Maritime Patrol

[EUFighter]

Radar range

The range of a radar for surface search is dependant on the flight level the aircraft is flying, for the CASA at 25,000ft it will have a maximum range of 160nm. It is a simple mathematical formula D=(sqrt(1.5 x H))/1.2
D is nm
H is feet
sqrt is square root

The lower you fly the lower the range, at a search height of 1500ft the range is 40nm.

[DeV]

Is there a CASA 235 that has a refuelling probe?

The Airtanker contract allows them to lease them out for civvy use when not required by the RAF

[EUFighter]

I haven't seen a CN235 with a probe, only a C295. But as they are basically the same nose section it should be possible to fit a probe to a CN235.

[Sparky42]

I haven't seen a CN235 with a probe, only a C295. But as they are basically the same nose section it should be possible to fit a probe to a CN235.

Would the internal plumbing be there for the 235 for that? Would we want to mess around with such mods with the 235's getting closer to replacement?

[DeV]

I haven't seen a CN235 with a probe, only a C295. But as they are basically the same nose section it should be possible to fit a probe to a CN235.

Except it's above the cockpit not on the nose

And the certification?

[EUFighter]

The nose section is an Airbus definition and included all the structure to just after the forward door, not just the nose radome.
It would be a STC for the CN235 and D&S would take care of it based upon that of the C295.

[EUFighter]

The pipework runs from the probe alone the outside of the fuselage to the CWB.

[DeV]

The AC CASAs completed their 20,000 th hour today

[A/TEL]

The AC CASAs completed their 20,000 th hour today

Think it was only C253 but id reckon C252 isn't far off that mark also.

[Batman]

Thats amazing, how many hours would they have been expected to fly in the lifetime of the aircraft?

[restless]

i thought one of them was down in spain having a refit or something?

[GoneToTheCanner]

bear in mind that it's since 1994. The annual hours might be high for a military marpat aircraft but are not high compared to a civil aircraft of the same size.

[DeV]

Civvy airlines generally don't spend much time at low level over the sea

[GoneToTheCanner]

True but a lot of that 20, 000 hrs is transit time. Bear in mind that the C235 is no better than an ATR in reality and is not a super special airframe. When we got the Casas, we had lots of fun dealing with paint self-stripping, corrosion because the protection was shite and the Don had no credible protection programme and we also encountered badly made parts, like bad radomes, a door that tried to beat the tail off, constant water leaks, chronic shortage of spares (they had a lot of 1 of things) and a lot of other fun things, such as dreadful hangars and a management that didn't understand the concept of an aircraft that actually flew for six hours a day....Airliners spend most of their time above 30, 000 feet at -59C, under pressurisation and that presents it's own challenges in terms of lifetime. The Casa is lightly pressurised by comparison. The 20,000 hrs is probably factored and is more like the equivalent of 30,000 hrs in real terms. In terms of cycles, it's probably midway between an Atlantic A330 and a shorthaul A320 in terms of wear and tear on the airframe over the course of it's life. I'll bet you the Spanish have given the Irish Casas microscopic scrutiny when it came to deep checks back in Seville because a hell of a lot of sales were riding on the success of the Irish operation. That they made 20,000 hrs at all is a tribute to the damn good lads in the hangar who made it happen.

[pym]

Portuguese C295 MPA