Newark727 From United States of America, joined Dec 2009, 1175 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (4 months 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 3915 times:
Interesting. One thing I remember from seeing the An-225 in person (Ontario, Calif., carrying a generator to Samoa, October 2009) was that for a gas-up they needed three fuel trucks, and it took up a pretty huge amount of space- I wonder how much that sort of thing affects its utility for shipment to more austere airports, or military bases?
Geezer From United States of America, joined Aug 2010, 1426 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (4 months 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 3736 times:
I kinda hate to hear this; Mriya is an AWFULLY big target for a "golden BB" from some miserable schmuck on the ground, and it's a "one of".............(which IMHO is a great reason for them to get busy and get the 2nd one ready to fly)
Charley
Stupidity: Doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting a different result; Albert Einstein
francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3196 posts, RR: 10 Reply 4, posted (4 months 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 3597 times:
Quoting Newark727 (Reply 2): I wonder how much that sort of thing affects its utility for shipment to more austere airports, or military bases?
All it really needs is a long enough runway, and wide enough that it can turn around.
It comes equipped with a crane for loading and unloading and can carry enough fuel to hop to a safer, more equipped airport after it completes the delivery, which, I presume, is why it stopped in Dakar afterwards.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
HaveBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2069 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (4 months 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 3515 times:
Quoting Geezer (Reply 3): I kinda hate to hear this; Mriya is an AWFULLY big target for a "golden BB" from some miserable schmuck on the ground, and it's a "one of".....
That's the first thing I thought of... hate sending a one-off only one of its kind aircraft into a danger zone. I'd rather it be 2 or 3 An-124's/C-5/C-17's myself.
Spacepope From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2739 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (4 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 3462 times:
In the end, it's just a machine. When was the last time it flew before this? If its not flying, then put it in a museum. There's as much danger flying into the secure airfield in Mali as there is flying to Cleveland
HaveBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2069 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (4 months 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 3415 times:
Quoting Spacepope (Reply 6): In the end, it's just a machine. When was the last time it flew before this? If its not flying, then put it in a museum. There's as much danger flying into the secure airfield in Mali as there is flying to Cleveland
It flies often, and I disagree on your comparison to Cleveland. Its the worlds largest aircraft, at the moment a one off airframe (there's a second, partially built one). It shouldn't be going into 'sensitive' areas.
Spacepope From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2739 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (4 months 2 days ago) and read 3325 times:
Quoting HaveBlue (Reply 7): It shouldn't be going into 'sensitive' areas.
No one is shooting at anyone in/around Bamko (well, not any more than in Cleveland).
It may be a one-off, and the largest, but it also has unique capabilities to bring and should be used. Otherwise its existence is pointless and irrelevant.
What's its flight schedule been lately? Has it made more than half a dozen flights since November?
135mech From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 357 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (4 months 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 3204 times:
Quoting francoflier (Reply 4): Quoting Newark727 (Reply 2):
I wonder how much that sort of thing affects its utility for shipment to more austere airports, or military bases?
All it really needs is a long enough runway, and wide enough that it can turn around.
It comes equipped with a crane for loading and unloading and can carry enough fuel to hop to a safer, more equipped airport after it completes the delivery, which, I presume, is why it stopped in Dakar afterwards.
Didn't the AN-225 (this one) taxi through the grass (off of the runway) in 1989 at the Paris Air Show to show it's capabilities just incase conditions required?
Geezer From United States of America, joined Aug 2010, 1426 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (3 months 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 2403 times:
Quoting Spacepope (Reply 6): There's as much danger flying into the secure airfield in Mali as there is flying to Cleveland
I think there's probably a lot more danger in Mali than there is in Cleveland ! For that matter, who says the airfield in Mali is "secure" ? Be cause they have people there with guns ? All it would take is one baggy pants rag head with an RPG; be pretty hard to miss that thing. I agree with HaveBlue; send in two C-17s; it's less risky.
Charley
Stupidity: Doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting a different result; Albert Einstein
bikerthai From United States of America, joined Apr 2010, 1601 posts, RR: 4 Reply 11, posted (3 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 2301 times:
Quoting Geezer (Reply 10): All it would take is one baggy pants rag head with an RPG;
You'll more likely be at risk by live stock on the run-way.
EWSP and various self defense mechanism on aircraft today do not work against RPG or 50 caliber rounds.
The only things that the C-17 may have that would be an improvement over a civilian aircraft would be "self sealing" fuel tanks (if they exist on the C-17) and an auto extinguishing fire protection system that can put out fires quickly without pilot reaction. Don't know if civil cargo have such protection. Anyway, unless you are dealing with fuel tanks, instantaneous suppression may not be as critical.
Spacepope From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2739 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 2255 times:
Quoting Geezer (Reply 10): For that matter, who says the airfield in Mali is "secure" ? Be cause they have people there with guns ? All it would take is one baggy pants rag head with an RPG; be pretty hard to miss that thing.
I'm sure that the scores of C-17s, C-130s, AN-124s, An-12s, IL-76s and C-160s getting shot out of the sky in Mali show just how dangerous it really is...
Sponsor Message: 
From Netherlands, joined Jun 1999, 507 posts, 
From France, joined Oct 2001, 3196 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Dec 2009, 1175 posts, 
From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2739 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
