Royal Navy tanker aircraft

[McColm]

When I was in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force 1986-1997, I posed a question to a member of the Royal Navy,  Fleet Air Arm. Why doesn't the Royal Navy have any dedicated inflight refuelling tankers?
I mean the Royal Air Force provides the C-130 , Victor and VC10s but no carrier tanker. At the time the Buccaneers were fitted with buddy-buddy refuelling pods but no longer landed on any of the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers.
The likest candidate would have been the Fairey Gannet with a pair of hose and drogue pods fitted under each wing and an large fuel tank fitted behind the cockpit,  this would have been ideal for refuelling helicopters but not so good if you were in a fast jet.
The next thought was converting the Avro Lincoln B.2,  it would be land based. It could have been flitted out similar to the Avro Lancasters that had undergone trials. Even the possibility of buying the Australian Mk30 & Mk31s as a stopgap.
My next choice would have been the Avro Shackleton MR.3, the ones fitted with Viper jet engines. The bomb bay could of housed two long range fuel tanks and in the back of the Shackleton two rubber inflatable fuel tanks. A three point tanker.
Maybe the Fairey Rotodyne is more suitable for this role,  as the noise wouldn't have been a problem. Storage and maintenance might be though.
The HP Jetstream and the HS 125 are two other possibilities.
Across the pond the Grumman Trader with turboprop engines or the Hawkeye/Greyhound and then the Lockheed Viking.
Do they go with something that can take off and land on an aircraft carrier or go for something long ranged from a runway?
A few Whiffs for me to build in the future, unless there's some alternatives that I have missed.

[Joe C-P]

I'd love to see another Rotodyne.
Perhaps a USN model in RN colours?
Maybe an F-4 conversion to tanker, with underwing tanks and a refueling probe.

[kerick]

There was an idea kicked around I believe in the 80s about the US Navy having land based refuelers at different bases in the Mediterranean. This would have taken over the mission from carrier bases assets and given longer time on station and more available fuel to pass. I thought it was a great idea but never came to pass. They were looking at used airliners to convert to tankers. Maybe with the new British carriers something could be done with that idea for when they are in the Med.

[McColm]

I'd love to see another Rotodyne.
Perhaps a USN model in RN colours?
Maybe an F-4 conversion to tanker, with underwing tanks and a refueling probe.

I have the Hobbycraft 1/72 Boeing V-22 Osprey, it's almost finished. I know trials in the real world have been carried out KV-22A with a hose & drogue inflight refuelling system plumbed in on the loading ramp,  but I'm thinking of using a pair under the wings. Royal Navy decals and paint scheme.

[Nick]

There was an idea kicked around I believe in the 80s about the US Navy having land based refuelers at different bases in the Mediterranean. This would have taken over the mission from carrier bases assets and given longer time on station and more available fuel to pass. I thought it was a great idea but never came to pass. They were looking at used airliners to convert to tankers. Maybe with the new British carriers something could be done with that idea for when they are in the Med.

That there's a small reason for the UK to keep the remote bases like Gan, Tengah, Bahrain. But if the RN can do that, why not the RAF and have bombers there too?

[kerick]

Right, doesn't have to be the Med. Could be lots of places. I think like the Persian Gulf the US Navy and other nations have relied on USAF tankers for a long time but they get overworked. Probably never happen RW but could be an interesting whiff.

[AeroplaneDriver]

RW stumbling block is the ridiculous PFI contract that gives AirTanker exclusive rights to UK refueling. The Atlas has a refueling kit available and would be a great addition to the UK inventory, especially when a Voyager is always tied up in the Falklands.  But the RAF cannot operate Atlas tankers per the contract.  A ridiculous state of affairs.  Otherwise a few extra Atlases permanently based somewhere like Singapore might be a good idea. 
Obviously the RN would love a handful of Ospreys for lots of reasons...one of which is refueling. But that looks like a pipe dream left to the likes of us for the foreseeable future.

[kerick]

I would assume an Osprey would fit on a QE carrier, including the hanger deck. I would hope so.

[AeroplaneDriver]

I would assume an Osprey would fit on a QE carrier, including the hanger deck. I would hope so.

I seem to remember USMC Ospreys operating from QE2 during sea trials a few years ago.  And I THINK I read that it was designed to accommodate Ospreys from the start as far as hangar space and lifts.

[PR19_Kit]

Ospreys fold up so much you could maybe get TWO of them on a QE's lifts. 

I don't think I've ever seen a naval aircraft fold up so much, except possibly a Fairey Barracuda.....

[Rheged]

The Fairey Gannet's double wing fold was quite something to watch in progress, too.

The Barracuda didn't look too bad in flight, but I agree, on the ground it looked like a random series of badly fitted afterthoughts.

[McColm]

Ospreys fold up so much you could maybe get TWO of them on a QE's lifts. 

I don't think I've ever seen a naval aircraft fold up so much, except possibly a Fairey Barracuda.....

Black Dog does the 1/72 conversion set for the V-22 Osprey.