Danglies?

[meeware]

A few months back there was talk of a half dozen Danish Merlins being transfered to the Fleet Air Arm. Has the plan changed? I ask as though these were ramp cabs (like the RAF busses) they were designed to operate from the Danes' ships, so had folding blades, booms etc. Seeing as Junglies are being bolstered by Pinglies, it seemed to make sense that they'd also be joined by Danglies (see what I did there?).

ANyway, where are these delightfully painted new cabs going, and will there be the best SH crews in the world about them?

 

[fangita]

Last I heard was that they were starting life off in RAF Benson as part of JHC, but with RN Merlin HM Mk1 maintainers, aircrew etc.

 

[jungle_jim]

wonder where the manpower is coming from. i didnt konw there was that much manpower available to start up a new squadron from fresh without affecting the current workload

 

[noemis]

wonder where the manpower is coming from. i didnt konw there was that much manpower available to start up a new squadron from fresh without affecting the current workload

According to Aircraft Illustrated, the best info I could find, the Sqn will get a crab nameplate with RN (Pilots) and crabair (Navigators) aircrew with Junglie pilots in the second seat to provide tactical know how!!

As a completely new sub-type, the question is how sustainable will they be? Will we give them back to the Danes or pay for and build them new ones? Will we order more the same for the future? They are apparently a superior machine!!

You can hear a Chinook coming for miles, but a Merlin just creeps up on you, surely the Crabs aren't so blinkered that they only want more Chinooks?

But so far, I have only seen this in the press, nothing official from the MOD!