My take on Swords into Ploughshares

[Jonesthetank]

My immediate reaction when this was chosen as the theme for the Group Build was "What??" Total Blank.

However, when I had time to process, I was struck with a range of ideas.  I've decided to group them into two categories, those that could have a grain of possibility, and those that were totally implausible (but fun!)

So, here are my profiles.

Mark

[Jonesthetank]

The British Government has always had a process for the sale of surplus military equipment, but transfers from the military to other government bodies has traditionally been very restricted.  However, under the austerity provisions of the Noughties, this changed and there was a limited release of former military equipment to other organisations.

Westland Sea King
Sea King helicopters were being retired by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force but were still capable aircraft.  HAR3s and HU5s were made available to other UK bodies, resulting in the transfer of aircraft. 

Her Majesty’s Coastguard
The UK Coastguard had long been a Sikorsky S-61 operator, so taking on Westland Sea Kings was not a huge step.  6 former RAF HAR3s were transferred following a refurbishment and were made ready for service.  Like other Coastguard helicopters, the Sea Kings were operated from dispersed bases round the UK coast.  They were operated mainly on SAR duties, as well as the occasional medevac mission.  The six aircraft were individually named after the characters from the children’s book and TV series Noddy, carrying a name and image of their character on the aircraft nose.
As the older S-61 fleet began to be replaced by new S-92s and AW189s, the Sea King fleet was also slated for retirement, with final stand down of the former HAR3s occurring in 2021.


The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond
Trinity House has been responsible for the lighthouses around the UK coast since 1609.  Helicopters have been used by the corporation since the 1960s, being used for a range of support duties.  The corporation was offered 4 former RN Sea King HU5s, which were readily accepted.  The Sea Kings have been used widely to support the lighthouse network, as well as to patrol navigation lanes and buoys for which Trinity House is also responsible.


The Metropolitan Police
London’s Metropolitan Police is the largest force in the UK, with responsibility for policing the capital and a large chunk of its suburbs.  Increasing calls on the Met’s aerial division led to the transfer of former RN HU5s to the force.  These were used for general policing duties, as flying “squad cars”, for high risk prisoner transfers and a myriad of other roles.  The fleet continues in use, with current plans calling for the replacement of the Sea Kings from 2030.

[Jonesthetank]

Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle
The British Army had operated 400 Panther CLVs, but in the post-Afghanistan drawdown of military equipment, the Panthers were declared surplus.  Before seeking overseas buyers, 100 vehicles were earmarked for transfer to British police forces for use in extreme situations.  20 each were provided to the London Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police. The Sussex force use their Panthers for anti-terror patrol duties at Gatwick airport, while the Met vehicles are based at Heathrow for similar duties.  The other 60 were transferred to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, joining the PSNI fleet of heavily protected vehicles, mostly Tangi and Pangolin Land Rovers.  The PSNI vehicles have been modified with mesh skirts, like those mounted on the Land Rovers, while heavy duty mesh riot screens can be fitted to cover the vehicles windows if deployed on riot duties.

[Jonesthetank]

C-130K Hercules
As the RAF moved to a fleet of new C-130J aircraft, the older C-130Ks were sold off to other operators.

One aircraft was retained by the UK Government and then transferred to the Royal Mail.  The aircraft is used for transporting bulk mail within the UK, particularly for mail being moved from London to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The service continued until 2020, when the Hercules was withdrawn and replaced by a Boeing 737.  Following retirement, the Post Office C-130 was sold to Marshal Aviation for refurbishment and onward sale.

[Jonesthetank]

Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw
The H-34/S-58 family was widely used by military forces in the 1950s and 1960s, but was quickly replaced by many users with more modern types, especially from the Bell 205 family.  As they were retired from military service, many H-34s were picked up by other operators.

As the Canadian Armed Forces retired their H-34s, they were quickly refurbished and passed to the RCMP, who had a need for larger, more capable, helicopters.  In RCMP service the H-34s were widely used for transport, rescue and medevac duties, as well as for supporting RCMP posts that were often difficult to reach by road in winter.  The H-34s were gradually retired by the RCMP in the late 1970s, as new Bell 212s were taken into service as replacements.


In Europe the H-34 was widely used by French and German forces.  Former Luftwaffe aircraft were redeployed with a range of civilian bodies, most notably with the Polizei and by ADAC.  While the police used their aircraft for transport and patrol operations, ADAC used their H-34s for rescue and support roles.  Both organisations used their H-34s into the late 1970s, when they were phased out in favour of more modern types, often the locally built MBB Bo-105.



French H-34s served longer than their German counterparts, so many were scrapped on retirement from military use.  Some however were refurbished and passed to the Sécurité Civile service, where they would serve for many years on rescue duties, supported by numerous smaller Alouette IIIs. 

[Jonesthetank]

The Automobile Association Aerial Patrol

After WW2, as Britian’s road network expanded and car ownership expanded, the Automobile Association (AA) took on additional roles.  Aerial operations were one such idea, with aircraft being used to patrol Britain’s roads, helping with traffic management, looking for stranded motorists and spotting incidents.  Initially a number of De Havilland Rapides were used, but a faster type was required.  For this the AA acquired 8 former RAF DH Mosquito B2s, which could cover far larger areas at greater speed.  They were operated on road patrol duties through the late 1940s and early 1950s, until the cost of maintaining them became prohibitive and they were retired.

