FURTHER action in the air is anticipated at this year’s Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta.

Flying display director Jason Aylett said: ‘We have been allocated several flypasts by some rather large RAF transport aircraft during regatta week.’

These include the RAF C130J Hercules scheduled at 6pm on Thursday, August 25; the RAF C17 Globemaster scheduled at 4.30pm on Friday, August 26, and RAF A400M Atlas scheduled on Friday, August 26, at a time to be confirmed and again at 7pm on Saturday, August 27.

These flypasts are all subject to training and operational commitments and are in addition to the Red Arrows flypast at 6.20pm and 7pm on Friday, August 26, and the Typhoon display at 6pm on Saturday, August 27.

The RAF has a total of 25 C-130J C4/C5 aircraft. The C4 is almost the same size as the retired C3 aircraft, but with a slightly shorter fuselage, while the C5 is the same size as the retired C1. 

The main role of the Hercules C-130J is also tactical air transport, and its capabilities are broadly similar to that of the C-130K.

However, its engines and advanced propellers, coupled with a digital engine-control system, give the C-130J increased take-off thrust and better fuel efficiency than its predecessor.

The aircraft also has a revised flight deck with modern, glass cockpit and head-up displays allowing two-pilot flight deck operation.

The C-17 gives the RAF a long range strategic heavy-lift transport aircraft that offers the ability to project and sustain an effective force close to a potential area of operations for combat, peacekeeping or humanitarian missions worldwide. The C-17 Globemaster III is the latest addition to the RAF’s inventory of transport aircraft.

The A400M aircraft in RAF service is named Atlas, the RAF have taken delivery of its first of nine aircraft in in what will be a 22 aircraft-strong fleet by 2019.

The A400M, which is a collaborative venture involving the governments and industries of six European countries, will support the deployment of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force and will give the RAF a tactical and strategic-airlift aircraft capable of supporting all three services and be interoperable with other nations.

The aircraft is capable of carrying a load of 25 tonnes over a range of 2,000 nautical miles at speeds comparable with pure-jet military transports.

It will be capable of operating either at low-level, down to 150ft, or at high-level altitudes to 40,000ft, and it will be able to deploy troops and/or equipment between and within theatres of operation either by parachute – up to 108 paratroopers – or by landing on short, unprepared or semi-prepared strips.