The Six Aeroplanes: Prefect,Pegasus,Perseus,Centaurus,Falcon And Furious

 

 

Picture: Paul Crouch,Crown Copyright

 

Further to an earlier piece on rationalising the United Kingdom's naval and military helicopter fleet and another on Hector,Hercules and Hermes,herein we shall list the only aeroplane types which the United Kingdom's armed forces actually need (rather than have or want).

 

 

Picture: L. (Phot.) Sam Seeley,Crown Copyright

 

The Prefect is an aeroplane of approximately one and a half long tons maximum take off weight used for both naval and military initial aeroplane pilot training.

 

 

Picture: L. (Phot.) Sam Seeley,Crown Copyright

 

The Prefect shall eventually be replaced by an aircraft designed and built in the United Kingdom to stimulate the United Kingdom's economy and secure the future of the United Kingdom's aeroplane industry.

 

 

Picture: Grand Logistics

 

The Pegasus shall be an aeroplane of approximately ten long tons maximum take off weight used for both naval and military multi engine aeroplane pilot training,low intensity combat operations and for other,noncombat,tasks for which a larger aeroplane is unneccessary or impractical such as the Waterguard Service (surveillance and search and rescue) and Scottish Ambulance Service (air ambulance) charters.

 

Picture: Unknown Royal Air Force official photographer,© IWM CH 2364

 

The Pegasus shall be an all new aircraft designed and built in the United Kingdom to stimulate the United Kingdom's economy and secure the future of the United Kingdom's aeroplane industry.

 

 

Picture: Grand Logistics

 

The Perseus shall be an aeroplane of approximately fifty long tons maximum take off weight used for both naval and military multi engine aeroplane pilot training,combat patrol and for other,noncombat,tasks such as Foreign Office (secure transport) charter.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,SAAB photograph

 

The Perseus shall be an all new aircraft designed and built in the United Kingdom to stimulate the United Kingdom's economy and secure the future of the United Kingdom's aeroplane industry.

 

 

Picture: Corporal Andy Reddy R.L.C.,Crown Copyright

 

The Centaurus shall be an aeroplane of approximately three hundred long tons maximum take off weight used for military four engine aeroplane pilot training,strategic transport,tactical transport,naval mine laying,aerial refuelling and for other noncombat tasks for which a large aeroplane is necessary such as the Foreign Office (foreign aid) charter.

 

 

Picture: Corporal Daniel Wiepen,Crown Copyright

 

The Centaurus shall be an all new aircraft designed and built in the United Kingdom to stimulate the United Kingdom's economy and secure the future of the United Kingdom's aeroplane industry.

 

 

Picture: Corporal Paul Oldfield,Royal Air Force,Crown Copyright

 

The Falcon shall be an aeroplane of approximately ten long tons maximum take off weight used for both naval and military combat aeroplane pilot training,and for other noncombat tasks such as weapons trials and the Aviation Medicine Flight.

 

 

 Picture: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Parde,United States' Navy photograph 

 

The Falcon shall be an all new aircraft designed and built in the United Kingdom to stimulate the United Kingdom's economy and secure the future of the United Kingdom's aeroplane industry.

 

 

Picture: Alert5

 

The Furious shall be an aeroplane of approximately fifty long tons maximum take off weight used for both naval and military combat aeroplane pilot training,air defence,air attack and aerial reconnaissance.

 

 

Picture: David Chao

 

The Furious shall be an all new aircraft designed and built in the United Kingdom to stimulate the United Kingdom's economy and secure the future of the United Kingdom's aeroplane industry.

 

The Light Infantry Division: The Ox

 

 

Picture: קרלוס הגדול
 

The mechanical Ox shall be a small,front engined,four wheel drive,four or six wheeled beast of burden.
 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,unknown copyright
 

Oxen shall perform tasks for which larger vehicles would be either unnecessary or impractical due to their size and weight.
 

 

Picture: Specialist Scott Lindblom,United States' Army photograph

 

Oxen shall be issued to any unit which has a need of them,they may be found digging fighting positions near the front line,carrying pilots to the flight line or mowing the lawn in front of the officers mess.
 