[Jonesthetank]

Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze Testbed
After WW2, the PZL company was gradually put back on its feet.  Initially the company would build copies of former German aircraft or licence build more modern types for the Polish armed forces.  However the research department of PZL were quick to begin the design of new aircraft, which would require new engines.  By 1950 PZL had a prototype jet engine, the Orzeł, ready for testing.  A large aircraft was required to mount the engine for flight testing and the Polish Air Force were willing to loan one of it’s Lancasters to PZL for modification.

The outer engines and nacelles were removed and new custom built nacelles were built to house the new jets.  In this revised configuration the Lancaster was flown by PZL for the next 10 years, initially with the Orzeł engines, but later with newer engines as they came through the PZL development program.  The PZL Lancaster was finally retired in 1962.

[Jonesthetank]

John Sullivan – Aerial Yachtsman
The idea of an aerial yacht was one that had flourished on a small scale in the 1930s.  After WW2, the availability of surplus aircraft, most notably flying boats, meant that this notion would see light again.

John Sullivan, a Seattle based lumber businessman, was one who took the idea and ran with it.  Sullivan had flown PBM Mariners with the USN during WW2, so knew the capabilities of the type well.  He was able to purchase 2 PBM5A amphibians and 2 PBM3S from USN surplus and would use these to build himself and his family a flying yacht. 

Fitted with an improved galley, individual cabins, additional viewing spaces and a small motor boat that was carried under the wing, Sullivan took his air yacht on many excursions.  The type’s amphibious capabilities meant Sullivan was able to travel to places across North and Central America, using the “Freedom Bird” as his flying caravan and base for further holiday adventures.

Eventually as Sullivan’s children grew up and left home, the need for such a large aircraft declined and the Freedom Bird was finally grounded in 1962.  It was stored in a hangar at Paine Field, Everett for many years and was eventually presented to Museum of Flight, Seattle, after John Sullivan died in 1992.

[Jonesthetank]

“The Woofer”
Particularly heavy snow at RCAF Downsview in 1955 resulted in the need for a very heavy duty snowblower.   Engineers at the base decided to rig up a jet blower using the fuselage and engine of a redundant DH Vampire Mk3 and an M135 truck.  The wings, booms and tail of the Vampire were removed and a cradle was manufactured to support the fuselage pod and engine.  This cradle was mounted on the flatbed of an M135 truck, with the jet pipe extending over the back.  An extended trunk was fitted to the exhaust, with a wide mouth fitting at the bottom to help spread the heat.  After several trials, the snowblower, christened as “The Woofer” was put into use, proving very successful in its role. 

Like most equipment, it was only deployed occasionally, so remained in its basic state for many years, as it worked and did not really need improvement.


In 1972 the RCAF opted to purchase purpose built snowploughs for Downsview and the Woofer was offered to for sale.  Toronto City Airport bought the Woofer for $500 and refurbished the vehicle for future use.  It was used by the airport into the mid 1980s, when the Goblin jet engine finally failed, leading the Woofer to be retired.

[Jonesthetank]

Warsaw-Okęcie Airport
The post war expansion of Warsaw- Okęcie Airport saw the arrival of larger capacity aircraft.  A number of crashes at the airport in the 1960s, proved that the airport fire department required better equipment, especially if the incident involved a large jet aircraft. 

The idea of a protected fire tender was discussed by the airport management, with suggestions that surplus T-34 chassis could be used.  However, this was turned down, as most of the vehicles on offer were already worn out by years of service with the Polish armed forces. 

As an alternative the army had 10 Su-122-54s in storage. These had been given to the army by the Soviets, but after testing were declared surplus.  Virtually unused and built on brand new T-54  components, they were ripe for conversion.

The new vehicles were designed by collaboration between the army engineering workshops and the airport fire department.  The main armament was removed and, in its place, a high pressure fire foam gun was mounted instead.  The tank for the foam was carried in place of the original ammunition storage, while additional tanks were mounted on the rear of the engine deck.  A BTU-55 dozer blade could be mounted at the front of the vehicle, to be used for clearing debris in case of fire.  The commander’s position was equipped with a hand directed water jet (as mounted on most Soviet pattern fire tenders at the time).  To assist the driver, a large glass dome was mounted over the driver’s hatch, and the vehicle was fitted with numerous lights and driving mirrors.

The converted vehicles entered service in 1965, with 3 stationed at Warsaw- Okęcie, the other scattered round the other large airports of Poland.
In their new role the vehicles excelled, providing high levels of protection to their crews, while being able to help extinguish fires of high intensity.  They remained in role into the late 1990s, having been carefully maintained over the years.  They were finally retired in 1998, replaced by new Jelcz fire tenders.  All three of Warsaw’s vehicles were preserved and are now on display at various museums in Poland.

[Jonesthetank]

Greater Manchester Police
James Anderton was a controversial Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police (GMP).  His hardline approach to policing made him a favourite of Margaret Thatcher and ensured that the GMP was more likely to receive special equipment, compared to other forces. 

