What types have the AirCorps tested / evaluated?

[yeehah1]

14-02-07
Here's a topic that has me interested:
Around the time the Air Corps were getting ready to retire the Vampires, what types other than the Fougas were they looking?
Or did they bother to look at anything else? And while operating the Fougas, did they ever take a look at anything else with an eye to the future?

Liam

[Claudel Hopson]

The SIAI Marchetti S211 trainer was looked at on its way back from the JPATS programme for the USAF. Also the Czech L139 was demonstrated for a week.

The Beech Raytheon version of the PC9 was demonstrated for a week.

But at the time they were replacing the Vampire I don't recall any jet demonstrators of any kind. But there were for the Chipmunk/Provost replacement and Dove replacement.

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
Many, many aircraft have visited the Don for, supposedly, trials.Invariably, the vendor/pilot was told, thanks but no thanks after the pilots had a jolly around the place in whatever the visitors brought.Such an aircraft was the Valmet Vinka, from Finland, which was on a sales tour of Europe.The pilots had a go of it and us techs crawled all over it but there was no hope of a buy so they shook the guy's hand and sent him on his way....it was a guage of official interest if any aircraft stayed for more than a few days and especially if it's sales literature started to appear on every surface, such as the S-92 stuff.I remember all the Maritime stuff that came in, before the Casas were bought.Every thing with two engines and a hole for crew and a radar was flown in, including some near-obsolete stuff(748, F27).One could also see sales vultures around the camp, pressing senior flesh and hawking their stuff.Ah, it could be very entertaining, to see who was being groomed by interested vendors...
regards
GttC

[Irish251]

There was also a Dassault Falcon 20 Gardian at one stage - i think it was a patrol version to be used by the French in the Pacific.  The US Coast Guard bought a version of this machine as well.

[P.Doff]

Hi all,
       I may be mistaken but I think a high ranking Air Corps pilot went to Belgium a couple of years ago to fly an F-16. Rumour was he was evaluating it as the BAF were about to disband a couple of Sqn's and sell the F-16's off?? Actually it could have been the Dutch, not sure??

[clog]

The Dutch sold a few of their F-16 a while back (12 or 18?).
As far as i know they went to Chile.    '>

[Guinness]

indeed there Clog !!!

6 of them already left and the next 6 are due to leave wthin a month.

The Belgiums have sold a lot of their F-16's to Jordania.
They are out there "Weelde " storage and are due to Kleine Brogel AFB to be taken on "flying conditions"
from there the they will fly to Jordania.

Regards,

Guinness