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Post by skyhawkdon on Jul 3, 2007 8:00:02 GMT 12
Sorry, I got side tracked sorting through Skyhawk photos last night and didn't download the photos of Canterbury from my camera... tonight hopefully!
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jul 3, 2007 19:30:02 GMT 12
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Post by corsair67 on Jul 3, 2007 19:46:26 GMT 12
Nice photos, Don - thanks for posting them.
Is that last photo taken looking towards the rear ramp?
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Post by Bruce on Jul 3, 2007 20:48:52 GMT 12
You can tell its new - theyve put carpet under the forks on the forklift so the nice new paint doesnt get scratched! looks like a pretty impressive vessel.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 3, 2007 21:15:22 GMT 12
Interesting shots Don, thanks for posting them. No photos of the ballroom and swimming pool?
Serious question, now that we have another ship designed to carry helicopters, do you think that having just five Seasprites is enough to have servicable aircraft on the two frigates, Endeavour and this aircraft? Do they need a couple more?
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rocco
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 71
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Post by rocco on Jul 4, 2007 11:38:32 GMT 12
Interesting shots Don, thanks for posting them. No photos of the ballroom and swimming pool? Serious question, now that we have another ship designed to carry helicopters, do you think that having just five Seasprites is enough to have servicable aircraft on the two frigates, Endeavour and this aircraft? Do they need a couple more? It's actually worse than you might think. One of the SH-2s hasn't flown for 2 1/2 years. Four seapsrites is enough for two frigates. But not enough to put aircraft on Canterbury, 2 OVs and potentially a tanker as well. I understand the 6Sqdron have said they don't have enough aircraft to do the job. Can someone enlighten me on whether or not Endeavour's hangar can actually take an SH-2?
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Post by conman on Jul 4, 2007 13:24:24 GMT 12
Is that the one that got dinged by the Aussie pilot in the heavy landing incident ?
My understanding is the Hangar has room for 4 NH90 plus the Seasprite.
May have to augment the Seasprites with more of the LUH when they are annouced, the Swedes operate the A109 off their ships. No need to have the capability of the Seasprite for OPV deployments.
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rocco
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 71
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Post by rocco on Jul 4, 2007 13:27:45 GMT 12
Is that the one that got dinged by the Aussie pilot in the heavy landing incident ? Yes. My understanding is the Hangar has room for 4 NH90 plus the Seasprite. I was talking about Endeavour. I know it use to take Wasps onboard, but haven't seen anything to indicate it can hangar a SH-2 May have to augment the Seasprites with more of the LUH when they are annouced, the Swedes operate the A109 off their ships. No need to have the capability of the Seasprite for OPV deployments. Don't count on it. I will put money on the LUH purchase being limited to six airframes - that won't leave much for naval deployments, considering they will also be doing the SAR/CT contingency work.
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Post by conman on Jul 4, 2007 17:39:06 GMT 12
Hopefully the current exchange rate will enable more airframes to be purchased for the allocated budget, With the reduced number of NH90 versus the current UH-1H fleet there will be a need for a reasonable number of complementary aircraft if the decision is ever made !
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jul 4, 2007 20:37:51 GMT 12
Is that last photo taken looking towards the rear ramp? Yes. There is also a large side loading ramp on the same deck (you can see it in the photo with the forklift in it). They should have had the side ramp open on Sunday to make it easier to get the public on and off the ship. All they had on the day was the standard gangplank for going both onto and off the ship. The whole organisation on the day was actually pretty shambolic. I think they badly underestimated the number of people who were going to want to see the ship. They could have lowered one the landing craft into the water on the seaward side or at least had it hanging from its crane to demonstate what it was. Apparently half of the crew were given the day off on Sunday and with only 20 odd crew left they struggled to cope with all the people. The queues to get on board stretched back for a couple of kms and a lot of people never even got to the ship, let alone on board.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jul 4, 2007 20:54:12 GMT 12
No photos of the ballroom and swimming pool? ;D No, but we did see the gym - like the rest of the ship, very roomy and well equipped (about one piece of fitness apparatus per crew member I'd estimate!). Didn't get to see any of the crew accommodation areas or messes, but the "embarked forces" accommodation and lounges were very roomy and well appointed (flat screen TV's even). There were also 2 command and control rooms, with full comms and networked PCs. Also a fully equipped hospital with operating theater and wards. All-in-all very impressive. One other interesting feature is the 25mm gun below the bridge. It is remotely aimed and fired from the bridge by a TV camera/sight mounted on the gun. Not infrared though, so not much use at night
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Post by corsair67 on Jul 4, 2007 21:08:27 GMT 12
Don, that's sad to hear about the disorganisation on Sunday, especially when you consider what a great PR event these public days are. I think some people involved in organising these events underestimate the amount of public interest in defence, which is a terrible shame in my opinion. For God's sake - not everyone is like Helen Clark and her greenie mates!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 4, 2007 21:46:42 GMT 12
A couple of thoughts, as this ship is extremely wide, will the naval slipway and drydock at Devonport have to be adjusted to take it when maintenance is required? Or is it plenty wide enough? Also, I wonder if so many Cantabrians would have flocked to see the ship on Sunday if it had been christened HMNZS Auckland.
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Post by corsair67 on Jul 5, 2007 0:02:18 GMT 12
Dave, the ship wouldn't have made it into Lyttelton Harbour in one piece if it was HMNZS Auckland! ;D
MikeK, I think you might be right there about the damaged airframe. I'm sure someone on this forum (Dave?) mentioned something about this awhile ago, as they know someone on 6SQN?
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Post by 30sqnatc on Jul 5, 2007 18:15:40 GMT 12
A couple of thoughts, as this ship is extremely wide, will the naval slipway and drydock at Devonport have to be adjusted to take it when maintenance is required? Or is it plenty wide enough? Also, I wonder if so many Cantabrians would have flocked to see the ship on Sunday if it had been christened HMNZS Auckland. Then the crew could wear orange flash suits and be nicknamed Jaffas. Is there still an Orange Roughy UH-1H for ships flying barge?
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Post by lesterpk on Jul 5, 2007 22:48:02 GMT 12
MikeK is correct. The one currently broken, 05, is the one bent from ground resonance during a ground run on board one of the frigates. Getting very close to being a complete frame again.
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