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Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares

« Last post by Jonesthetank on Today at 10:01:20 PM »

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.

Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares

« Last post by Jonesthetank on Today at 09:58:57 PM »

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.

Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares

« Last post by Jonesthetank on Today at 09:54:54 PM »

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.

Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares

« Last post by Jonesthetank on Today at 09:52:55 PM »

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.

Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares

« Last post by Jonesthetank on Today at 09:50:41 PM »

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.

Swords to Plowshares GB / My take on Swords into Ploughshares

« Last post by Jonesthetank on Today at 09:45:43 PM »

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