potential RAF. 'what-if types ...

[Geoff]

The C-160 as an alternative to the C-130, the British were given the go ahead to build them under license.

Hmmmm! I have a -160 on the shelf and was wondering what to do with it.

[Captain Canada]

OH-6 ? Good call. Never thought of that in RAF service. The Transall is kind of a natural and surprised there hasn't been one here as yet ?

[Martin H]

More choppers, RAF+FAA+AAC.

1965: for its LOH AAC preferred USArmy's choice, Hughes OH-6 Cayuse. Gazelle was imposed.

I know this is a real zombie thread, but I'd love to know more about this one.

Ive been told that the Army's preferred choice over the Gazelle was the Bell 206, not the Loach.

[McColm]

The NF-90 helicopter was due to replace the Puma but posed a threat to sales of the EH-101 Merlin and the Royal Navy Lynx upgrade program.

[sandiego89]

The NF-90 helicopter was due to replace the Puma but posed a threat to sales of the EH-101 Merlin and the Royal Navy Lynx upgrade program.

And from what I understand about the 90, it's likely a good thing they did not buy it. 

[Thorvic]

The NF-90 helicopter was due to replace the Puma but posed a threat to sales of the EH-101 Merlin and the Royal Navy Lynx upgrade program.

You got a reference for that statement ? as the Lynx Wildcat was developed after we pulled out of the NH-90 programme.

The NH-90 is a bit of a lemon because the driving force behind was meant to be the Germans & the French, the Germans were distracted by the post cold-war peace dividend and the unification costs so were no longer in desperate need, the French too had plenty of home grown types already in use so again no real motivation, thus it was the likes of the export customers to force through development and testing and iron out the inherent design flaws.
I suspect the UK was unwilling to step up-to the plate and drive the programme forward whilst others dragged their feet yet still expected the majority of manufacturing work and dictate their service requirements without having to stump up the development costs required, plus we too had our own post Cold War funding issues and couldn't justify that level costs or come up with a coherent rotary wing policy as we were supposed to order the Merlin to replace the RN Sea king Commando's, buy Apache and update Chinook.

[Captain Canada]

Ask the RCN how being the sole operator of a type in development is going.....

[McColm]

There was an article in ' JANES Defence Weekly 'at the time. Also discussed in the Officers Mess at the Northwood Command Center on a dining-in night whilst I was a steward earning some extra cash.

[Ifor]

Sorry as I might missed it, did we ever look at procuring the AH1 in any of it's versions?

[Ifor]

I've read it again and spotted AH1W. What about the Viggen or Draken?

[McColm]

A fellow Whiffer commented that the Draken was looked into as a replacement for the Jaguar but the Air Ministry had a policy at that time of two engines.

[Thorvic]

A fellow Whiffer commented that the Draken was looked into as a replacement for the Jaguar but the Air Ministry had a policy at that time of two engines.

What ?

[kitbasher]

Hmm, that definitely tempts me to do a F-18L in RAF markings.  I've got an early F-18 kit that I could use as a basis.

Like http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal7/6401-6500/gal6489-Hornet-Drake/00.shtm?  Note that it's 1/72 not 1/48.

[Weaver]

The original list mentions the Pilatus PC-9, presumably for the Jet Provost replacement competition that was won by the Shorts Tucano, but two other aircraft were also shortlisted:

NDN Turbo-Firecracker : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NDN_Firecracker

AAC Wamira : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AAC_Wamira

[TsrJoe]

The C-160 as an alternative to the C-130, the British were given the go ahead to build them under license.

Iv not come across that one, is there a file reference for it?

Cheers, Joe