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Post by jonesy on Dec 1, 2011 6:47:12 GMT 12
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Hoffy
Pilot Officer
Posts: 48
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Post by Hoffy on Dec 1, 2011 7:04:59 GMT 12
Dropping bombs from Orion aircraft??? Then; "They had been unable to trace the pilot"  !!! Sounds like something from a Monty Python movie. |
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Post by Ykato on Dec 1, 2011 8:03:39 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 1, 2011 8:59:34 GMT 12
That just shows how dozey some people are - four incidents this year and ten last year of civilians flying through closed military areas. The CAA needs to really shake up pilots about this.
Hoffy, the Orions are and always have been bombers, they have a bomb bay. They have specialised in training in the role a lot more in recent years since the RNZAF was Helen Clarked and there were no other platforms to drop bombs. But if they need to take out a ship or submarine or a land base, they are certainly capable. They also drop torpedoes and depth charges.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2011 11:15:47 GMT 12
"the RNZAF was Helen Clarked" ;D nice Dave, they can also fire AGM-65 mavericks too, can't they?
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Post by skyhawkdon on Dec 1, 2011 11:35:31 GMT 12
they can also fire AGM-65 mavericks too, can't they? Nope |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2011 11:36:29 GMT 12
Really? I thought they could?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2011 11:37:53 GMT 12
Because according to numerous internet resources, they can?
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Post by davekiwi on Dec 1, 2011 13:55:35 GMT 12
RNZAF cannot fire AGM-65's, but the RNZN can :-)
Guess it's how you define who is the "owner" of the Sea Sprites.
Unless Don means cannot fire AGM-65s in terms of P3s, then no they cannot.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Dec 1, 2011 14:00:53 GMT 12
Quote the sources rnzaffan please so we can be enlightened.
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Post by meo4 on Dec 1, 2011 17:45:45 GMT 12
Interesting to note the pilots actually airforce. Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2011 18:42:45 GMT 12
I can't remember them haha, but if you type "Can P-3 orion's fire AGM-65s?" in google it gives you multiple sources, but hey I could be wrong  . Thats interesting that the RNZAF cannot fire AGM-65's, does anyone know why that is? Is that because we don't have the capability or are we not allowed to (which seems silly, now i think of it. Considering the skyhawks used to fire them...)? |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 1, 2011 19:05:11 GMT 12
To fire any weapons system it needs a specific avionics package installed, to make it work, plus the mechanical equipment too. The NZ Government has never funded this to be installed on the RNZAF Orions, hence the reason why everyone says that our Orions don't fire them, because they don't.
Yank ones do, yes.
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Post by McFly on Dec 1, 2011 19:37:13 GMT 12
A little known fact is that the rotary 'Weapon Selector Switch' still fitted in the RNZAF P-3s have a NUC (Nuclear) Weapon position. Mk 57 Nuclear Bomb I think...?  (fitted for but not with...) Shush.........don't tell Aunty Helen...  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2011 20:55:58 GMT 12
Thanks dave :-D
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Post by phil on Dec 1, 2011 23:19:31 GMT 12
"the RNZAF was Helen Clarked" ;D nice Dave, they can also fire AGM-65 mavericks too, can't they? No they cannot. They do not have the wiring hardware to do so. The K2 upgrade (which you will recall was approved by the Labour cabinet) does not include any weapon system upgrades. There is a stand alone Maverick system marketed by Raytheon that only required minimal hardware installation (ie the wiring between the pylon and the stand alone laptop), but I don't know whether the RNZAF has actually ever seriously looked at this as an option. |
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Post by lesterpk on Dec 2, 2011 2:26:20 GMT 12
A little known fact is that the rotary 'Weapon Selector Switch' still fitted in the RNZAF P-3s have a NUC (Nuclear) Weapon position. Mk 57 Nuclear Bomb I think...? When I was on 5 we got an aircraft back from a group with the bomb bay having been fully repainted. We had to get new stickers made up for all the labels for the racks and such inside the bay. One of the stickers is 'NUCLEAR POWER RECEPTACLE'. That raised a few eyebrows from the lady from the company that came to give the quote. IIRC the shortness and tightness of her skirt raised a few eyebrows too ;-) |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 2, 2011 7:25:20 GMT 12
That reminds me that the ex-5 Squadron AEOp turned Education Officer we had for Service English classes at Woodbourne said that the Orion has a big enough generator that it could run the electricity of a town of 20,000 people if need be. I have often wondered why the Orions were never towed to Queen Street when the power went off there and all the coffee houses had to close.
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Post by turboNZ on Dec 2, 2011 8:40:37 GMT 12
Heya,..long time no post for me...butt slap time !!
Reading this,...question has to be raised,...why would an Orion be doing dumb bomb dropping? I fairly vulnerable aircraft, even at 400 knots has to fly over the target area to do this rather than stand-off and surely would be subjected to the fairly sophisticated AAA the bad world has to offer.
I know the short answer is "we ain't got nothing else to use",...but just a thought anyway?
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Post by jonesy on Dec 2, 2011 9:12:25 GMT 12
That reminds me that the ex-5 Squadron AEOp turned Education Officer we had for Service English classes at Woodbourne said that the Orion has a big enough generator that it could run the electricity of a town of 20,000 people if need be. I have often wondered why the Orions were never towed to Queen Street when the power went off there and all the coffee houses had to close. Yeah I remember that guy too- just a bit before you. Must have been quite a career change going from failed aircrew to teaching newbies English in Woody eh? |
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!!!
. Thats interesting that the RNZAF cannot fire AGM-65's, does anyone know why that is? Is that because we don't have the capability or are we not allowed to (which seems silly, now i think of it. Considering the skyhawks used to fire them...)?
