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RNZAF 'Black Falcons' aerobatic team formed / New RNZAF transport aircraft

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  • RNZAF 'Black Falcons' aerobatic team formed / New RNZAF transport aircraft

    I came across two features about the RNZAF which may be of interest to posters on this forum.

    The RNZAF purchased 11 x Texan II aircraft (originally derived from the PC-9) in recent times and have now established 'The Black Falcons' display team.






    On a related matter, the RNZAF is considering spending NZ$600 million (c.€300 million) on 2 x Globemaster transport aircraft (versus 6 x Hercules aircraft for a similar cost).

    IRISH AIR CORPS - Serving the Nation.

  • #2
    How many of the remaining C 17's are left? They only built what 10?

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Sparky42 View Post
      How many of the remaining C 17's are left? They only built what 10?
      Add a zero and nearly trible it

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      • #4
        Originally posted by DeV View Post
        Add a zero and nearly trible it
        I meant of the 10 extra's Boeing built before shutting the line that weren't for a declared order, not the total production run. That said given the USAF and RAAF use the model I think it would make sense for NZ to go this route, though how their budget is going to pay for it is another question.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Sparky42 View Post
          I meant of the 10 extra's Boeing built before shutting the line that weren't for a declared order, not the total production run. That said given the USAF and RAAF use the model I think it would make sense for NZ to go this route, though how their budget is going to pay for it is another question.
          There is one left but India has called dibs. The story of Kiwi interest in the C17 did the rounds a couple of years ago, then Qatar bought 4 of the remaining 5. Reference the date in the link provided by the OP. It is now an impossibility.

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          • #6
            unless Boeing were stupid enough to scrap the jigs and production assemblies for the C17, then I'd expect the usual pork barrel orders to keep the USAF's fleet in being....this thing about the concept of 2 aircraft replacing six is cobblers of the highest order; it assumes that the 1 C17 is going in the same direction as the 3 C130s all the time, so that one airlift will do, instead of three. This is not the case in the real world, as any C130 user will tell you. Having a fleet of just two will mean that the two will be run ragged just to keep up the pace maintained by six and that any maintenance or operational failure on one will have a 50% effect on the fleet instead of a 16.6% effect. In a small air arm such as the RNZAF, these two beauty queens will handily soak up the greater mass of the budget.

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            • #7
              Two C-17s were considered by the RNZAF for the strategic airlift role to replace the two B757’s in late 2014 to complement five C-130H tactical aircraft. The C-130H’s will be replaced early by 2021 and the B757 a couple of years later. There has never been a plan to have just 2 airlifters to replace what is effect a seven aircraft fleet.

              At present, the C-17 production-only tooling is stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) storage and maintenance facility.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Anzac View Post
                Two C-17s were considered by the RNZAF for the strategic airlift role to replace the two B757’s in late 2014 to complement five C-130H tactical aircraft. The C-130H’s will be replaced early by 2021 and the B757 a couple of years later. There has never been a plan to have just 2 airlifters to replace what is effect a seven aircraft fleet.

                At present, the C-17 production-only tooling is stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) storage and maintenance facility.
                Are you suggesting that it could possible be a runner to restart the C17 production run for the NZ order? The cost for that would be insane.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Sparky42 View Post
                  Are you suggesting that it could possible be a runner to restart the C17 production run for the NZ order? The cost for that would be insane.
                  The cost for a restart for any order would be insane! A clean sheet may be more practical.

                  The factory at Long Beach is closed. No tears shed in Seattle- union rules to the extreme. They were happy to see it go. Manufacturing facility gone and staff/expertise gone. Boeing doesn't do resurrections. Perfect example being the continued demand for and use of 757's 13 years after the production line closed.

                  AMARG usually gets a hold of tooling to have some ability to manufacture spares in extreme events.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Sparky42 View Post
                    Are you suggesting that it could possible be a runner to restart the C17 production run for the NZ order? The cost for that would be insane.
                    Of course not. That reference was made to an earlier post by gonetothecanner asking the whereabouts of the C-17 tooling. Nothing in it about starting up the C-17 production line.

                    Just announced today is the intention by the RNZAF to secure four P-8A's following their request for information earlier this year.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Sparky42 View Post
                      I meant of the 10 extra's Boeing built before shutting the line that weren't for a declared order, not the total production run. That said given the USAF and RAAF use the model I think it would make sense for NZ to go this route, though how their budget is going to pay for it is another question.
                      There was Cabinet level discussion about picking up the final Whitetail and requesting a stored C-17 last year. Sixteen C-17's have been placed into stored reserve since last summer - 8 from McChord and 8 from Charleston. They are more likely now to go down the B767-2C route to replace the B757's with either the A400M (likely) or C-2 (outside chance) to replace the C-130H. Budget is not really an issue. A Billion USD a year has been factored in for the next 15 years for NZDF acquisition projects.

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                      • #12
                        Sad to say the C17 production is over, it would take an order of 50 or more to justify the billions needed to Restaurant. The engines are also out of production and Pw has major problems even supplying civil engines at the moment. Add to that the lost of the skills work force makes a new cleaning sweet more likely. I did see that NZ was Interessen in the P2/C2 family made by Kawasaki, to replace the P3's and B757/C130's. Makes more sence than the C17.

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                        • #13
                          what Boeing does do is keep types going to the death, which is why the B737 is still on the go, despite bearing scant relationship to the original 737 and the B52 is older than God's dog and is still going. They will make more money sustaining the C17, over the long term, than they did in building them and they have probably already made back or written off all the development costs. Boeing are old hands at this game and have the US military by the balls.

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