Extend the service life of these aircraft
- Thread starter Monk78
- Start date
FWIW the RAF's last Mosquito squadron was No. 81 in FEAF and the operational sortie (which was made by RG314 a PR Mk 34A) took place on 15th December 1955.
81 Squadron also had the distinction of being the RAF's last operator of Spitfires in a first-line role. The last operational sortie (by PS888 a PR Mk 19) took place on 1st April 1954.
The Vulcans airframes were expired when they were withdrawn. You'd need another production run in the 60's. This would extend the types potential life into the 1990's alongside the Victors. Perhaps a rush order to replace the grounded Vickers Valliants?
This is a link to the Mosquito page on the IAF website. https://www.iaf.org.il/182-18143-en/IAF.aspx?indx=4
According to that they didn't receive their Mosquitos until June 1951. The squadron was disbanded after the IAF received its first jets, but unfortunately it doesn't give a date. It was reformed shortly before the Sinai Campaign (which I presume is what the Israelis call the Suez War) and it was disbanded 14 days after the campaign ended.
So the Israelis only operated Mosquitos for a year longer than the RAF.
Didn’t the Soviets later operate the tu22 blinder in that role?
Do such aircraft just create a jamming corridor through which friendly aircraft can fly without detection ?
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Primarily the use was for jamming NATO naval SAMs. And just FYI, jamming corridors and "fly without detection" are diametrically opposed concepts, because jamming is loud.
I meant your friendly planes are flying in shrouded by the noise so essentially not detectable by hostile land or airborne radars
Only ever build the Vulcan for the V Bomber role, meaning that there's enough airframes in use to rotate in squadron service. That cuts airframe fatigue and leaves you with enough working aircraft to make them worthwhile to upgrade in the late 70s. Depending on how they're used you might get them through to the early 00s with a few minor upgrades (as things like GPS, laser designators, improved ECM etc come into service).
Does the money exist to zero life the airframes and do a major upgrade in the 00s? I doubt it if Iraq and Afghanistan happen, because even capabilities that did exist were being cut to the bone to keep paying for operational kit.
I'm not sure but it seems the best way to extend their lives outside of the UK going through a massive spending splurge.
Does anyone know what mark they're supposed to be? If it's one of the night fighter or fighter-bomber versions the 20mm cannons seem to have been removed and AFAIK the "square" arrangement of the four machine is wrong. AFAIK they should be in a horizontal line.Oddly enough I've only just finished reading the Tintin story The Red Sea Sharks from 1956 which has the fictional Middle Eastern Emirate of Khemed employing a squadron of Mosquitos.
Probably modified versions of the FB MK.VI.
In the book itself the Mosquitos are explicitly second hand, bought in Europe and then transported to the Middle East (and South America though that happens 'offscreen'.) Judging by the firepower they actually display in the book I think the cannons are probably meant to be present but didn't quite work with the artistic style which is probably also why the machine guns are in a clearer 'square' shape.
If you're going to spend the money to rebuild the Vulcan airframes then you might as well buy some air launched Tomahawks Cruise Missiles for them to carry.
Riain
Banned
The Valiant entered service in 1955 to deliver Britains first atomic bombs in 1955, the Vulcan entered service in late 1956. Without the Valiant Britain has to wait another year to deliver its nuclear deterrent.
If only one bomber is being developed could the development time for the Vulcan be cut? There's a lot of money and design capacity being freed up if Victor, Valiant and Sperrin aren't all being designed at the same time.
Riain
Banned
The US paid a portion of the Valiant's design costs as part of MWDAP, the Valiant was specifically designed to be below cutting edge to be faster to develop and have less technical risk.
If a better V bomber development TL is needed have the Victor be transonic, maybe Mach 1.3 or so.
Perhaps it might be interesting to see which earlier aircraft could be put back into production nowadays but equipped with modern avionics?
For example, how would a Hunter or Mig-17 PFU fitted with an AESA radar and modern AAMs fare as the main fighter for a third world nation?
Add in the fitting of a modern AEW radar to an existing commercial airliner or bizjet for the force multiplication effect of course. I'm looking at something like this https://www.iai.co.il/p/p600-aew
For example, how would a Hunter or Mig-17 PFU fitted with an AESA radar and modern AAMs fare as the main fighter for a third world nation?
Add in the fitting of a modern AEW radar to an existing commercial airliner or bizjet for the force multiplication effect of course. I'm looking at something like this https://www.iai.co.il/p/p600-aew
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Okay, this may be seen as heresy by many, but how about axe the Vulcan in favour of more Victors, then have the Victor become the UK equivalent of the B52?
From what I can see, the Victor had a larger bomb bay and a slightly better range. Can anyone more knowledge confirm why the Vulcan carried on longer than the Victor in the bomber role?
Refurbished and re-engine the Victors so they can then get a stand off missile platform role in the 80s/90s using ALCM or anti shipping missiles (I think you could fit a fair few Sea Eagles on one) to keep it going in the cold war, then be the bomb truck for 2000s insurgencies.
From what I can see, the Victor had a larger bomb bay and a slightly better range. Can anyone more knowledge confirm why the Vulcan carried on longer than the Victor in the bomber role?
Refurbished and re-engine the Victors so they can then get a stand off missile platform role in the 80s/90s using ALCM or anti shipping missiles (I think you could fit a fair few Sea Eagles on one) to keep it going in the cold war, then be the bomb truck for 2000s insurgencies.