Pilatus PC-9M

[EUFighter]

The sharks mouth paint scheme idea has been scrapped for a toothless tiger instead.

Nose art for all things Irish military!

[GoneToTheCanner]

AC gun pods are not suited to air to air. NS 20mm never used the drogues, they shoot at flares, and I doubt either 12.7mm or 7.62mm has the physical presence to be recorded as a hit on the drogue, let alone justify the expense of acquisition.

That's the joy of gunpods; they vibrate when fired and distribute the rounds over a much wider pattern than a fixed gun installation. The Americans found this when they fitted gunpods to the F-4 and found that the hit rate in dogfighting was chronically bad so they wedged a 20mm into the F-4 and got much better results.

[Rocinante]

Those Austrian SCAR ISR pods seem to have disappeared into a blackhole..

[na grohmiti]

My bet is someone flying a desk is refusing to approve them for use until an appropriate training manual is published by DFHQ.
That or availability of aircraft. We know PC9 availability has been an issue lately, and the priority will be flight training above any other potential role.

[GoneToTheCanner]

My bet is someone flying a desk is refusing to approve them for use until an appropriate training manual is published by DFHQ.
That or availability of aircraft. We know PC9 availability has been an issue lately, and the priority will be flight training above any other potential role.

If it's approved for carriage by Pilatus, they haven't get a leg to stand on. The Manufacturer's opinion overrules the DF, any day of the week. All of the Manufacturer's manuals supplied to all of the DF are not necessarily approved individually by the DF, as it would take too long. If they have such pods and are not using them, then there is a very local issue stopping it. Could be as simple as an incompatible wiring loom or a misplaced plug. There could also be the tactic being employed of "Im not fitting it until I get a course".

[na grohmiti]

If it's approved for carriage by Pilatus, they haven't get a leg to stand on. The Manufacturer's opinion overrules the DF, any day of the week. All of the Manufacturer's manuals supplied to all of the DF are not necessarily approved individually by the DF, as it would take too long. If they have such pods and are not using them, then there is a very local issue stopping it. Could be as simple as an incompatible wiring loom or a misplaced plug. There could also be the tactic being employed of "Im not fitting it until I get a course".

Aircraft availability (or lack of same) so.

[Tempest]

Thailand got 30 years out of their PC9's, we can probably expect ours to soldier on a similar length of time to allow for more obfuscation on a decision regarding what our Air defence should look like.

https://www.key.aero/article/thailand-retires-pc-9-trainers-after-30-years-ops

[DeV]

Thailand got 30 years out of their PC9's, we can probably expect ours to soldier on a similar length of time to allow for more obfuscation on a decision regarding what our Air defence should look like.
https://www.key.aero/article/thailan...r-30-years-ops

Ours are 20 years old this year

[GoneToTheCanner]

Ours are 20 years old this year

These aircraft can be overhauled and renewed ad infinitum. Nothing stopping you running them for another 20 years. Look at the PC-7 series and the early EMB 312 Tucanos still flying. No reason why a PC-9 couldnt be kept running, with an avionics upgrade every few years.

[GoneToTheCanner]

the next people to service the PC-9s will probably be entirely civvies. A request for manpower has gone out to civvie recruitment firms for qualified techs to operate a Line maintenance function. the Air Corps is finally going down the path followed by so many Air Forces these days.

[na grohmiti]

the next people to service the PC-9s will probably be entirely civvies. A request for manpower has gone out to civvie recruitment firms for qualified techs to operate a Line maintenance function. the Air Corps is finally going down the path followed by so many Air Forces these days.

At least they are being realistic. We don't have the population to maintain the engineering and logistics trail operating fleets of aircraft requires. My all means have the techs in uniform to ensure the aircraft leave the hangar in an airworthy state, who can flag issues that need further attention, but technology has moved on from the days when an aero technician in uniform can diagnose a fault, and do a full repair on site without consulting directly with either aircraft, engine or avionic manufacturer.