Caribou Retires From RAAF

[viking3]

The old "Bou" is being put out to pasture.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...o-pasture.html

There was an effort here at Gimli to re-engine the Bou with PT-6s but the prototype crashed(pilot error) and the project ended. Would love to see the old girls keep flying. Maybe Viking can start building Bous. I understand they hold the rights.

Regards, Rob

[Jagdflieger]

I guess even old war horses like the C-7A (US designation) eventually have to go to pasture. I spent more than a few hours in them and even made five jumps in one afternoon from a C-7A.

I'm not sure how the replacement acircraft will replace the STOL and cargo capability of the Caribou. It looks more like a VIP aircraft than a combat airplane.

[srgalahad]

"The new fleet can provide a degree of efficiency and reliability which we have struggled to achieve with our fleet of ageing Caribous," says chief of air force Air Marshal Mark Binskin. The King Air also can "cruise at more than three times the altitude, twice the speed and twice the range", he adds.

Yeah, but I'd like to see someone put an intact Holden inside the kerosene burner...

[TeaSea]

I guess even old war horses like the C-7A (US designation) eventually have to go to pasture. I spent more than a few hours in them and even made five jumps in one afternoon from a C-7A.

I miss the old Caribou too, and I made a couple of jumps from them as well (not 5 in an afternoon though).

They were really wonderful....if you weren't in a hurry!

[Railrunner130]

I think Viking does have a new version in the works. I believe it's intended to compete against the C-27J in foreign military sales.

[OBIO]

This is one plane that is missing from FS9....a nice radial Caribou.

OBIO

[PeteHam]

This is one plane that is missing from FS9....a nice radial Caribou.

OBIO

Alphasim has one ......

http://www.alphasim3.com/store/produ...roducts_id=172

Pete.

[Dain Arns]

Alphasim has one ......

http://www.alphasim3.com/store/produ...roducts_id=172

Pete.

They did a port over of it for FSX too, which wasn't the same. I had really fond memories of the Bou in FS9. It's amazing how tiny an airfield you can get in and out of with those. I can see why they were a welcome sight in Vietnam.

[TeaSea]

Before Ken abandoned us he and I had major debates regarding the USAF's lack of attention to intra-theater lift and the necessity of getting into some really tight places.

The C7 was used by the Army to address that shortfall....the Air Force never liked that, but then they never came up with a solution.

So now we see the same thing again....the Army pushing for an airframe that will get into postage stamp LZ's (note, I did not say airfields --I said Landing Zones) and the Air Force complaining before finally addressing the issue and then demanding control of the airframe which they will kill within 10 - 15 years because it will fall below the line for funding...and the Army will start over.

Sorry, just the old cynic in me.

Caribou's would have been nice to have in Afghanistan, even if they were slow.

Would be nice to have in FSX too......

[jmig]

When my wife and I visited Nova Scotia we stayed in a B&B, of which the owner was a retired CAF Caribou pilot. He told me that they used it to fly supplies to hamlets with in the Arctic Circle. He loved it and praised it's abilities to fly into and out of anywhere.

[stansdds]

Somehow I fail to see how a Beech King Air can truly replace the Caribou, even as an interim aircraft.

[Reddog]

Before Ken abandoned us he and I had major debates regarding the USAF's lack of attention to intra-theater lift and the necessity of getting into some really tight places.

The C7 was used by the Army to address that shortfall....the Air Force never liked that, but then they never came up with a solution.

So now we see the same thing again....the Army pushing for an airframe that will get into postage stamp LZ's (note, I did not say airfields --I said Landing Zones) and the Air Force complaining before finally addressing the issue and then demanding control of the airframe which they will kill within 10 - 15 years because it will fall below the line for funding...and the Army will start over.

Sorry, just the old cynic in me.

Caribou's would have been nice to have in Afghanistan, even if they were slow.

Would be nice to have in FSX too......

I have no problems with Alphasims Bou in FSX it flys real good

[Naki]

The Kings Airs are only tempoarary ..the RAAF will eventually get something like the C-27J (most likely) or C-295...or maybe V-22s or more CH-47s for the Army.

[Silver Fox]

Viking is looking at re-starting Buffalo production. Buffalo NG would have PW150 engines, like the Q400 airliner, new cockpits and a revised nose. Much better overall performance, faster, longer range and even better STOL!

Buff is the natural Caribou replacement.

[Jagdflieger]

The Casa C 235 is pretty capable and is a nice smooth ride as well as having all the modern refinements in avionics and aerodynamics. It just doesn't have the class of the old Bou although it does have a ramp.