you to say?
jonesey2k wrote:Is there any engines out there similar in dimensions and power to the conway today?
Not really, since all modern engines would be higher bypass ratio. Thrust is basically the air mass flow through the engine multiplied by the exit velocity. For subsonic ops, its more efficient to have more mass passing slower out of the engine than a small mass at a high velocity, so the trend is towards larger diameters.
Closest I can think of to the Conway off the top of my head (and in the Western world anyway) would be something like the JT8D-217, but that doesnt produce as much thrust and may not even be being built anymore.
jonesey2k wrote:Surely the only thing the ten would need would be a general good going over of the airframe, new flight deck and some new engines.
The KC135 would have been a better example.
Most of the KC135's have been upgraded with more efficent CFM56 engines, doing that sort of conversion on the VC10 would be more difficult.
I remember reading in 'Silent Swift Superb' that re-engining COULD be done from an engineering point of view, (this being condidered in the late 80s/early 90s) but that it wouldn't have been viable given the then remaining time span of the VC10 (when it was expected to have been retired by now).
Good news on the lengthened service btw, but I should think that the vast majority will have been withdrawn by about 2012 in order to keep only a couple still operating by 2015!!
It's possible as the Hercs from Lyneham are always practising around here. It's just that the sound seems louder and harsher than you would expect from a C17 and is just too far away for a clear listen :roll: Another ex BA VC10 colleague who lives in the same town, swears he saw one climbing over his house a few months back - and he's unlikely to be mistaken! (Mind you he also claimed a Catalina flying boat over his house last summer and considering how far we are from the sea we would have rejected his claim - except that both I and his brother (a 777 training Captain) were also there - so we reluctantly allowed it!).
I just can't think of a reason for a VC10 to be at Keevil.
thehappyotter wrote:Looks like the Tornado F3 may be staying a little longer too.
The Times this morning reports that "Most of the Eurofighter Typhoons being built by BAE Systems will be diverted to Saudi Arabia".
Not entirely sure about that. The rumour I've heart is that there will be no ab-initio (ie post Valley) RAF studes on the OCU til mid/late 2008 from about now. I don't know whether the RSAF order will all come as one block out of tranche 2 or not - 72 aircraft (nice multiples of 24) - I doubt they'll all come in one stream.
Maybe we'll hear something in the next month or so...
thehappyotter wrote:Looks like the Tornado F3 may be staying a little longer too.
The Times this morning reports that "Most of the Eurofighter Typhoons being built by BAE Systems will be diverted to Saudi Arabia".
But then we all know the accuracy of the British Press when it comes to our aviation industry. Saturday's Guardian had a front page splash about the ongoing BAe Fraud investigation, focussing on the South African Hawk order; comments such as "aging Hawk jets", "more modern Italian trainers" (the MB-339!!!) and "half the price" were used with gay abandon!!
As for Typhoon... we need tankers, transports and helicopters first!!! Typhoon is very impressive (and impressivley late!) but it's a cold war fighter. Anyone who watched Dispatches on Channel 4 last night will have seen the desperate need for more helicopters (very interesting programme, no wonder the government didn't want it seen!!!)...
There's a lot of talk of a FJ centric policy coming from the top in the RAF - somewhat surprising now that the current CinC STC is a rotary pilot by trade...
Saturday's Guardian had a front page splash about the ongoing BAe Fraud investigation, focussing on the South African Hawk order; comments such as "aging Hawk jets", "more modern Italian trainers" (the MB-339!!!) and "half the price" were used with gay abandon!! 
