Posted on 04/05/2012 6:13:41 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
£10billion spent on refuelling planes which don't work on RAF jets
A £10billion fleet of refuelling planes for the RAF have been found to suffer leaks when they fill up British jets.
Tests have shown connecting pipes leak on the Voyagers when they try to resupply Tornado jets - although they work fine when used by American fighters.
It is feared the latest glitch to affect the aircraft, also used to evacuate battlefield casualties and transport troops, could delay their entry into service.
The MoD agreed the PFI programme - the biggest ever - with Oxfordshire-based AirTanker for 14 planes.
A militarised version of the Airbus A330-200 passenger plane, the Voyager can transport 400 soldiers.
Twice the size of a Lancaster bomber, with a 60m wingspan and length, the planes can hold 100,000 litres of fuel and are the biggest the RAF has ever had.
In theory, they can refuel jets in mid-air at 125 times the speed of forecourt garage pumps - at 5,000 litres a minute. However, the leak glitch has led to concerns the delivery of the aircraft could be held up.
Nine are due in service as soon as 2014.
Technicians are desperately trying to fix the defect, according to The Sun.
A source told The Sun: 'They tested it with RAF Tornados but the refuelling system doesn’t work in mid-air.
'They also tried it with American planes and it did work — it’s a big problem.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2125439/Fleet-13billion-refuelling-planes-built-RAF-dont-work-British-aircraft--compatible-American-jets.html#ixzz1rAfifzqu
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Political BS
KC-10 POS, it was the only way they could salvage the DC-10.
Nope.
Not saying it.
Nope.
No way.
Uh uh.
Contact Congress!
Yup, such a POS that Boeing's new boom design for the KC-46A is based upon the KC-10 boom, whose technology Boeing bought when they acquired M-D.
Did I say anything about the boom? I didn’t think so.
Every Brit over the age of about 12 knows what a Lancaster is. And the DM is a conservative paper, so those who read it know their history.
I would hope that you’re correct in that assumption..
Is that the same Chobham that developed the explosive armor plating for tanks?
Yes.
I think they are referring to Cobham, a British firm specialising in refuelling systems and other defense equipment.
http://www.cobham.com/about-cobham/mission-systems.aspx
Chobham is a class of armour.
Given the kind of nonsense that often fills the pages of the Daily Mail, I pray that British conservatives have other papers to read.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.