Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/661228
load is limited to 11 tons) placed on universal transport pallets. The time of delivery would be, according to the manufacturer, „relatively short". The aircraft rebuilt this way could be used i.a. to transport equipment of the personnel and other equipment between military bases, as paratroopers carriers, or medical evacuation aircraft. Apart from a „pure" cargo plane, BAe Systems also proposed rebuilding airframes for other tasks, e.g. a flying tanker (using two under-wing feeders with flexible fuel lines), a patrol aircraft or an air command post. On that time, those ideas evoked no response. A close look At bAe-146c.3 Due to financial and operational matters, the British were interested in rebuilding the aircraft – this was the result of the needs related to the Afghan operation, as well as the willingness to maintain the potential of transport aviation. All the time, this could be achieved (for example due to the delays in the program concerning the medium- sized Airbus A400M Atlas cargo aircraft) thanks to the decreasing number of C-130K Hercules. In order to unburden those old planes, there appeared a need for finding something new and cheap as well – the final choice was BAe-146. From the very beginning, the British government searched for second-hand aircraft adjusted to perform cargo transport tasks. In 2012, the only carrier that offered such aircraft was the Belgian TNT Cargo – transaction included two planes rebuild from version BAe-146-200. Just after the purchase, an agreement was concluded with BAe Systems, on the basis of which the aircraft were rebuilt to fit military standards – the total cost of both elements was 47 million GBP. The planes were delivered to RAF in February 2013 and their operations were started in April. As consequence of the works, upgrades included i.a. installation of cockpit armor, a system preventing ignition of fuel, anti-missile system against guided infra-red missiles, military communication and IFF systems. The modernization also included the onboard air-conditioning and the fire protection system placed in the cargo bay (used for luggage in civilian airplanes). Additionally, the conducted tests proved that the aircraft may operate with three engines on, which means that it has a proper power reserves in case of an emergency situation. The planes have been adjusted to transport passengers (up to 94 in standard, civilian seats in rows of six with a single passing between them), cargo on pallets www.fragoutmag.com