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Post by corsair67 on May 17, 2007 15:33:03 GMT 12
Just a quick heads-up that the June edition of Australian Aviation has a flight test article about the CT-4F Akala (Parrot).
Haven't read it as yet (just picked it up from the Newsagent 10 mins ago!), but will be interesting to see what they have to say about it.
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Post by FlyNavy on May 17, 2007 16:56:56 GMT 12
The RAAF nickname for the old version in orange/white colours was the "Plastic Parrot".
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Post by corsair67 on May 17, 2007 17:06:35 GMT 12
Yeah, I thought that Akala was a rather apt term. ;D
Good to see PAC/Raytheon have a sense of humour.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 17, 2007 18:28:10 GMT 12
I thought the plastic parrot nickname came from the earlier days when they were green and yellow - like a parrot.
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Post by FlyNavy on May 17, 2007 20:48:57 GMT 12
Probably came from that earlier origin then. Dunno all those details - just pointing to them. :-)
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Post by Calum on May 18, 2007 8:23:55 GMT 12
It's based at Nowra, Very nice little aircraft, lovely cockpit.
But then I'm biased :-)
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Post by corsair67 on May 18, 2007 13:07:53 GMT 12
Read the article last night, and it is a very good write up of the CT-4F.
Raytheon are offering the CT-4F Akala to the RAAF as part of a complete training package alongside the T-6B Texan II. The glass cockpit of the CT-4F is designed to make transition between the two aircraft much easier.
Also the CT-4F is basically a whole new aircraft inside, rather than just a tweaked-up CT-4E. It is also NVG compatable.
The current CT-4F demonstrator is the original CT-4E prototype so it is lacking some of the things that the production F model will apparently have, like air-con (a good thing to have in Australia) and countermeasures training equipment!
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 18, 2007 13:18:41 GMT 12
"T-6B Texan II"
Crikey, I had visions of a glass cockpit turbine-engined Harvard for a second, but looked it up and found it's just another Tucano clone.
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Post by Naki on May 18, 2007 20:54:09 GMT 12
No not a Tucano clone. More like a PC-9 clone which it is in many ways. The T-6II is a license built version of the PC-9 but way more advanced with a lot more power, pressurised cockpit, glass cockpit etc.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 18, 2007 22:50:35 GMT 12
Ah right. I always thought the Tucano and the PC-9 were very similar anyway. I hope if it does go into RAAF service they change the name to Harvard II rather than Texan II. :-)
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Post by flyjoe180 on May 19, 2007 9:31:58 GMT 12
Or think up an original name for once?
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Post by corsair67 on May 19, 2007 16:15:09 GMT 12
T-6B "Fair Dinkum"?
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Post by Naki on May 19, 2007 22:37:59 GMT 12
Actually the Canadians have named their Raytheon T-6B Texan II, HavardIIs
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Post by JDK on May 21, 2007 1:02:23 GMT 12
Th 'Plastic Parrot' moniker was to do with the green / yellow scheme and the fact that compared to the 'overbuilt' Winjeel it replaced, the CT-4 was a bit 'plastic'. So I'm told, at the RAAFM.  |
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Post by flyjoe180 on May 21, 2007 10:08:06 GMT 12
How about T6B "Skippy". It's a basic trainer so it's going to get bounced, right?
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Post by FlyNavy on May 21, 2007 20:39:04 GMT 12
Haha. That is the first time I have heard the Winjeel referred to as "overbuilt". It was built - and it flew - like a brick outhouse with the wheels down and welded. Bouncing it was not good nor was landing with the tailwheel unlocked - god forbid. :-)
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 21, 2007 20:59:27 GMT 12
Plus it was way ugly compared to the Airtrainer.
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Post by yak2 on May 21, 2007 23:39:29 GMT 12
Now listen here young Dave. You obviously need your eyes tested. The 'parrot' is a pretend trainer. It does not have a tailwheel, nor a radial engine. It was cobbled together from some obsolete motor mower parts, and is held together with a few pop rivets. In contrast, the Winjeel is a real aeroplane. Sure it was built like a brick dunny, but just as well.....I had the unique experience of flying thru 3 power lines in one. Blacked out the local town, but the aircraft (and 3 occupants) remained intact. So have some respect! The 'parrot' also looks like it has been shot up the clacker the way it waddles along on that funny undercarriage. But I would like the engine out of one for my new project.
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Post by JDK on May 22, 2007 0:20:35 GMT 12
'Overbuilt' is the version for the kid's tour. The ex-services have the BD term...
Like he said. The CT-4's undercarriage is the wrong way round, and held on with a couple of hacksaw-blades.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 22, 2007 1:11:43 GMT 12
That's kiwi ingenuity mate.
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