RichardPrice From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 6376 times:
Theres an essential rule of thumb to be had here - if its published in The Sun, forget it, if its published in another newspaper, consider it. The Sun doest rate highly at all, its sensationalist at best.
Saintsman From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2002, 2065 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 6276 times:
When the RAF got them in the early 80's they were second hand so they will have flown a fair few hours by now. It will not be an exaggeration to say that they are past their best.
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12706 posts, RR: 80 Reply 3, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 6174 times:
At sale to the RAF, the BA -500 fleet had low hrs, they were only a few yesrs old, so head starts there.
Of course they'll have been hard worked in RAF service, never as much as in recent years.
The RAF converted the 6 ex BA aircraft to tanker/transport config.
3 ex Pan Am ones were brought a bit later, were not converted to the tanker role but used as general transports.
Whether all 3 of these, or just 2, are in operation I'm not sure.
Agreed about The Sun, c'mon it's a tabloid, more interested in what anorexic micro celeb is not wearing kinckers.
But the papers in general are crap, context free, pushing an agenda, only wanting 'shock horror' stories.
The Telegraph's defence reporting is widely seen as a joke, despite being a military historian, Max Hastings almost weekly makes an idiot of himself in print, with his obsession about the Typhoon, 'only capable of shooting down Soviet bombers' was a recent one from him.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11705 posts, RR: 52 Reply 4, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 6150 times:
Quoting GDB (Reply 3): Agreed about The Sun, c'mon it's a tabloid, more interested in what anorexic micro celeb is not wearing kinckers.
But the papers in general are crap, context free, pushing an agenda, only wanting 'shock horror' stories.
The Telegraph's defence reporting is widely seen as a joke, despite being a military historian, Max Hastings almost weekly makes an idiot of himself in print, with his obsession about the Typhoon, 'only capable of shooting down Soviet bombers' was a recent one from him.
Is this simply a problem of the tri-Stars being over due their D checks?
I here what you are saying about the Sun, and their reporting. We have the same problem with papers like the NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Boston Globe, and USA Today. Most days the National Enquirer is a much more entertaining read.
474218 From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 6340 posts, RR: 10 Reply 5, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 6127 times:
The highest cycle/hour RAF Tristar tanker/freighter has approximately 8,300 cycles and 33,000 hours. For their passenger fleet it is about 10,000 cycles and 47,000 hours.
In comparison the TZ L-1011-500 fleet averages about 21,000 cycles and 75,000 hours.
Lumberton From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 4708 posts, RR: 21 Reply 6, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 6119 times:
BilgeRat From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2006, 174 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 6085 times:
Well I'm due to be flying down to the Falklands on an RAF Tristar in January. I'm quite looking forward to it actually! The Tristar is a favourite of mine, and I haven't been on one since my family used to fly on the old Caledonian Tristars back in the 1980's.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11705 posts, RR: 52 Reply 8, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 6026 times:
Quoting 474218 (Reply 5): The highest cycle/hour RAF Tristar tanker/freighter has approximately 8,300 cycles and 33,000 hours. For their passenger fleet it is about 10,000 cycles and 47,000 hours.
That is relitively low time and cycles for any airplane of that size.
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12706 posts, RR: 80 Reply 9, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 5968 times:
474218, thanks for the valuable info.
As stated, low hrs relatively, however the tankers in particular would operate at highter weights often, as well as a generally more ardous life compared to a commercial L1011.
But it seems that tabloids are not interested in the raw facts like you just posted, would any of them actually understand them at all, or in context?
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11705 posts, RR: 52 Reply 10, posted (6 years 5 months 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 5864 times:
Quoting GDB (Reply 9): But it seems that tabloids are not interested in the raw facts like you just posted, would any of them actually understand them at all, or in context?
Of course they understand. All "jorninalist" are experts in everything. That is why they can advise us who is best to vote for, advise Bush and Blair on how to run a war, etc. LOL
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11705 posts, RR: 52 Reply 12, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 5593 times:
Didn't the RAF loose a L-1011 tanker several years ago, in a landing accident?
474218 From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 6340 posts, RR: 10 Reply 13, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 5579 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 12): Didn't the RAF loose a L-1011 tanker several years ago, in a landing accident?
BladeLWS From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 386 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 5572 times:
Why don't they just truck the troops into Kuwait and fly them out on charters? Hell its how we do it alot of time...
474218 From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 6340 posts, RR: 10 Reply 15, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 5555 times:
Quoting BladeLWS (Reply 14): Why don't they just truck the troops into Kuwait and fly them out on charters? Hell its how we do it alot of time...
Six of the RAF TriStars are tankers, they are used for refueling missions not troop transports (even though they retain that capability). The other three, passenger aircraft, have other missions besides flying troops to the Middle East.
Scouseflyer From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2006, 3254 posts, RR: 10 Reply 16, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 5511 times:
As an aside will these birds be due for replacement any time soon - or will the MRTT A330s be doing both roles - the tanking and the people carrying?
RichardPrice From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 17, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 5504 times:
Quoting Scouseflyer (Reply 16): As an aside will these birds be due for replacement any time soon - or will the MRTT A330s be doing both roles - the tanking and the people carrying?
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12706 posts, RR: 80 Reply 18, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 5477 times:
KC135TopBoom, IIRC, the first fully converted ex BA L1011, did have a landing accident just after it's conversion, this was in 1985 I think, but it returned to service.
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