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Help needed: Tucano

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Firebird
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Help needed: Tucano

Post by Firebird »

Gents,
I am back to working my way through the flightplans as part of the project to split them into individual units and I have hit a problem.

The problem is with the RAF Linton-on-Ouse package from back in 2013.
The issue is that there are 3 Tucano units in the package 72(R), 76(R) and 207(R). The problem that I have is that the schemes and the aircraft.cfg do not give any clues as to the breakdown of the aircraft. They are all assigned to 1 FTS and it seems that the Sqns did not have separate callsigns.

What I need is the breakdown into number at least for the units.

Now some people may say that 1 FTS is a unit but the entire project is broken down into smaller units than wings. Some might say that all servicing for a unit was centralized. That maybe the case but again the individual Sqns would have a number allocation according to their roles.

In an ideal world what I would like is which Tucanos were assigned to each of the 3 units. If not second best was the number breakdown so that I can do artificial splits.

Normally this would not have been a problem as I always break units down when I install packages but with this one it never got installed and so slipped through the net hence the need for historical data.

Can anybody help?
Steve
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Tranquil
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Re: Help needed: Tucano

Post by Tranquil »

Steve i heard the Tucano was retiring in 2019 and the base closing in 2020 and all training handed over to RAF Valley on the T6's ?

Much thanks

Mark
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Firebird
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Re: Help needed: Tucano

Post by Firebird »

Yep, I can't disagree with that, Mark.
The project is to cutover ALL the packages to the new unit based naming standard so I have to do this one too for those that like retro stuff and those that like completeness.
Steve
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Re: Help needed: Tucano

Post by Tranquil »

Steve, well that makes sense then if your doing it for retro purposes and people wishing to keep the Tucano in sim, i try to keep upto date with what is not flying anymore, although i have to say i did leave the Seakings in for almost a year after they retired from RAF Valley..

much thanks

mark
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Firebird
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Re: Help needed: Tucano

Post by Firebird »

What the project also provides is that if the naming convention is specific enough and clear enough then when people produce little packs to update older MAIW packs then the least they will need to do is replace a like-named bgl rather than mince around with editing text files and re-compiling.

This is also the reason that you need to break things down to the smallest component possible. For when a wing starts to convert to a different type you can change on a Sqn by Sqn basis as it happens rather than waiting until completion. Think how much easier it will make the F-35 rollout, for example.
This aids people who don't feel confident enough to put together a largish package but may be tempted to do a single Sqn.

The principle benefits everybody.

For example, using the Linton pack, there is one traffic bgl but it actually encompasses 6 units. Splitting into the 6 units means it is easier for users and producers to manage changes in near real time.
Steve
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Delboy99
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Re: Help needed: Tucano

Post by Delboy99 »

Steve

Thank you for working your way through all the old flight plans, that's a huge project to take on.

Typically where the RAF has centralised servicing, and I think that's becoming more common, individual airframes are not allocated to individual squadrons. Squadron are aircrew based units with airframes being allocated from a central pool as and when needed. I suspect this was how Linton was operated, so it is likely that none of the squadrons had their own aircraft. Even if an aircraft has squadron markings, it would still belong to the pool, and could be allocated to any squadron as required. This is certainly how the air transport fleet at Brize operates, as did Lyneham in it's day. I would guess that the flying training stations would have been the same. It certainly gives better utilization of assets.

This won't help you with your Linton problem, but it might explain why everything is one flight plan.

Cheers
Del
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Re: Help needed: Tucano

Post by Firebird »

Hi Del.
Yep it is one of those things that I had considered that the aircraft were managed as a single entity. The thing is even if that is the case there would be a split for allocation purposes due to the number of aircrew in each sqn and its workload.

This is what I am trying to get to, in the event of a pool system working. I can artificially split them if I know the percentages.

For example initially there were 2 sqns in 1 FTS, for our purposes 72 and 207 sqn and from what I read the aircraft were split, presumably equally. Then 76 sqn was formed later to train WSOs. Presumably it was not an equal size allocation as the other two but the question is what sort of percentage?
Steve
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Re: Help needed: Tucano

Post by TimC340 »

Del, that's quite right - and it's also the modus operandi at Coningsby for the Typhoon fleet now they're up to Tranche-whatever-it-is aircraft.
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Re: Help needed: Tucano

Post by Firebird »

OK as there was no definite answer that anybody was aware of I was prepared to artificially split into the 3 Sqns according to the schemes that some had plus just chucking stuff into holes where appropriate. Not exactly what Mark C envisaged with his package but it would allow a breakdown.

However, I then lucked out with a solution. I found that 76(R) and 207(R) Sqns had been disbanded BEFORE the package was released leaving 1 FTS with only one Sqn - 72(R) Sqn. All the Tucanos on one unit.

There's lucky isn't it!

I mention this to try and show a small part of the research that goes into the packages that people produce.
Steve
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