Messages

61

Irish Air Corps / Irish Air Corps AW139 air to air piccies

« on: April 19, 2007, 02:32:24 pm »

Heat seeking SAM? Look, there's a nice plume of exhaust heat from a bonafide combat helicopter.

I still think the biggest risk to a helicopter is small arms fire at low altitude, which leads into your other point about the lack of armor.

Personally though, I think the main reason against AW-139's being deployed abroad is due to the low numbers in service. There are relatively low risk environments the army are deployed to and if there were say, 12+ in service I could see them being used in Liberia.  

While I agree that the lack of combat gear, helmets etc is unusual - we cannot lose sight of the fact that these helicopters are quite new in service. I would imagine that over the coming months and years we'll see proper kit being added to the flight crews lockers and perhaps a few add ons for the AW-139 itself.

If the AW-149 does ever see the light of day, I think it's possible that some of the improvements could be backported to the AW-139 - possibly changing the exhaust system, adding IR supressors etc. I'm sure some form of protection like kevlar could at least be added to the floor.

The crash proof seating for troops has been shown in one or two photos up to this point as well. I'm not sure if these would have any kind of other protection. But it's sure odd to see special crash proof troop seats - while the pilots fly on leather arm chairs!

From the bit I've read about the 139 - it seems to have a relative abundance of extra power from the two PT-6 engines, so  the idea of strapping on more kit is not out of the question.

62

Irish Air Corps / Irish Air Corps AW139 air to air piccies

« on: April 18, 2007, 08:27:21 pm »

First off, Frank - amazing photo's. I like the A3 with the blurred background especially. Every single shot is excellent though, well done and thanks for posting them.

I'm glad to see both the 135 and 139 are fully kitted out with wire cutters. Reading some comments by RAF Puma crews - it seems they aren't similarly kitted out and they almost lost a helicopter a while ago because of it. The MoD wouldn't sanction the expense....

Now for my usual question per topic:
From observing the 139's and looking at them in photo's they seem to have a slightly odd flight profile. The nose is tilted up a few degrees in forward flight. Can anyone explain the reasoning behind this? Are there positives and negatives related to flying this way?

I've never noticed it on the Dauphin/A3/Gazelle or 135

63

Irish Air Corps / Cessna Replacement - Type or Role?

« on: April 13, 2007, 12:11:29 pm »

Hi Souza, just a question. Would the DA42 MPP be suitable for say, coastal patrol and inland/coastal SAR tasks? Its long endurance, sensor suite & twin engines would seem to suggest so.

While the Cessna was charged with neither of these missions primarily, a capability like this seems like one not to be sniffed at. So perhaps instead of the Air Corps looking at an Aircraft to replace all of the Cessna's current roles, it would be wise of them to look at two different aircraft which would offer enhanced capability and a greater range of missions?

Say, get one or two PC-6 for Para ops (if there really is a demand, something worthy of its own topic), and 4x DA42 MPP for Observation, Cash Escort, Pollution control, Coastal Patrol & Search roles? Then just follow what the Swiss do and use the PC-9 as a target tug?

Worthy ideas?

64

Irish Air Corps / Photoshoot?

« on: April 04, 2007, 04:28:09 pm »

Just got to witness 2 AW-139's led by an EC-135, low and slow, twice! Beautiful sight. The Agusta's really are a damn side more imposing a heli compared to the Dauphin. Hope they have a longer and far more successful career.

They have an awkward looking flight profile though, nose always pointed up quite a bit  

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65

Irish Air Corps / nonsense?

« on: February 21, 2007, 09:29:07 am »

Quote (Frank @ 20 Feb. 2007,13:07)

Hi Guys, The guy in the back is indeed a serving member of the Air Corps, but he was not there for aircraft evaluation purposes or anything official like that, he was literally just the GIB (guy in back). Regards, Frank.

Cheers frank  '>

What about the man in front though? I remember hearing yarns years ago after the fouga was retired, that the Air Corps were keeping experience in jet training by sending crews over to the RAF.

But I never really gave them much substance, with this tape I guess I could have been wrong though. Unless this was literally just a joyride offered by the RAF  

66

Irish Air Corps / nonsense?

« on: February 20, 2007, 04:52:31 am »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMjmG5ycaE

bull, or did this happen?

67

Irish Air Corps / Civil Fouga?

« on: January 05, 2007, 06:21:46 am »

This aircraft was brought up for discussion years ago. From what I remember, the IAA has a serious problem certifying aircraft of this type and it has thus spent most of its life in this country sitting in a hanger. Shame really. I miss the sound of the old Fouga's. But this also explains why there are no other aircraft like Magisters or L-39's on the Irish register.

Whether this is simply a beaurocratic slowness - I'm a dubious. I doubt the Defence Forces like the the idea of civilians owning faster, more capable aircraft than the Air Corps.

Anywho....

68

Irish Air Corps / Baldonnel visitor

« on: December 29, 2006, 03:45:00 am »

so the camera pods were made with a standard nato fit i assume..

is it possible they could be used on the pc-9's? or would they be outmoded by this stage?

69

Irish Air Corps / Irish PC-9s to Cottesmore 7/12?

