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yep, x2
We may have cursed her occasionally, but she was a grand old lady. The CO of patrol boat Ardent , when I was on her, was an ex Tracker Pilot, involved in surveillance of the N.W., based out of Broome, I think. He told us when they finished up they did touch & goes in one of the streets of Broome, as a farewell. Mad as a cut snake, he will remain nameless. Magnificent men in their flying machines, no doubt! Bob
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Check our her stats.
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Great stuff thanks.
but is does repeat, and i suspect that it is again.
the wirriway is an example of a locally manufactured botched copy of something else that we thought we could do cheaper and save on some forren currency, it also worked on the assumption that the RAAF was not much more than a training ground for the RAF so as such the aircraft were little more than hotted up trainers with some capability. in short Australia had no focus nore any idea apart from some old ww1 types who could not move with the times.
even the RAF, fighters were just up to the task IE BB but were found wanting when on the offensive. the spits were a total disaster in both north Africa and the pacific. once again the perceived use of the aircraft did not pan out in reality.
Japan was just as bad, having built there fighters on ww1 ideals just with much added range.
as with the BB the japs losed out on the information game rada/ coast watchers.
the Germans were no better, both there fighters and bombers while doing well in the beginning of the war. showed there shortcomings at the BB and there after. both the japs and the Germans having had initial success with there airframes then sat on there bums in respect to development.
Korea was the last real dogfight war, the yanks did not have the advantage of rada coverage, and both sides had quite well matched airframes and in some instances pilots.
Vietnam again assumptions snuffed every thing up. most US airframes were influenced by the nuke bomb money F104 and F111 and the go fast mentality, that is until the nukes were out and 1/2 doz 500 pound bombs were hung on pylons. add to that the see first shoot first thinking of the missile no need for guns.
forklands where the high tec did do damage but so did dumb bombs and a couple of old a-4's, hence why the aussie navy rented a squadron of RNZAF a4 here, but then they decided not to pay the bill, oh and the French connection so the kiwis said stuff you.
jumping ahead to today, once again we have the assumption of see first shoot first. this is reinforced by both desert wars where the yanks took down more aircraft with missiles than anything else. so they must be correct. well if you can hack a jeep why not an f22? or an emp. this would leave the sky s in control of what? a few mig 15, 18 and 21s
Thanks for the trip down memory lane Bob.
I was an armourer on Trackers, unfortunately missed out on posting to the Melbourne on 816 Sqdn due to getting a Phot course. A better outcome in the end though!
I remember the Tracker aircrew as a great bunch of blokes. :)
Pete.
Trackers, Bob
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