F-117 in the UK

The Westland Sea King is a licence built Sikorsky S-61 airframe with all british systems and engines installed. This was always the Westland way as the S-51 became the Dragonfly, S-55 the Whirlwind and S-58 the Wessex. They are effectively all British though with Westland having full design control for any mods required, hence the Wessex ended up looking different to any other S-58 variant by some margin. Indeed Westland were the first to install turbine engines in the S-55 and S-58 with Sikorsky then following on from this with their own versions.

I know that SR-71 blackbirds have been operating from RAF Milldenhall mainly and doing very fast runs over europe and near or over russia, several incidents formed because of it, and it made short stops to Lakenheath etc, it is understandable that the USAF has several aircraft types operating from Britain, alongside the RAF, but i suppose that we will be coming into some cash soon, with geoff hoon cutting the defence budget and all, RAF Coltishall and Lyneham are closing down, so imagine the money saved on that, all 114 Jaguar aircraft, and all the other cuts that r being made, we will be able to afford other things, makes you raise your eyebrow if u can consider how much money we will have in the kitty, i agree that the UK is a small country in comparison to others, but at least as we are now, we have some military power, after these cuts, i seriously think that our armed forces will be over stretched, far to strecthed to operate effectivly. thank you to every one who has contributed to this by the way, and anyone else who can help, you have shed some more light on the subject, another thing for people to enlighten me about though please, the RAF supposedly have some F-15s, which are undergoing trails with Rolls Royce engines, if effective they could make some squadrons of F-15s, can anyone shed some light on that please???

I'm afraid that is utterly untrue. The RAF evaluated the F-15 several years ago as a safety net option when the German Govt wanted to scrap the Eurofighter. The result was that the RAF made sure that the Govt understood in no uncertain terms that the Eurofighter MUST go ahead, which thankfully it did.

There is no role that can be performed by trhe F-15 that the RAF cannot already cover with the Tornado and Typhoon. Also the money saved from the defence cuts is supposed to help pay for HMS Queen Elizabeth (It should be HMS Ark Royal !!!grrr) and HMS Queen Mary (and that should be Illustrious or Hermes!), but we shall see.

Hey, I've just noticed I have a neighbour!



For you foreigners out there Doncaster is a very small backward village with mud paved streets bordering on beautiful Rotherham!

Sorry dude

Thankfully i dont take offence easily, but nice of you to share your info, i take it when you said about money paying for the HMS Queen Elizabeth etc, are they the new 'super carriers' Britain is supposed to be getting??

Oh yes, and, Doncaster just happens to be a city, may be not by the Queens appointment yet, but most likey we soon will be, with Doncaster Finningly International (Not Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield, how ever thought of that must have had a headache or something) and for you aviation enthusiasts, Doncaster held the first ever Air show in Brtain at the race course, in your faces Rotherham! not to mention the new College/University, super interchange, marina and street renovations, unlike Rotherham which is small and bit of a mess, i may not take offence easily, but i sometimes like to play verbal judo!

As you said, Sorry Dude!


[edit on 8-12-2004 by VoyagerNX23]

LOL, Well riposted The only planes we see in Rotherham are the ones flying overhead, towards Donny

Ah Well, Up the Millers.