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warranyofficerboy

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  1. All of the 12 Hercules aircraft delivered to 48 Squadron at RAF Changi had consecutive serial numbers. Not sure but I think they ran XV-199 to XV-210. The Lyneham/Fairford to Changi freighter flights initially trialled changing/slipping the flight deck crews at RAF Muharraq in Bahrain; but not the poor old Air Loadmasters, who had to soldier on for the entire flight between UK and Singapore. This crass decision was quickly rescinded as it was patently a flight safety accident in waiting. The Hercules was a leap forward in air transport capability for the RAF after the payload restrictive Argosy and Hastings. At RAF Changi 48 Squadron initially had a standing order for flying an empty Hercules with two 45 gallon drums of water loaded at the front of the freight bay for so-called weight and balance purposes. This was an error of judgement on the part of those running matters in the squadron and was stopped after they were ridiculed by our RNZAF and RAAF brethren who had been flying C-130's for some years before the RAF.. At the same time as the Hercules were bought, Condec 25K transfer loading vehicles were bought to enable the loading/offloading of three pallets at a time. The RAF MT budget at the time either had no money to purchase said vehicles, or the MT senior officers would not cough up the readies. The Supply/Logistics branch at the time controlled the budget for acquisition of ground support machinery and cunningly used this budget to buy the wonderful Condec 25K vehicles. To add insult to injury, the Supply/Logistics branch then arranged for courses to be run for non-MT personnel to become qualified in 'operating' (driving) the Condec.. This may seem strange, but the MT trade was famous for its strict adherence to 'Trade Union Procedures' and viewed by some as a very "Challenging" organisation to deal with at all times. Some years later common sense prevailed and the Condec 25K vehicles eventually received number plates and 'became' vehicles once again. The C-130 Hercules and 25K Condecs were purchased by a Labour Government led by Harold Wilson and are, in my opinion, one of the best military acquisitions programmes in UK Military history. Regrettably, the same Government cut the pay of military personnel at the same time.
  2. The US manufactured Condec 25K transfer loading vehicle was replaced in RAF service by a British manufactured transfer loader know as the 'Atlas' in the 1980's. Airbus were not first to use this name.
  3. The recess in question was used to store the two NOSEWHEEL chocks, known alternatively as tactical chocks on the original RAF Hercs. RAF mainwheel chocks, even one of them, were too large to fit in said recess. If I recall correctly there was one shelf located at the top of the recess where we put the aircraft padlock and key; next to a manual specific to the airframe; cannot recall the title or publication number.
  4. I served at Tengah when 60 and 64 squadrons flew Javelins. One Javelin squadron was still flying at Tengah when the 74 Squadron Lightning F.6s were operating from Tengah. Incidentally, one Lightning was destroyed on the ground at Tengah in an incident with a refuelling bowser.
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