WI. VC-10 or 747SP based A.E.W platforms instead of Nimrod?

WILDGEESE

Gone Fishin'
After many millions of £'s and man hours of endeavour, the UK's developement of it's own A.E.W platform was scrapped and instead, the US's E-3 Sentry was purchased instead.

Apart from some software issues, one of the main problems was an inability to keep the systems from over heating due to the limited payload of the Nimrod airframe.

What if the VC-10 airframe was chosen instead?, (it was originally considered but dropped in favour of the Nimrod).

Would it be capable of carrying enough cooling systems to allow it to work and if the "glitches" were ironed out, would it be able to perform anything like it's opposite number the E-3 Sentry?

Also, what if instead of using VC-10 airframes, the UK govt went for a design using 2nd hand 747SP airframes mounting the radar systems?

Could this be done?

Regards filers
 
As you say the main problem with the Nimrod AEW was electronics packed too tightly together generating all that heat and not enough cooling capacity so the extra space and payload of a VC10, or perhaps even a VC7, should take care of those hurdles. At that point it's just a case of sufficient funding and working through all the other technical challenges. Which does of course then bring up the perennial debate of whether the UK should be funding the project - maintaining domestic military and industrial capability versus buying the potentially cheaper US model off the shelf.
 
Wonder if that would be enough to keep the 747 SP line running? Probably more space than the 707
 
The radar selected was a FMICW radar which used a forward and rear antennae
fitting this to a a rear-engined airframe would be difficult. The computer was also pretty dreadful and the software was particularly poor.

A 747, even a SP would be too big and costly as the basis of a AEW aircraft.
 
Give it a better airframe, and one of the other problems turns out to kill the project. It may get further, but that just means more time and money wasted.
 
My biggest problem with the Nimrod AEW is the limited export potential, even if it had worked it would have not sold well internationally so Britain would have bear the entire brunt of the cost. Perhaps with a different airframe and a more successful development France might have come on board as a minor partner at a late stage.
 
the Vickers VC-10 would have be great as AEW aircraft
Vickers proposed it as modular multi role Aircraft for military and civilian use
with with interchangable noses and fuselages or different engine

they even study the VC-10 as Skybold ALBM carrier aircraft
P1090676-1.jpg
 
My biggest problem with the Nimrod AEW is the limited export potential, even if it had worked it would have not sold well internationally so Britain would have bear the entire brunt of the cost. Perhaps with a different airframe and a more successful development France might have come on board as a minor partner at a late stage.

This would take a lot of PoD's but how about Wilson doesn't pull Britain out of Airbus in the 1960's meaning that Britain gets a bigger work share in the consortium and proposes the A300 as the basis for a Anglo-French AEW/Tanker aircraft?
 

WILDGEESE

Gone Fishin'
The radar selected was a FMICW radar which used a forward and rear antennae
fitting this to a a rear-engined airframe would be difficult. The computer was also pretty dreadful and the software was particularly poor.

A 747, even a SP would be too big and costly as the basis of a AEW aircraft.

Would surplus/2nd hand DC-10's or L-1011's work in the same was as 2nd L-1011's were converted to Tanker/Transports for the R.A.F to keep running costs lower than a 747SP, or would the rear engine position still be a problem?

Cheers filers
 
Top