In response to the Moss Side riots in 1981, Anderton requested riot control vehicles for the force.  None were immediately available, but the Thatcher government were willing to provide 6 Saxon APCs from army stock for use by the police. 

Fitted with a simple barricade remover and given a suitable paint job, including the then standard “jam sandwich” orange and blue side flashes, the Saxons were deployed to Manchester in late 1981.  In the event, they were not needed, as subsequent protests were far smaller and easily handled by the regular GMP units. 

The Saxons were returned to army control in 1983, but for many the image of a British police commissioner, posing in front of an armoured vehicle, was one that would be etched into their memories.

[Jonesthetank]

FedEx heavy lifter
As the USAF began to retire its C-141 fleet, some of the aircraft were made available to commercial operators. In the end only one customer was found, Federal Express.  FedEx purchased 8 C-141s for its long range bulk cargo operation, transporting outsized objects and cargos too difficult to fit aboard its standard freighter fleet.
Although well used, the C-141 fleet was expensive to operate and spares were difficult to obtain, leading to a decision to retire the fleet in 2017 and replace them with newly built C-17s instead.

[Jonesthetank]

Stop Me and Buy One
No real reason for this one but prompted by a very old episode of the Mark Thomas Comedy Product.  Mark is a fantastic political satirist comedian.  In 1996 he drove a Saladin Armoured Car with a couple of ice cream cones attached round London to various government departments asking for a licence to export his “ice cream van” to Iraq. Brilliant episode 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Q-0-M0xPQ&t=480s

[Jonesthetank]

Border Patrol

As part of his commitment to keep American safe from the hordes illegal immigrants surging over the US/Mexican border, President Trump ordered the transfer of 16 AH-64D Apaches from US Army stocks to the US Customs and Border Patrol service.  The aircraft were disarmed, but retained their rotor mounted radar system, as well as the sophisticated Arrowhead system in the nose. In place of the 30mm belly gun, a high power Nite Sun lamp was fitted, slaved to the nose sight.

Issued to units in Texas and New Mexico, the Apaches proved to be desperately over equipped for the intended role and were only used for 7 months before they were quietly returned to army control and the CBP returned to using its already successful fleet of smaller helicopters.

[Jonesthetank]

And finally the implausible, but a lot more fun ones.

The Aqua Bus
No  backstory for this one, other than an internet “factoid” I read somewhere that the USMC refer to the LVTP-7/AAV-7AI as the School Bus (which could well be a total lie, it’s from the internet after all!).  Whether true or not, I thought “LVTP-7 as a school bus?  Hmmm”, and a profile was born.


Special Delivery
As part of the government sale of former military equipment, the Greendale Post Office purchased one Harrier T2.  The aircraft became the fast despatch vehicle for Greendale’s dynamic postie, Pat Clifton, who was often to be seen flying over the hills and dales round Greendale with his black & white cat, Jess.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postman_Pat

I was a bit too old for Postman Pat when he first hit the screen in the UK, but the show was required viewing when I was university (don’t ask why, I honestly can’t remember!)


The Mystery Machine Mk2
After their last adventure, where Old Mr Peterson had tried to get rid of those “pesky kids” using an IED and a barrage of RPG-7s, the gang had decided that the Mystery Machine didn’t offer a lot of protection. Luckily Scooby was able to get in touch with an old pal, Duke, a former US Army War Dog. Through Duke’s contacts the gang were able to get hold of a new van, which they immediately named as “The Mystery Machine Mk2”.  The new van offered all the protection they needed, but still had more than enough space to carry loads of Scooby Snacks.  Fully equipped and loaded, the gang were off on their next adventure........

[Buzzbomb]

Excellent !

Cannot really see a single one as being too far fetched.
For me the LVTP School Bus is the clear favourite, although with the way the UK appears to be heading the Manchester Police Saxon might be a bit too close to being real world

[Kerick]

Brilliant profiles!!
All the school bus needs is the arm with the stop sign that swings out!

[ericr]

excellently brilliant !

it shows how a first un-inspired reaction sometimes blows into a flow of ideas 

[Robomog]

Brilliant set of profiles !  I am in awe of your fertile mind 

So much potential here for 3D whiffs.

Love the AA Mosquito 

Closely followed by the "school bus" and Postman Pat's Harrier

Mog
>^-.-^<

[GTX_Admin]

Some great work there

[finsrin]

What a bunch of profiles 
Great for inspiring styrene concepts.

[Claymore]

Remembering the old AA telephone boxes (there’s still one on the Dava Moor about 7 miles from our house) and the old AA commercials, I could most definitely see the AA Air Patrols being a thing and the look of the Mosquito is exquisite! 

The Greendale postal Harrier (PAT 2) almost had me choking on my morning cuppa - brilliant… 

 

[apophenia]

My immediate reaction when this was chosen as the theme for the Group Build was "What??" Total Blank...

Followed by the usual avalanche of Jonesthetank concepts 

Great stuff, as usual, Mark! But your Saladin-for-Mr-Whippy takes the cake (the cone?)