Another potentially ludicrous question

Rheged · April 07, 2011, 06:47:06 AM

Assuming that all of the complete airframes in the museums of the UK were miraculously found to be airworthy (it is what if after all)

A What sort of air force would we have?

B Would any of it still be viable as a fighting force?

C Which one would you most like to see in the air?

Let the riot of imagination commence.................

My own answer to B is "Just imagine a pair of Buccaneers aviating through downtown Tripoli with 50 feet on the altimeter.

JayBee · April 07, 2011, 07:12:44 AM

Quote from: Rheged on April 07, 2011, 06:47:06 AM
My own answer to B is "Just imagine a pair of Buccaneers aviating through downtown Tripoli with 50 feet on the altimeter.

Why would they be flying so HIGH

Rheged · April 07, 2011, 07:29:46 AM

The Brick Outhouse Altimeter is marked in 50 foot blocks. If you are airborne it can't show any lower. Agreed, they would actually be at 7 foot 3inches off the road surface.

Years ago, in 1945, the Express cartoonist Giles did a lovely cartoon of mosquitoes flying so low over Holland that mothers in traditional Dutch costume were shown leaning out of their windmills shouting to their children "Don't play in the street, you'll get run over!!" It's in the original Giles cartoon book if anyone else has a copy.

NARSES2 · April 07, 2011, 07:37:16 AM

Quote from: Rheged on April 07, 2011, 07:29:46 AM
Years ago, in 1945, the Express cartoonist Giles did a lovely cartoon of mosquitoes flying so low over Holland that mothers in traditional Dutch costume were shown leaning out of their windmills shouting to their children "Don't play in the street, you'll get run over!!" It's in the original Giles cartoon book if anyone else has a copy.

It's also in the collecion of his wartime cartoons that was published a couple of years ago

Mossie · April 07, 2011, 07:44:04 AM

We'd have a fair V-Force! According to Thunder & Lightnings, there's 1 Valiant, 5 Victors & 19 Vulcans preserved. Since the B-52 still flies (albiet much modded) I guess you could call them viable!

With all the Hunters preserved (not to mention still flying) I'm sure you could fit out a small air force. Supplemented with Gnats you've got some modest numbers. Viable? Only just...

deathjester · April 07, 2011, 08:05:12 AM

There's quite a few preserved Lightnings around, and a couple of large, white aircraft at Duxford, and Cosford....!

Rheged · April 07, 2011, 08:30:09 AM

Quote from: deathjester on April 07, 2011, 08:05:12 AM
There's quite a few preserved Lightnings around, and a couple of large, white aircraft at Duxford, and Cosford....!

I wondered how long it would be before the elegant white aircraft at Cosford got a mention!

This link will perhaps startle you with the number of museum pieces out there.

http://www.demobbed.org.uk/aircraft.php

PR19_Kit · April 07, 2011, 01:28:47 PM

Quote from: Rheged on April 07, 2011, 06:47:06 AM
C Which one would you most like to see in the air?

Cosford's Meteor PR19 would look great up there again...........

deathjester · April 07, 2011, 01:47:57 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on April 07, 2011, 01:28:47 PM
Quote from: Rheged on April 07, 2011, 06:47:06 AM
C Which one would you most like to see in the air?

Cosford's Meteor PR19 would look great up there again...........

Yes, someone should Photoshop a few pics of it.....that's bound to start the whole thing off again!!!

beowulf · April 07, 2011, 01:48:11 PM

im sure we would have a few harriers to hang on to for a flattop til it gets its proper aircraft

be plenty of jags and buccs too

Mossie · April 08, 2011, 05:35:52 AM

Yeah, when the Jags retired they sold them off in two batches. I think they numbered around 60-ish with plenty going to museums in the UK & a fair few abroad.

At the time I started a thread about who might operate an aircraft that was still quite potent, roughly related to this one I guess:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,15438.0/highlight,jaguar.html

beowulf · April 08, 2011, 05:50:44 AM

there was 2 jags sat at the far end of the runway at raf syerston near me for months and months and months til they vanished at the end of last year

tigercat · April 13, 2011, 04:40:31 AM

Didn't the Battle of Britain Film have the 35th largest air force in the world. which was around 100 aircraft so it wouldn't take too many aircraft to create a substantial force.

hmm let's see the Blackburn Beverly
SR 71 Blackbird

Squadrons of modifided concordes performing bombing missions

Mossie · April 13, 2011, 07:29:02 AM

There's just one Beverley left unfortunately, it's about two miles from where I live.

Mossie · April 13, 2011, 07:36:07 AM

There are a few museums in the UK & worldwide that could bring a significant air force on their own. Duxford comes to mind having been there in recent years, it's even got it's own ground force for security. It'd be a maintainance nightmare, but you've got aircraft for just about every role going. The USAF hall on it's own could bring some serious hardware with a B-52 & SR-71.