Hi there
Any rumours of actual talks or such about Alphas probably came about from their regular visits. It was common to see individuals or pairs in at least two-three times a year, outside of airshows. We had French, German and Belgian Alphas in and I spoke to one French pilot who was of the opinion that we were getting them, ie, how did an average French line pilot know this? Obviously, nothing came of it but there could be a stack of discussion papers in DoD archives. I recall the S211 being rejected because it only numbered a few airframes, all told, only a handful of air arms used them and they were regarded as not much of an advance on the Fougas. There were and probably continue to be hundreds of attempted/proposed sales to the DF every year and most come to nothing in the end, but visiting aircraft on sales jaunts in the Don were quite common. I remember the Valmet Vinka, the Casa 212, the Cessna Caravan specifically on sales visits.
Dev, the fuel consumption per annum of Alphas would have been based on an annual estimated flying hours limit, of say, 200 per a/c per year. Now that rises and falls as circumstances change per month and even per week.........the pity is that they weren't taken up as they would have given the Don a genuinely potent, agile, fast and tough aircraft.
regards
GttC
Any rumours of actual talks or such about Alphas probably came about from their regular visits. It was common to see individuals or pairs in at least two-three times a year, outside of airshows. We had French, German and Belgian Alphas in and I spoke to one French pilot who was of the opinion that we were getting them, ie, how did an average French line pilot know this? Obviously, nothing came of it but there could be a stack of discussion papers in DoD archives. I recall the S211 being rejected because it only numbered a few airframes, all told, only a handful of air arms used them and they were regarded as not much of an advance on the Fougas. There were and probably continue to be hundreds of attempted/proposed sales to the DF every year and most come to nothing in the end, but visiting aircraft on sales jaunts in the Don were quite common. I remember the Valmet Vinka, the Casa 212, the Cessna Caravan specifically on sales visits.
Dev, the fuel consumption per annum of Alphas would have been based on an annual estimated flying hours limit, of say, 200 per a/c per year. Now that rises and falls as circumstances change per month and even per week.........the pity is that they weren't taken up as they would have given the Don a genuinely potent, agile, fast and tough aircraft.
regards
GttC
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