couple of two seater typhoon questions

[PaulR]

Hi there,

Was just looking back over an old copy of AFM and saw the crash report on Typhoon T1 zj810. This was it seemed, slated for repair, but I haven't seen it RECENTLY on airliners.net or any other website/magazine. Is anybody able to update on this airframe?

On a similar note, I was flicking through the new RAF yearbook, and I saw a two seater typhoon from 17 sdn with the PIRATE sensor, which I guess makes it a T3. it was coded AY, but I couldn't see the serial. Does anyone know what it is? Is this a rebuild of one of the first T1s/T1As, or is it a new build? Also, was it the plane that made a belly landing in the US recently? The news reports I read made reference to both pilot and a WSO and that it came from 17 sdn, which would make sense if it was there on trials.

Would be very grateful if anyone has any info they are able to pass on.

best regards, Paul

[XV107]

Paul,

confusion reigns. Most of the professional aviation press has it was an FGR4 (ZJ943) involved in the incident in question; given the Sun's [sarcasm] superbly high quality defence reporting [/sarcasm], I'd tend to go with it being a single-seater. It could, of course, have been a two-holer with just one person aboard, though.

Not sure about ZJ810. It is quite possible that it is sitting in a hanger at Coningsby as a useful Christmas tree, and will remain that way until sent back to Warton to be upgraded to Block 5 or Block 8 standard.

'AY' is a T3 - ZJ815, I think - and was built as a Block 5. Since the redesignation of the aircraft to T3/FGR4 came after that airframe was delivered, it was - technically speaking - a T1A on delivery, but it hasn't actually been upgraded from T1A to T3 standard, just redesignated.

I think.

Edited May 4, 2008 by XV107

[Armadillos]

ZJ810 or BI is alledgedly being repaired at Coningsby as the RAF do have a shortage of T-brid Tiffies in which to train crews and keep others current at the same time.

As for ZJ815 thanks for the info i`ve been trying to find out what happened to her after delivery. From what i understand she is actually a T.3 machine as she has the FLIR fit and a few other bits which aren`t present on the T.1A`s.

[XV107]

Yes, ZJ815 has always been a T3 in terms of the Block capability it has - it left the factory as a Block 5 aircraft, despite having begun life on the construction line with the intent that it'd be built to Block 2A (IIRC, might have been 2) standard.

However, my point was that when it came out of the factory (not on delivery, brain fade), the T3 designation hadn't been introduced - so rather than being a 'Typhoon T-we're-waiting-from-the-air-staff-to-tell-us-the-number-it-might-be-1A-but-could-be-3', it was technically speaking a Typhoon T1A for a few days until it reached the RAF, who introduced the new designation in time for it to be a T3 when it reached 17 Sqn.

The RAF thought that a new designation was appropriate to distinguish between the Block 5 airframes and those which weren't - otherwise you could have a FLIR equipped aircraft with 'austere' AG capability having the same designation as an aircraft that was AD only and without the FLIR. This would've been terribly confusing in terms of working out at a glance which unit had what capabilities on its airframes.

Put another way, when ZJ815 left the factory, it was a T1A, but by the time it reached 17 Sqn, it was a T3, with the only modification to take it to this new designation being the metaphorical stroke of a Group Captain's pen approving the T3 designator.

And if that makes the slightest sense, you're doing well.