First pics of the RAF's first RC-135W Rivet Joint

[Max Headroom]

Thread resurrection time.

January's Air Forces Monthly has a couple of pages of the first RAF Rivet Joint.

Apparently it's parked whilst the Release to Service is organized. To cut a long story short, the Military Aviation Authority is asking for paperwork as long as your arm before issuing it. There is a difference in the way that the life of components are measured by the USAF and RAF, but more worryingly is the issue of 'single skin' fuel lines, which was the problem with Nimrod.

Old airframe, 80's engines and 21st century black boxes seem to be giving the MAA and the RAF a bit of a headache.

You'd have thought the paper trail would have been sorted out at the same time the spanners were being wielded.

And I thought this was one procurement that was hitch free because we were buying a tried and tested system.

Trevor