 

Picture: Corporal Joshua Murray,United States' Marine Corps

 

The Ox shall have a gross payload (including the driver) of at least sixteen hundred pounds and a gross weight of around two long tons.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,International Automated Systems photograph

 

The four wheeled Ox shall be less than eight feet long,the six wheeled Ox shall be less than ten feet long,both shall be less than four feet wide,less than four feet high with the roof folded down and less than six feet high with the roof erected.
 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,General Dynamics photograph
 

Floors,doors,bulkheads and roof protected to STANAG 4569 Level 1 may be fitted to the Ox in lieu of payload but the standard vehicle shall only have weather protection.
 

 

Picture: Sergeant First Class Allan Baros,United States' Army photograph

 

The Ox shall not have any provision for armament.

 

 

Picture: Staff Sergeant Jason Hull,United States' Army photograph

 

In the transport role the Ox shall have seats for four or six paratroops,including the driver,and space for their equipment when in heavy Marching Order (Emergency Approach March Load to American readers),a weight of at least four hundred pounds per man.

 

 

Picture: Sergeant Laing,Number Five Army Film and Photographic Unit,© IWM B 8201

 

In the medical role the Ox shall be able to carry three casualties on stretchers in addition to the driver and a medical attendant or two casualties on stretchers,two walking wounded and a medical attendant in addition to the driver.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,Department of Defense photograph

 

In the logistical role the Ox shall be able to carry a driver in marching order weighing three hundred and fifty pounds and over twelve hundred and fifty pounds of ammunition,fuel,water,rations or other combat supplies,typical loads might include forty Four Inch Mortar bombs or forty Six Inch Rockets.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,Bobcat Company video

 

In the engineering role a powerful hydraulic arm may be fitted in lieu of the Ox's rear load bed and seats and when the transfer case is set in low range,the suspension may be hydraulically locked and power take-offs activated permitting the use of items such as bucket loaders,fork lifts,dumper buckets,back hoes or augers.

 

 

Picture: Specialist Cody Black,United States' Army,United States' Navy photograph

 

The Ox shall have one rearwards facing seat to facilitate the operation of engineering equipment,one forwards facing seat for normal driving and two optional,inward facing seats above the rear wheel arches.

 

 

Picture: Private First Class Alvin Pujols,United States' Marine Corps Photograph

 

Fittings at the front and rear shall permit the carriage of items such as ballast plates or fuel cans or the pushing of items such as dozer blades or mine rollers.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,Polaris Government & Defense photograph

 

Front and rear tow hooks shall permit the towing items such as half ton cargo trailers,trenching tools or small aircraft. 

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,Polaris photograph

 

The Ox shall have a single cylinder diesel engine which shares mechanical components with those of the Mule and Pony.
 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,General Dynamics photograph

 

The Ox shall have an external space frame chassis within which is mounted the ballistic and weather protection which forms the vehicle's "body",this arrangement being similar to the Mule. 
 

 

Picture: Private First Class Paige Behringer,United States' Army photograph

 

By folding down the roof,one Ox may be stacked on top of another,in this manner,ten Oxen shall fit inside a standard twenty foot shipping container.

 

 

Picture: Sergeant Elyssa Quesada,United States' Marine Corps photograph

 

A single Ox,with roof folded,shall fit inside the Mule,Pony,Matilda and Charger family of vehicles.

  

 

Picture: Visual Information Specialist Jason Johnston,United States' Army photograph

 

A Centaurus aircraft shall be able to airdrop forty Oxen and one hundred and sixty paratroops,air drop eighty oxen using the Dual Row Airdrop System or air land one hundred and sixty Oxen.
 

 

Picture: Paul Tolenaar,Netherlands Mediacentrum Defensie photograph

 

A Super Merlin,Ultra Merlin or Hermes helicopter shall be able to carry ten Oxen as a sling load.
 