« on: December 12, 2006, 03:37:31 pm »

http://www.pprune.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-168277.html

"In the late '90s ETPS needed some more airframes to supplement its fleet, Fast Jet Test Squadron at Boscombe Down needed some more aircraft for continuation traning and Llanbedr needed some aircraft for chase. DERA evaluated several options and chose to buy some ex-GAF Alpha Jets to fill these requirements."

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70

Irish Air Corps / Irish PC-9s to Cottesmore 7/12?

« on: December 12, 2006, 12:08:40 am »

Quote (Short finals @ 11 Dec. 2006,13:31)

Quote (pilatus @ 11 Dec. 2006,02:31) the alphas were bought by the RAF to evaluate them against the British hawk in which the hawk emerged as the winner of that evaluation. The Alpha Jets were former Luftwaffe aircraft which became available when the whole German fleet of type was withdrawn from service.  They have been used primarily to replace types such as the Hunter, which were very long in the tooth by the time they came to be retired. I’m not sure what you mean by the Alpha Jet being evaluated against the Hawk - it's far more likely that they would have liked more Hawks, a type they already operated at DRA/Qinetiq, but that the cheaper option of used Alpha Jets won out.  Attrition of the original RAF purchase of 175 Hawks has meant that the available fleet of the type has been spread more thinly across a range of roles which, in addition to fast jet and weapons training and some test work, now includes such duties such as target-towing and fleet facilities for the Royal Navy. PS: Mark, thanks for that confirmation on the callsign.

Same information I heard. Also, in terms of the Hawk winning - based on what the pilots have said themselves, that's not clear at all, they both have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Shame the IAC couldnt pick the ex Luftwaffe Alpha's to replace the Fougas. I remember lots of speculation about it - most of it probably misinformed though.

Although I do remember hearing it's the aircraft the pilots selected in the 80's/early 90's as a Fouga replacement.

71

Irish Air Corps / Irish PC-9s to Cottesmore 7/12?

« on: December 09, 2006, 04:00:43 pm »

And they also operate ex Luftwaffe Alpha Jets  

Something I only discovered recently

72

Irish Air Corps / Thunderbirds for 2007 Salthill Air Show

« on: December 06, 2006, 01:26:59 pm »

Great coup for the organisers.

Another year of protestors throwing themselves on the ground pretending they've been bombed  

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73

Irish Air Corps / New Helis at Baldonnel

« on: December 04, 2006, 06:50:54 pm »

Quote (Flyboy @ 04 Dec. 2006,08:45)

Realistically can anyone forsee a situation where a helo in Ireland needs to be sent with two door guners. I can understand the requirement to deploy special ops troops to any part of the country quickly, but I hope they never have to go with door gunners. The only place I can see the door gunners required is on overseas deployment and if that happens then the "home" fleet is depleted.

My, we have short memories.

There are still subversives in this country who are hell bent on destroying the progress made in the 6 counties over the last ten years.

While I dont think it's likely we'll see AW-139's chasing CIRA members down the M50 with door guns blazing.. there are other scenarios where they could be used.

If I remember correctly the IRA specifically threatened the Air Corps heli's in the 70's/80's with being shot down. I could be wrong on this but I do remember mention of it?

I'm sure the CIRA/RIRA/"OnH"/ACMEIRA would, given certain circumstances be perfectly capable of taking a pot shot at the Air Corps if, for example an AW-139 happened to disturb their training in a field in Donegal.

It'd be nice in such a scenario for the door gunners to, "let them know who daddy is". While the already disembarked ARW back up the Gardai in taking the dangerous bastards to justice.

[/slight whiff of waltering]

On a more every day note:
The guns and heli's let's face it, look really well - they're a decent recruiting tool.

They also provide a realistic training tool.

And if a scenario overseas demanded it, they could be deployed.

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74

Irish Air Corps / New Helis at Baldonnel

« on: December 04, 2006, 02:31:57 pm »

Quote (Old Redeye @ 03 Dec. 2006,23:43)

Indeed Pym!  The optimum force is eight 139's/149's in order to have a deployable four-ship detachment.  But there is no rush, other than fears of the government changing and/or losing interest.  It will take the next several years to fully absorb the new capbilities of the 139's and grow fully qualified tactical helo crews.  They don't even have FLIR systems installed yet.   Two more orderd early in 2007 will be for delivery in 2009, maybe even late 2008 unless they are 149's, in which case delivery is probably not likely before later in 2009 or even into 2010.  A final two ordered in 2008 would be delivered in 2010 or early 2011.  Probably about the right rate of build-up for the IAC from this point, and the right spread of expenditure.

There's actually an interesting discussion on deployment on the IMO site. I think the general consensus is that these 139's should be retained for the internal security role and training.

They are powerful, capable heli's but are at their heart a civilian helicopter and thus don't have alot of the features of a specific military type - ala the 149.

I'd love to know what the lads who work/worked in the Don think would need to be done to make deployment possible, i.e. whether extra bodies would be required etc.

75

Aviation Photography / Editing Software

« on: December 03, 2006, 04:13:25 pm »

In the meantime, check out a image editing program called "The Gimp". No I'm not joking, it's pretty decent considering it's absolutely free and open source.

http://www.gimp.org/