How can you extend the Lifespan/combat usage of certain aircraft

[steamboy]

Aye the FB-22 would be too expensive to replace the A-10/F-16 in the air to mud role, but it would serve alongside the F-22 and give the USAF a world beating combo, The F-22 is still probably the best fighter jet in the world, and with more modern and longer ranged AAM's other than AMRAAM, the USAF will get a lot of use out of them. Because yes the PLAAF has the J-20, but that's not a stealth jet, its stealthier, but its not true stealth, and it will still have issues picking up an F-22 before an F-22 has picked it up and killed it. And that also rings true for the F-35, that thing will butcher anything in the air today and tomorrow, and they're being produced in huge numbers compared to other nations efforts.

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

BAC Jet Provost (not exactly combat, but close enough):

• The proposal to replace the Jet Provost with a Shorts-built Tucano fails to get past the treasury, so the RAF carries out the proposed service life extension programme on their Jet Provosts to take them through to 1995. The first refurbished aircraft enters service in 1985.
• The post cold-war peace dividend reduces flying hours required from the fleet, enabling the planned out-of-service date to be extended to 2005.
• Given the straitened financial circumstances resulting from the British involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, "value for money" is the key determining factor in the Jet Provost replacement. The winning bid comes from Marshall Aerospace, who propose to fit new wings, a commercial glass cockpit and re-engine the aircraft with the Williams FJ44-3A, as well as operating the aircraft under contract until 2025.

Then cost over runs, delays and the inevitable intervention of the bright idea fairey result in the rebuilt Super Jet Provost/Strike Master costing twice what a new brand new aircraft would.

 

[pdf27]

Then cost over runs, delays and the inevitable intervention of the bright idea fairey result in the rebuilt Super Jet Provost/Strike Master costing twice what a new brand new aircraft would.

Of course. However, then there definitely won't be the money to replace it with anything else so it'll be hanging on even longer than the B-52!

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

Of course. However, then there definitely won't be the money to replace it with anything else so it'll be hanging on even longer than the B-52!

And by then the only thing left from the aircraft that left the 1950's factory is the makers plate (and even that may have been remanufactured) and the pee tube.

 

[Father Maryland]

And by then the only thing left from the aircraft that left the 1950's factory is the makers plate (and even that may have been remanufactured) and the pee tube.

Pee tube?

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

Pee tube?

To allow the crew to relieve themselves. To be fair I don't know whether the Jet Provost had them or not. Some RAF aircraft did, some didn't.

 

[pdf27]

So I didn't really think this one through quite as much as I should have. Specifically the impact in 1982.

• The E-2C radar is effective out to the radar horizon - so limited by the maximum altitude of the platform. That means the Valiant AEW.1 should have a radar range of ~300 miles. That means it can operate in a relatively safe area over the task group and still provide very effective radar control, even against quite low-flying targets.
• Valiant range (at least with the big underwing tanks) seems to be an bit more than for a Vulcan - about 500 NM more for a Valiant B1 than a Vulcan B2. It would make sense to fit bomb bay tanks for an AEW aircraft, probably a mix of that and avionics.
• Add in that it doesn't have to fly the low level portion of the profile + the radar is a lot lighter than 22,000 lbs of bombs then keeping a Valiant over the task group from Ascension would appear to be a LOT easier than the OTL Black Buck sorties, potentially slightly easier than the much longer Nimrod ones.
• RR Medway engines have an SFC of 0.6 lb/lbf/hr compared to 0.93 of the original Avons it achieved a range of 4000 NM with, so range should comfortably exceed that of a Nimrod - probably by over 1000 Nm. Endurance on station at high altitude should be very good too - probably doing the Nimrod thing of shutting down two engines.
• The longest Nimrod sortie I'm aware of was 19h and 8300 miles - the upper limit for a Valiant AEW with refuelling and bomb bay tanks + staying at very high altitude the whole time is probably a 24h sortie, enabling about 8h on station. Cancelling Black Buck as well as the OTL Nimrod surface search sorties probably makes this just about sustainable.

All fits together remarkably well - that's the radar scanner from an E-2C Hawkeye just bolted straight on over the wing trailing edge and the forward fuselage of a V-1000 transport, itself very closely related to the Valiant. I've also enlarged the air inlets to enable the use of the higher bypass Medway engines. For a Frankenplane it looks remarkably good.