F111 fighters stripped and scrapped

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Originally Posted by VladTepes

The -G's are nuclear capable (or were, at any rate) not the -C's.

The USA would be very unlikely to make exceptions on that sort of thing as they won;t want to set any sort of precedent.

Aust Government stated reason include asbestos risk... so I guess there musn't be an asbestos brake pads on those land rovers they got rid of eh ?

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I don't think it makes any difference whether it is a -G or -C; That is why this clause was in the contract. I think the US would approve any approach by the Australian government - but the Australian government is very unlikely to use any of its political capital with the USA on this; as far as politicians are concerned it is simply unimportant.

Asbestos risk is simply an excuse. It applies to virtually anything of that vintage! And would be pretty minor anyway, compared to most WW2 aircraft/vehicles.

John

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Originally Posted by Bushie

I seem to remember a LOT of money was paid for this gift :o:o:eek:


Martyn

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Not to mention the billions spent upgrading and keeping them going for 30 years! To rip them up and scrap them is just the same as pushing jeeps and tanks off the side of ships rather than bring them home after WW2 etc. Such a waste!

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Originally Posted by pfillery

Saw on the news last night that all the retired F111 (with the exception of 5 of them) are being torn apart and scrapped at Amberley. Not sure how many tonnes of ally on an F111 but at 60cents a kilo or so, who wouldn't chip in for a great garden ornament?...If it was worth $5k in scrap I'd buy one. Park it in the front yard and intimidate the neighbours!

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Reminds me of this classic Jeremy Clarkson moment... clipping from Wikipedia

His known passion for single- or two-passenger high-velocity transport led to his brief acquisition of an English Electric Lightning F1A fighter XM172, which was installed in the front garden of his country home. The Lightning was subsequently removed on the orders of the local council, which "wouldn't believe my claim that it was a leaf blower", according to Clarkson on a Tiscali Motoring webchat.

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Originally Posted by pfillery

Not to mention the billions spent upgrading and keeping them going for 30 years! To rip them up and scrap them is just the same as pushing jeeps and tanks off the side of ships rather than bring them home after WW2 etc. Such a waste!

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Most of the F111 are not that old. We got a free Bunch when our neighbor was looking hard at our back yard. A sort of sorry from the US after they had agreed to sell them a bunch of F18 or F16? and the factory to build them. which they latter backed out of.

personally, yes it seems a waste but the millions spent is much cheaper than learning to eat rice and speak a different language while living under a forren dictator.

they did there job, but a few for the museums should be the way.

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Originally Posted by Bushie

I seem to remember a LOT of money was paid for this gift :o:o:eek:


Martyn

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or is it? A lot of money was paid for our defence?

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

I don't think it makes any difference whether it is a -G or -C; That is why this clause was in the contract. I think the US would approve any approach by the Australian government - but the Australian government is very unlikely to use any of its political capital with the USA on this; as far as politicians are concerned it is simply unimportant.

Asbestos risk is simply an excuse. It applies to virtually anything of that vintage! And would be pretty minor anyway, compared to most WW2 aircraft/vehicles.

John

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I think you will fined the yanks all paranoid about this.
As I posted earlier look at what the poms did and how long it took them to get a couple of Vulcan’s out of museums and bombing a runway 8000 klms away.
secondly they feel that there past leniency was a bused a bit. Things like RNZAF still flying mustangs until some yank came for a visit.
Lastly it’s what they view as a security thing. You cant even get the math’s for s P51 wing ( or a spitfire for that matter) its just there way, illogical as it may seem.

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Originally Posted by 85 county

You cant even get the math’s for s P51 wing ( or a spitfire for that matter) its just there way, illogical as it may seem.

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Um, what ?
You can get complete plans for one if you so desire.

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Originally Posted by VladTepes

Um, what ?
You can get complete plans for one if you so desire.

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Yes you can, which someone has reproduced from a wing. But you can not get originals

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Originally Posted by 85 county

I think you will fined the yanks all paranoid about this.
As I posted earlier look at what the poms did and how long it took them to get a couple of Vulcan’s out of museums and bombing a runway 8000 klms away.
secondly they feel that there past leniency was a bused a bit. Things like RNZAF still flying mustangs until some yank came for a visit.
Lastly it’s what they view as a security thing. You cant even get the math’s for s P51 wing ( or a spitfire for that matter) its just there way, illogical as it may seem.

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Along those lines, the technology put forward by Captain Cochrane for a chemical warfare attack on the port of Brest in 1813 was only declassified in the 1960s......

But on the other hand, the basic theory behind the Atomic Bomb was published by the US government less than a month after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

John

Yeah, you can build the bomb. But not get the plans to build the plane to delivery it.