P-12 Defender Maritime patrol aircraft, Honduras Navy.

[chrisonord]

In  July1992 an small corporate business jet manufacturer was approached by a large multi national company to build them a medium sized executive jet.
The aircraft had to meet the following criteria,firstly it had to have a very long range, be quiet, yet show a good turn of speed. The aircraft should be capable of flying all around the world and have a big enough fuel capacity to get it across the Atlantic from the U.S, and into continental Europe.
The company Fullchester aviation were more than confident that they could design and build the aircraft that was wanted, and already had some drawings of an aircraft that with little modification to the plans would fit the bill perfectly.
The design of the aircraft was showed to the CEO of the Client Corporation, who after very little conferring with his advisor's signed the deal, 6 months later the first airframe was nearly completed,when the owner and 2 of the directors were taken in for questioning by the F.B.I and the D.E.A. The so called big corporation was a front for a large drug smuggling consortium, which was owned and operated by a very large and influential Nicaraguan drugs Cartel.The Owner of the factory Hugh Fullchester was devastated, and swore his companies innocence in the matter. After 2 months of investigation the company was cleared of aiding and abetting a criminal organisation and allowed to continue their business. This however did not do the company any favours, and business almost dried up over night. Hugh Fullchester, due to the stress of all this suffered a heart attack, and survived by the thinnest of luck. The company was now on the verge of bankruptcy, and closure.
Just one day before Hugh Fulchester was due to sign over the factory to the insolvency brokers, he got a phone call.
The call was from a Mister Brown who in his own words was employed by the U.S Government, he had looked at the surveillance pictures of the aircraft being built for the "corporation" and also had looked at the blueprints of it, and both himself and a friendly foreign nation would be very interested in funding and purchasing this aircraft in a more modified state, and with a possibility of ordering several more if the aircraft performed  adequately for their needs. This was a godsend to Hugh Fullchester as his company had been a family concern for 3 generations of his family, and everyone who worked for him were just like a family to him. The deal was struck, and the next week a bus load of government specialists  turned up at the factory, taking pictures of the airframe, measuring everything and going over every bit of data. The employees were told if they were to continue working on this project that they would have to sign the official secrets act, as this project was now the property of the U.S airforce and the C.I.A.
One year later in September 1993, the prototype aircraft was finished, then quicker than a blinking eye, the aircraft was taken apart and loaded onto 2 C-17's and taken away never to be seen again by its creators.
The aircraft after many months of testing and improving was finally handed over to its new owner, the Honduras Navy.
The aircraft's primary role being the patrol of Drug running routes used by the Nicaraguan Drug Cartel, it was originally first built for.
The aircraft has been used every single day, since it went in service in 1994, and apart from a couple of engine upgrades, has never ever failed in its duties. The aircraft is now looking very tired and in need of some TLC, and due to some funding is waiting to head back to where it was conceived, to be completely reconditioned and upgraded by Fullchester International aviation LTD.






The aircraft is capable of carrying Exocet, Harpoon, sea skua and Penguin anti ship missiles, Maverick and Hellfire missiles have also been tested. The aircraft is also capable of carrying and using several different gun pods, rocket pods, sidewinder aam's and also HARM and ALARM anti radar missiles. The initial design was to utilise an internal weapons bay, but this was scrapped in favour of an increased fuel capacity, even though the aircraft has inflight refuelling capability.
Cheers,
Chris.       

[bobbo]

Kowabunga!! Where did all the parts come from? 

I can't wait to see it "refurbished!!"

bobbo

[sequoiaranger]

...looks like the old Douglas Skyrocket!

Nice start.

[chrisonord]

I suppose I should really say what all the bits are from, but....... Lets see if anyone can guess
Chris.

[rickshaw]

A-10 engines?

[chrisonord]

A-10 engines?

Yep, any advances on the A-10 engines?
chris.

[sotoolslinger]

Cool  looking AC