wellsprop Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 Very interesting news article here. BBC News - Britain sending helicopters to Ukraine for first time - Ben Wallace https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63725431 3 Sea Kings are being sent to Ukraine, I'm very curious where the MoD have found 3 Sea Kings, HeliOps and Historic Helicopters bought most of what was left! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingTiger435 Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 I am very intrigued by this! Might have to build one... I wonder what variant they are going to be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 6 hours ago, KingTiger435 said: I am very intrigued by this! Might have to build one... It'll certainly be and interesting colour scheme! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evalman Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 8 hours ago, wellsprop said: Very interesting news article here. BBC News - Britain sending helicopters to Ukraine for first time - Ben Wallace https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63725431 3 Sea Kings are being sent to Ukraine, I'm very curious where the MoD have found 3 Sea Kings, HeliOps and Historic Helicopters bought most of what was left! I believe some or all may be Heliops cabs, ZA166 arrived at Exeter for repainting this week. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spruecutter96 Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 A curious item for the British to donate. Wouldn't something with some teeth be a better alternative? Or, perhaps, that's the whole idea. The Russians will find these less of a provocation, I suspect. Chris. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 1 hour ago, Evalman said: I believe some or all may be Heliops cabs, ZA166 arrived at Exeter for repainting this week. It will be interesting to find out what serials they are. Just for interest at the Helicopter Museum where I volunteer in the Archives Office. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Harmsworth Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 I've seen an article which suggests that these are for anti-submarine work in the Black Sea. I've just been looking for that again but can't remember where I saw it. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 2 hours ago, Evalman said: I believe some or all may be Heliops cabs, ZA166 arrived at Exeter for repainting this week. Well that is rather interesting! I wonder if HeliOps will be bringing some of their other aircraft out of storage to replace their current aircraft (if indeed they are sending their current airworthy fleet) - presumably the still have a contract to train the Marineflieger. I think HeliOps have (currently airworthy) ; ZA166 XV666 XZ920 The UK has specifically said 3 are being sent. Hrm. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 1 hour ago, spruecutter96 said: A curious item for the British to donate. Wouldn't something with some teeth be a better alternative? Or, perhaps, that's the whole idea. The Russians will find these less of a provocation, I suspect. Chris. Yeah well something with teeth tends to be pretty gash at logistics....thought they were being used for MERT role (medivac) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 https://www.helis.com/database/cn/4955/ XZ920 has already been spotted at Jasionka Rzeszów Airport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 1 hour ago, spruecutter96 said: A curious item for the British to donate. Wouldn't something with some teeth be a better alternative? There quite simply isn't anything else to hand. The Sea King, despite being absolutely ancient, actually has a fairly good supply of spares - especially if only 3 need to be kept flying. If the UK wanted to send some armed rotary wing support, the only option would be Wildcat. The UKs Apaches were direct buy from the US military and can't be exported, without agreement from the US. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayprit Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 I noticed a lot of the MOD Logistic stuff they sent out is not new but very old stock that has gone into war reserve or range targets..................rather than send it for auction at Withams Like they usually do, most of the vehicles I noticed had the old style registration plates on such as 40KG35. Really old Artillery pieces passing through Marchwood port.................been in reserve for years. As the army gets new vehicles, older ones are made surplus, put into reserve or sent to various ranges worldwide and eventually sold off or, as in this case.........sent abroad. Very little, if any new equipment going abroad with registrations similiar to HF03CEJ...........check out whats going through Marchwood 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 A couple of weeks ago there was a debate on Radio 4 with representatives from the arms/defence industry. Apparently alot of equipment, munitions, rockets etc have a shelf life due to seals perishing, explosives losing effectiveness and so on. So it means there's a constant replacement programme (or not but I'll ignore the politics); therefore kit that's close to the end of shelf life is being used up first. Made sense to a layman like me anyway. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 As the three at Portland are SAR fit it is unlikely they would be used in the anti submarine role. More likely ex HAS6 cabs from HMS Sultan being brought back into service. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 I saw several articles about these machines being given a SAR role! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 32 minutes ago, Grizzly said: As the three at Portland are SAR fit it is unlikely they would be used in the anti submarine role. More likely ex HAS6 cabs from HMS Sultan being brought back into service. That's exactly what I thought. To the best of my knowledge, HeliOps have been training specifically the German SAR crews - albeit their Sea King had (has?) an additional anti sub role. I don't know if it has the dipping sonar fitted. Regardless, I'm not convinced the HeliOps aircraft would have the sonar equipment fitted anyway - I believe that equipment is long unsupported. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyWessex Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 (edited) The Heliops frames are HU.5's fitted for SAR only and this is the role they're expected to perform.... Ukrainian pilots have been training at Portland for a number of weeks in readiness for the contract. As previously stated, the frames involved are; ZA166 XV666 XZ920 Edited November 23, 2022 by NavyWessex 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 (edited) I Originally thought that would be people out of a job at Portland but it seems that Heliops have a stash of sea kings in somerton of all places Edited November 25, 2022 by junglierating Updated info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 On 23/11/2022 at 19:07, rayprit said: I noticed a lot of the MOD Logistic stuff they sent out is not new but very old stock that has gone into war reserve or range targets..................rather than send it for auction at Withams Like they usually do, most of the vehicles I noticed had the old style registration plates on such as 40KG35. Really old Artillery pieces passing through Marchwood port.................been in reserve for years. As the army gets new vehicles, older ones are made surplus, put into reserve or sent to various ranges worldwide and eventually sold off or, as in this case.........sent abroad. Very little, if any new equipment going abroad with registrations similiar to HF03CEJ...........check out whats going through Marchwood That's a great video, with lots of detail, especially to a newbie armour chap like me. Are all those definitely loading for the Ukraine? I noticed different types of MAN trucks, AA 96 AB; LW 41 AB; GY 90 AB; LE 30 AB, are there any kits of them available in 1:35 scale? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingTiger435 Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 (edited) Just saw ZA166 on ADSB skirting around Dorchester so it can't be that one... (Unless an error) https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=43c36c Edit: unless perhaps they're in the midst of training, considering only one sea king is reported to have been sent so far... Edited November 29, 2022 by KingTiger435 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyWessex Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 1 hour ago, KingTiger435 said: Just saw ZA166 on ADSB skirting around Dorchester so it can't be that one... (Unless an error) https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=43c36c Edit: unless perhaps they're in the midst of training, considering only one sea king is reported to have been sent so far... This airframe only arrived back from the paint shop yesterday. All grey with a very small registration marking. It'll be making it's way to Ukraine very shortly! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 Are there any photos of them in Ukraine? markings? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 On 23/12/2022 at 14:51, exdraken said: Arevtherr any photos of them in Ukraine? markings? Thanks! https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cnr9utmoXkd/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= There's a good looking Sea King! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingTiger435 Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 I've GOT to build that 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpg.f83655300b1abf9c7c3a4fafdeb2d14f.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now