Protective coating for Skyhawks failing

[BUFF 8]

Wed, 20 Feb 2008

 

 

The Air Force's grounded Skyhawk fleet is suffering yet another indignity.

The planes have been stored outside the Woodbourne Air Base for the last two

months and were carefully sheathed in white latex to preserve them from the

elements - but now, the latex is already failing.

Act MP Heather Roy says: "Just two months after the jets were wheeled

outside to sit in the weather with what we were told was a robust latex

covering, they're now ripped, peeling and weathering quite seriously."

The double layer coating cost amost $100,000 - the Defence Force has

confirmed to 3 News that the outer layer is bubbling due to water damage and

has torn on at least three of the aircraft.

Defence Minister Phil Goff says the white coating protects the exterior and

expensive cockpit controls from the sun, but they have an undercoat as well.

"I'm advised by the Defence Force that the protection is not only adequate

but better than what the planes had before," Goff says.

The Labour Government scrapped the combat wing in 2002 and has been trying

to sell the aircraft since. They have a $50 million offer but the US State

Department will not give it the rubber stamp.

Roy claims some of the former jets have only a third of the latex they

should, saying: "Here they are having to pay $94,000 out of their

operational funding, that should be spent on core business, not on

decommissioned stock that the government can't sell."

The Air Force says the contractor that coated the planes does not know what

has caused the latest hiccup - they say the latex is still under warranty,

so the Skyhawks will get another coat. But this is yet another embarrassing

problem for the expensive jets.

[+Crusader 2,101]

Its probably much cheaper when they simply put the kites back into the air.. LOL

 

:ph34r:

[Rambler 1-1 9]

skyhawks for sale? how much?

 

with that latex coating, I'll bet that if they are bought or re-comissioned, they'll be called the Trojans!

[triplethr3at 0]

Looks like trojan man has a new steed. or should I say scooter

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

These are the Kiwi Scooters, yeah? I'm guessing Woodbourne, Phil Goff and the stonewalling they're getting from the US. I can understand that though. Those are the pimped out A-4K Kahus. Those things are badass! They're comperable to Blk30/40 F-16s!

[JediMaster 451]

Gotta love the "we don't need fighters" mentality.

[Viggen 644]

Isn't there only combat aircraft the P-3?

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

Isn't there only combat aircraft the P-3?

 

There was something in Aviation Australia about them reactivating some Macchi MB-339s for conversion training. They used to have the ability to carry stores (they filled the LIFT/CAS/Ground attack role) and as far as I know, they haven't had the capacity removed, so technically... they could be considered to be combat aircraft. But the Kiwis are pretty steadfast about not maintaining a combat arm of the RNZAF. And strictly speaking, their P-3s aren't combat capable. They're used in the maritime surveillance role, not ASW or any offensive roles as such. AFAIK.

 

It's kinda ironic about the scooters though. We got rid of them because the government/RAN didn't want to retain an offensive fixed wing capabilty (Great move guys, no really! :fuk: ), so we flogged them off to the Kiwis to supplant their scooters. Then in the mid to late 80 they kept a sqn here to train with the RAAF and RAN and then in the 90s our AF and Navy relied on the A-4Ks (some of which were originally RAN A-4Gs) heavily for dissimilar air combat training... Not bad for an obsolete jet.

[Viggen 644]

Wow Switzerland has a bigger airforce then them. Guess they need it though for protecting all that gold.

[JediMaster 451]

Switzerland has fiercely defended its neutrality for ages.

[Hawk MMS 0]

Swiss Neutrality and defense there of...

 

Nazi Germany repeatedly violated Swiss airspace. During the Invasion of France, German aircraft violated Swiss airspace no fewer than 197 times. In several air incidents, the Swiss (using 10 Bf-109 D, 80 Bf-109 E fighters bought from Germany and some Morane-Saulnier M.S.406s built under license in Switzerland), shot down 11 Luftwaffe planes between 10 May 1940 and 17 June 1940. Germany protested diplomatically on 5 June 1940, and with a second note on 19 June 1940 which contained clear threats. Hitler was especially furious when he saw that German equipment was shooting down German pilots.