 
Picture: Unknown photographer,JCB photograph

 

Companies such as J.C.B. and Supacat should be able to design and manufacture Oxen,without accessories,for around fifteen million pounds sterling per thousand.

  

(The Field Car renamed Mule,the Light Protected Truck renamed Pony,dead links replaced,new picture attributions and links added and text and pictures edited on the Thirty-first of January,Twenty Twenty-two)

 

The Light Infantry Division: The Mule

 

 
Picture: Sergeant Alison Baskerville RLC
 

The Mule shall be a family of front engined,four and six wheeled,all wheel drive,unprotected vehicles available in a variety of configurations to fulfil a wide variety of tasks.

 

 

Picture: UndateableOne

 

The four wheeled base vehicle shall have a gross weight of four long tons,a gross payload (including the weight of the driver) of over four thousand pounds and an internal volume identical to that of the Pony,Matilda and Charger vehicles.

 

 

Picture: Teamlang

 

The six wheeled base vehicle shall have a gross weight of six long tons,a gross payload of over fifty-two hundred pounds and an internal volume identical to that of the Pony,Matilda and Charger vehicles.
 

 

Picture: Leading Seaman Paul Berry,1st Joint Public Affairs Unit,Australian Defence Force,Commonwealth of Australia copyright

 

Most Mules shall be neither armed nor armoured but a Three Eighths Inch Machine Gun and ballistic protection up to STANAG 4569 Levels 2,2a and 2b may be added in lieu of payload when required.

 

 

Photo: P.O.A. (Phot.) Dave Husbands,Crown Copyright

 

The Mule shall generally be used as a more economical substitute for the Pony in benign environments such as driving schools,exercise areas,firing ranges,air fields,depots and bases.
 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,Lockheed Martin Sikorsky photograph
 

The Mule shall not be routinely issued to any field unit,but shall be used in combat only when size or weight constraints preclude the use of the larger and heavier Pony. 
 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,General Dynamics photograph 
 

A ten man Light Infantry section equipped with a Mule shall weigh four long tons,half as much as a section equipped with a Pony.

 

 

Picture: Shane Wilkinson,Crown Copyright

 

A Super Merlin or Hermes helicopter shall be able to lift one section equipped with a Pony,two sections equipped with Mules or a full platoon equipped with a pair of Oxen.

 

 
Picture: Lance Corporal Samantha A. Barajas,Second Marine Division,Combat Camera,United States' Marine Corps photograph
 

A Super Merlin or Hermes helicopter shall be able to carry a Pony as an external load but shall be able to carry a Mule as an internal load.
 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,Royal New Zealand Air Force photograph
 

A Centaurus aircraft carrying eight Light Infantry sections rigged for airdrop shall be able to carry about thirty-two long tons of additional fuel if they are equipped with Mules rather than Ponys,allowing a significant increase in airdrop radius.

 

 

Picture: Technical Sergeant Jose A. Rodriguez Jr,United States' Air Force video

 

A Centaurus aircraft shall be able to airdrop sixteen Mules using the Dual Row Airdrop System or air land twenty-four.
 

 

Picture: Ron Slattery

 

The Mule shall be able to exploit narrower roads and weaker bridges than the Pony.
 

 
Picture: L.A. (Phot.) Caroline Davies,Crown Copyright

 

The Mule may be regarded as the spiritual successor to the Land Rover Defender based Truck Utility Medium.
 

 
Picture: thewildcatgroup

 

The Mule shall have an external space frame chassis,similar to that of the Ox,inside which a variety of inverted trapezoidal bodies may be bolted and on to which accessories may be fitted,it shall be powered by two and three cylinder variants of the engine used by the Ox.
 

 
Picture: Unknown photographer,OVIK-CROSSWAY photograph
 
British companies such as Ricardo,Ineos,OVIK-CROSSWAY,HORIBA-MIRA,Wildcat and Supacat have the ability to design and manufacture the Mule.

 

 

 (The Field Car renamed Mule,the Light Protected Truck renamed Pony,dead links replaced,new picture attributions and links added and text and pictures edited on the Twenty-second of January,Twenty Twenty-two)