TV Heads up 25/10/10 10pm: Frontline Battle Machines

[B3n]

Hey folks just thought a few peeps would be interested in watching this

Frontline Battle Machines


EPISODE 1 - OFF TO WAR

Mike Brewer heads out from the RAF's Brize Norton air base in Oxfordshire, 4,000 miles to the front line in Afghanistan.

His mission: To test out front line battle machinery currently being used by British forces in their struggle against the Taliban.

He wants to find out whether British and American manufactured kit is really up to the job.

His two-month journey will see him drive, fly and fire some of the most fearsome and sophisticated weaponry currently in operation and bring him into direct contact with the enemy.

In this episode, Mike flies into a fire-fight with Taliban forces in a Chinook helicopter and comes within a hair’s breadth of death.

Featured Battle Machines:

Tristar – The plane Mike and the troops fly out to Afghanistan in.

Panther – Used by the airforce that protects Kandahar airfield.

Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) – A derivative of a WW2 veteran machine gun that is still in active use today.

Tonight 10pm Discovery channel

[Janner_Sy]

He gets on my tits.  nothing worse than a TV presenter being overly enthusiastic and fake

[QD MBE]

I shall be watching it.  The Mighty King makes an entry.
 

[v2brett]

ill be watching too, the ad makes it look good 

[B3n]

I shall be watching it.  The Mighty King makes an entry.
 

By that do you mean SeaKing?

[QD MBE]

Yes indeed the Sea King Commando MK4. Played with a few in my time.

[B3n]

No way!!!! If i knew that i would of talked your head off about them. They are my favourite aircraft

[Janner_Sy]

The merlin is better in every way. 

[RedRobin]

Yes indeed the Sea King Commando MK4. Played with a few in my time.

^^^^ Excellent pic! One of yours, Dave?

Unfortunately I don't have Discovery channel so I'll have to watch the Katy Perry Russell Brand prog on ChFive instead.

[Hedge]

Look at the mess it's making. Turn that fan off ffs.  

[Janner_Sy]

im the bottom left guy with my face in my hands.  We got tasked with providing force preotection and cover for the helicopter landing sirte in Al Amarh.  this was happening about every 15 minutes.

[QD MBE]

The merlin is better in every way. 

In what way?  Care to expand?

We (the FAA) are due to take over the MK3 merlin when the Sea King goes out of service (2016) and quite frankly, I am not overly enamoured.  Still this is my last job, I will resign soon

25 years on Sea king Mk4 and well happy, just sad to see it go.

The Merlin is however the only helicopter I have fallen asleep in, flying from Sarejevo to Banja Luka, very smooth ride, with its active vibration damping.

[Janner_Sy]

its faster, can carry more people, MUCH easier to get on and off fully loaded, comfier, roomier etc etc. 

I used to be thredders when we got shipped out in a sea king or yank black hawk because it was a pain to get off and retrieve all our tool boxes.  The merlin you can literally get up, grab your boxes and leg it off  the back off.

that said the worst helicopter ride i have had is on a black hawk.  the americans feel the need to remove all the window panels, i was sat  back right next to the window for 30 minutes in the pitch black getting blasted with airand kept getting whipped by the seat belt next to me.  i also sh!t myself at the speed her came down and hit the deck

[gillm]

here here merlin all the way :)

[QD MBE]

im the bottom left guy with my face in my hands.  We got tasked with providing force preotection and cover for the helicopter landing sirte in Al Amarh.  this was happening about every 15 minutes.

I was in Iraq in 2003, and again in 2004-2005

The Sea King pictured is fitted with Non-Carson blades, slightly different profile.  But as you can see the Dust/sand gets everywhere, currently playing havoc with the Merlin engine.

Al Amarah was an awful place, spent quite a bit of time there.