Out of Retirement - Discussion thread

[Old Wombat]

True, but that means anyone can enter anything in this GB and the rules don't count............... 

Fair enough Kit, just trying to find a way through what's becoming an increasingly impenetrable jungle, that if I'm honest is starting to get to me 

Keep it simple, Chris: Retired from service in the Real World; WhIf resurrection at least 5 years after they've been retired by the country using them*.




*: I say this as some small, poorer nations kept obsolete stuff going for so long it was ridiculous - some not-so-poor countries, too, such as Norway's M24 Chaffees which, as the (significantly upgraded) NM-116, were retired from service in 1993 & Uruguay's still using them!

[PR19_Kit]

the idea came to mind for a 1920's Sopwith Camel in RAF service, in an all metal color scheme 

Based at RAF Habbaniya?

They had Audaxes, Harts and Hinds there in the 40s, so why not? 

[Rheged]

I'm tempted by a missile armed Swordfish in Raspberry ripple . Just need to come up with a backstory .

I like this idea! Swordfish did carry solid headed RP-3 "rocket spears" but I'm assuming you want something more recent.  Swordfish could carry 1700 lbs at 140 mph, so Sea Eagle or Harpoon would be no trouble. Even a W177 nuclear depth at 600lbs (or two) is possible . A slow moving test aircraft dropping dummy W177 casings for aerodynamic research is perhaps feasible.

Come to think of it, the  Westland Wasp was cleared to carry W177, with a top speed of 110 mph.  A Swordfish would carry this weight at 140 mph.......a nuclear strike Stringbag perhaps?

I'd be happy to construct you a back-story for this scenario if you do make a raspberry ripple Swordfish!

[tigercat]

I'll see what I can do 

[jcf]

The last active US military Phantoms, QF-4 target drones, were retired December 21st, 2016.

Perhaps they get pulled out of the boneyard and converted to armed UAVs? 

[jcf]

According to Wikipedia there are 25 surviving Sud Caravelles on display.

Airframe structures refurbished and/or improved where necessary, all systems
replaced and updated, re-engined with higher bypass turbofans? How many
rebuilt, why and who?

[zenrat]

I'm tempted by a missile armed Swordfish in Raspberry ripple . Just need to come up with a backstory .

I like this idea! Swordfish did carry solid headed RP-3 "rocket spears" but I'm assuming you want something more recent.  Swordfish could carry 1700 lbs at 140 mph, so Sea Eagle or Harpoon would be no trouble. Even a W177 nuclear depth at 600lbs (or two) is possible ...

Exocet. 

[Weaver]

Tricky isn't it?

I was going to suggest ex-boneyard EC-121s for the RAF instead of AEW Shackletons as a 'temporary' stop-gap in the 1970s pending arrival of the AEW Nimrod, but it turns out the US was still flying EC-121s into the 1980s...

Part of the problem is that user nations often to keep small fleets of 'retired' aircraft going for ages doing second-line duties. For instance, Canada's CF-100s 'retired' from fighter duties in the early 1960s when the Voodoos arrived, but they kept a small fleet of them going until 1981 for ECM training duties. Same goes for Hunters: during the prime export 'window' for second-hand examples, the RAF was still using them, right up to the early 1990s.

[zenrat]

You need to look at specific variants of the aircraft you are thinking of whiffing for this GB.
Take the Hunter for example.  It is true that the last RAF Hunters retired in the early 90's but those were T7 & T8 trainers.  Single seat variants would have retired earlier than that and so would be fair game for reintroduction.  You just need to do your homework.


Or write a suitable back story.   

[tigercat]

Oooo the Exocet is within a Swordfish s payload capacity.

How  large a radar return would a Swordfish give off compared to  a jet aircraft ?

[rickshaw]

Oooo the Exocet is within a Swordfish s payload capacity.

How  large a radar return would a Swordfish give off compared to  a jet aircraft ?

Quite large.  You have a large radial engine, open at the front and a large spinning propeller in front of that.   You have rigging wires between the wings.  All are excellent reflectors of radar returns.

[Weaver]

How about a piston-engined WWII bomber gets decommissioned and converted to a civilian passenger/freight aircraft, then, decades later and long after it's out of service with it's original user air force, it finds itself in the middle of a nasty-little-war in Africa or Central America, and gets re-purposed with improvised weapons?

Lancastrian with Exocets, or at least, under-wing bombs?

[NARSES2]

the idea came to mind for a 1920's Sopwith Camel in RAF service, in an all metal color scheme 

Why not. Sopwith Snipes served in natural metal/aluminium dope finishes with full squadron bars.

[NARSES2]

  Swordfish could carry 1700 lbs at 140 mph, so Sea Eagle or Harpoon would be no trouble. Even a W177 nuclear depth at 600lbs (or two) is possible . A slow moving test aircraft dropping dummy W177 casings for aerodynamic research is perhaps feasible.

All I'll say is that seagulls can obviously fly more than 140 mph then  Dad told the tale of when he was serving aboard an auxiliary carrier in the Atlantic the WTO of a Swordfish told his mess mates that they'd been overtaken by a gull during one flight and on another occasion the same WTO told them the pilot figured that they were probably going backwards the headwind was that strong  Dad also helped with hauling one down onto the deck as it to all attempts and purposes was hovering in a strong gale and was refusing to touch down.

[Rheged]

The 140mph is in ideal conditions and  I'd be the first to admit that a North Atlantic storm is less than ideal. I have the greatest respect for WW2 Swordfish crews and those on carriers that supported them.