Stocking Fillers – The Last Chapter (Eurofighter)
This article in the excellent “The Register” Lists more of the woes of the jolly old Eurofighter (Typhoon to you & me, but I suspect not to our square headed co-owners), and along with it, the woes of the Jolly old RAF.
Apparently we are now “pooing on our own doorstep” by dumping our unwanted tranche 1 & 2 aircraft (the unusable fighter only variant) on countries like Saudi Arabia, and Japan.
These would have been potential purchasers of brand new planes which I can only presume the economic plan for the whole project was based on. Now, since it is so useless, we (and presumably German & Italy as well) do not want the fighter only variant.
The tranche 3 plane is simply a desperate scramble (pun intended) to make the Eurofighter relevant. As we all know, the EF is simply not capable of being made “multirole” due to it’s instability, and inability to operate at the low speeds that would make it usefull as a Fighter Ground Attack (FGA) aircraft.
The Artical also points out that like the carriers we are trying to push out the costs of tranche 3 to a later date where they will cost more, and be less relavent!
So, pick up a bargain tranche 1 or 2 EF for the man in your life!
St C
This goes to show what happens when political will to have a high-profile European joint project trumps just buying the best kit from the best suppliers.
Got this article through your Register link St C It’s time to abolish the RAF written by Tim Collins in 2006. A good read.
Actually, old chap, the Hun have had one before which is why it got the name. Found this pretend conversation ages ago on an aviation site:
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EF2000 Bureaufighter was named ‘Typhoon’ after a meeting between ‘they-who-eat-Sauerkraut’ and others some years ago……….
UK: “We need a name for this new jet. We don’t think that Spitfire II would be terribly suitable, so we suggest a name following on the ‘wind’ tradition started by Tornado. How about ‘Tempest’?”
t-w-e-S: “Nein. We are with this not happy being. Verdammte Englanders did my father in his Me262 mit ein Hawker Tempest shoot down. Ve suggest Sturm!”
UK: “No, sorry old chap. Too many memories of Storm Troopers goose-stepping across Europe….. We’d prefer ‘Hurricane'”
t-w-e-S: “Nein. This is not possible.”
UK: “OK – something else then. How about ‘Typhoon’…..?”
t-w-e-S: “Nein! You also had those in the Second Weltkrieg. Ve do NOT vant unser aircraft so named being….
UK: “Ah – but you had a ‘Typhoon’ or rather ‘Taifun’ as well. Me 108 Taifun, if you recall….!”
t-w-e-S: “Himmel! Sie haben recht. Ve did indeed. Perhaps ve can consider this?”
UK: “OK – perhaps. Or what about ‘Cyclone’? No-one had any aeroplane called ‘Cyclone’?”
t-w-e-S: “Hmm. Sehr interesting. Zis ist perhaps OK. Ja – ve are liking ‘Cyclone’, oder, wie sagt man auf Deutsch, ‘Zyklon’. Ve can fur das Singleseaterflugzeug ‘Zyklon A’ have, und fur das Doppelseaterjagdbomberflugzeug, vielleicht ‘Zyklon B’……”
UK: “Ahhh – we don’t think that would be a terribly good name. We want to sell our jet overseas. We don’t think that ‘Zyklon B’ would go down terribly well with some of our potential customers. Such as Israel…..”
t-w-e-S: “Ach so. Perhaps then ve should agree on ‘Taifun’!”
UK: “Yes. ‘Typhoon’ it is then. Spot of lunch, old chap?”
t-w-e-S: “Danke”
Outstanding, Thank you Capt P!