What If The Bae 146-sta Did Sell

[Spey_Phantom]

title says it all, what if the Bae-146 STA managed to make it on the export market.
i got the idea when i was looking at the RoG kit i bought 2 weeks ago. and after seen the Belgian STA on the IPMS stand at Bierset. sure this little airlifter would have some export potential. so far the civil versions are military active in Bolivia, the UK and Saudi arabia. kinda like a mini C-17

some possible customers:

-Belgium (geuss why)
-Netherlands (to replace the Fokkers)
-Finland (they really need airlifters)
-Switserland
-Norway
-Greece
-Ireland
-Australia....

im planning on building the one i got here with a few modifications like, self defence aids, winglets, maybe an open cargodoor,....
any other customers or modications, anyone,..

[Archibald]

Don't know hiow it compared to the C-235/ 295, and C-27J... could be an interesting alternative to them, if so you can include the AdA to your list
(Petit Globemaster)  

[BillSlim]

And the RAF of course as a replacement for the Andover fleet. It would serve in light transport, electronic aids calibration and 'Open Skies' role (with suitable camera equipment).
It does look as if it would be a useful little aircraft. Sadly another one of the very promising British aircraft designs that never came to anything.  

[B777LR]

Scandinavian Airlines (lots of them, not 1 leased one)

American Airlines (replacement of the fokkers)

Lufthansa (even more)

Swiss (even more)

USair (replacement of the fokkers)

JetBlue (they dont need embraers)

Air Canada (Alternative to CRJs and ERJs)

easyJet (they need no scarebus)

Alitalia (instead of Embraers)

Sterling (to supplement 737s)

JetTime (to operate them for sterling)

Air Greenland (for shorter routes, instead of S-61)

Spanair (why not, they are owned by SAS)

Finnair

Iberia

Austrian Arrows/Austrian Airlines

KLM (AF operates them, and the fokkers are old)

Virgin Express (after they merged with Sabena)

Air Tahiti Nui (dunno why, they cant really use them, but look cool)

Norwegian air shuttle (they could need some more planes)

[Hobbes]

Well, the plans for the BAe-146 included a tanker version, a freighter with a rear ramp (and modified undercarriage), an AEW version, carrier-capable variants of these, plus some alternative engine installations (4x TF-34, 2x CFM-56, Allison 578 propfan), so lots of scope there.
Payload is 8-10 tons, or about half that of the Hercules.

Traditionally, the European air forces haven't had big transport fleets. What if the emphasis post-WW2 had been on highly mobile infantry and light armour instead of heavy tanks? We may have seen more small, fast transports like the BAe-146 (which is 250 km/h faster than the Hercules).  

[Captain Canada]

Canada definately could have used the -146. At least in my books.....would be a nice bird for the SAR role.

I also like the idea of Air Canada using them ! I'd love to see more of them, or grab a lift on one !

[GeorgeC]

MC-146, of course!  Low-level terrain following radar, AR capable (perhap even with a hose itself), FLIR/LLTV, ramp, para-capable.  Just the right size for a rapid low-level transit to insert an SFG ODA, a troop of SAS or an SBS section with RIB.  Not as good rough or short field performance as the 130 derivatives, but not bad.  

[Spey_Phantom]

the Bae-146 has some serious potential, here's what it looked like in Aussie service, to replace the carribou.
now this is the only thing VISTA is good at, profiles, cause you can now scale down the image in paint, without  the pixely loss of quality  B)



i'll be making more 146 profiles, i will post them in my own profiles topic. B)

[ChuckAnderson]

Hi Everyone!

Here are two more potential operators:

(1) USAF
A good replacement for the C-9A Nightingale Med-Evac aircraft.
This would look pretty nice in the same colour scheme as the C-9A, with the red cross on the tail!!

(2) U.S. NAVY
A good replacement for the C-9B variant, for use as a personnel transport.


Chuck

[XV107]

What if the BAe 146STA had sold? The RAF would be in less of a mess with its intra-theatre airlift capability, that's what!

[Lawman]

A maritime patrol variant might be a possibility, if the Nimrod fleet had needed retired earlier, even as an interim option. The BAE 146 could have carried out maritime patrol quite well, and could have carried a good enough payload, probably at least as good as the Fokker 27/50 MPAs. Bizjet versions would similarly be a possibility, fitting in somewhere between the Gulfstreams and the BBJ. Another possibility would be the ASTOR system, either by raising the undercarriage, or simply carrying the array on the fuselage sides, more like the DHC E-9A that the USAF uses for range control.

RAF:

Transport version, supplementing the Hercules, in the intra-theatre transport role
Maritime patrol version, supplementing or replacing the Nimrod
ELINT version, with a similar fit to Nimrod R.1 or the RC-135W
Tanker version, carrying out tactical refuelling
ASTOR, instead of the Global Express
VIP, as happened, but also replacing the -125s
Open skies, instead of the Andover
Personnel transport, to shuttle between the UK and bases in Germany or even Poland (in the future)
AEW version, using the Hawkeye's radar, to give commonality with the RN's new Hawkeyes, which are to operate off the Navy's new carriers.

[Hobbes]

IMO the -146 lacks the range to be used for ELINT, maritime patrol, ASTOR etc. The Nimrod has something like four times the range and three times the endurance of the 146.  

[BillSlim]

Quite correct. The best replacement for a Nimrod, other than another Nimrod, would be (IMVHO) something like a modified A330, or A340. The 146 might be suitable for the Sentinal R.1 role though.

[Hammer]

Its funny you guys brought the BAe 146 as a subject, around 1985 I actually drew (in wood&lead pencil, chaps!) a cargo variant of the still prototype in Brazilian Air Force Colours.. I then liked the high wing and the four engine reliabaility of the design... A stretch in the fuselage (even the 300 is a tad "stubby" to my taste) or even better a more "squared-off" fuselage might look good for the new freighter... the longer fuselage with a massive wing-fuselage fairing conformal tanks as well as wing tip winglets may turnout it even more fun to look at!

Users?

Iran
Angola (Nile river cammo)
Saudi (desert cammo!)
RAF Gulf War I (pink)
France Navy (COD for the Charles de Gaulle CV!)

Anyone care to draw these?

Regards

Hammer

[Hammer]

Maybe the BAe-146 cargo version could be built with two vertical tails as the An-28's..



Regards

Hammer