Spanish AF EADS/CASA C-95

[DWCAce]

Had this plane stop through KMHT today, not your average transient a/c. There are a few more pics posted in my gallery/album.

 

[SayethWhaaaa]

Would love to check one of these out up close...

[macelena]

Would love to check one of these out up close...

 

I had the chance. The C-295 is like the C-235 but cyborg and on steroids. It was intended primarily for cargo transport (C-295 stands for 9.5 tons, while 235 stands for 35 people) but yet it is

really like an "aero-bus" if such a name isn´t aught up already. I wish we got some of the "Persuader" MPA version, already hired by the USCG.

 

By the way, this model lost the contest for the new USAF tactical transport aircraft (if that was th name) to the C-27 Spartan. While seems that the C-295 was prefered by the USAF in many terms, the Spartan shared a lot of common parts with C-130, a fact that turned the outcome to the other aircraft (wich wasn´t really a worse plane, i never meant that)

Edited November 26, 2009 by macelena

[Silverbolt]

Brazilian One

Squadron Pelican: For the others may live.

 

Edited November 26, 2009 by Silverbolt

[JediMaster]

The C-27J and C-130J use the same engines at least, I don't recall offhand what other pieces they may share.

[macelena]

The C-27J and C-130J use the same engines at least, I don't recall offhand what other pieces they may share.

 

That was the only common feature i know, perhaps there was something else, as Italians might use, i.e. the same avionics as the US

and we use our own. For what i´m concern, perhaps some people would care less about logistics than other parameters wich the C-295

might have filled better (anyway, it was already in use by USCG) but the fact off sharing the engines with a US built aircraft, used in such

a large scale, could be decisive

[Vigilant]

If I remember correctly the C-27 is more or less a scaled down, two engined hercules. At least the inner wings and the asociated part of the fusalage are similar, or the same as on C-130. Other parts would also be quite similar. Anyway, US were always reluctant to buy foreign designs. If C-27 uses the same engines as C-130 it indirectly means contracts for US companies and a thus is easier to push trough Senate.

 

The C-27 along with the C-95 was considered as a replacement for the CzAF An-24s. The Italians did a lot to get the contract - The C-27 regularily performed at the CIAF airshow, Czech Aero aircraft factory is a subcontractor and so on. But in the end the CASA plane was selected. I don't know if it was a good idea because it probably can't fit the new Pandur APC and the airforce also started considering obtaining a few ex-USAF C-130s. If it happens it would probably be cheaper to operate two similar types of aircraft (in terms of maintenance and crew training). I'll admint that I don't know that much about this deal(or the aircraft) - as unlike the lease of the Gripens it didn't get much media coverage (and probably for the better).