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Osprey mystery hatch

I consider myself to have a reasonable grasp of much of the blizzard of acronyms generated by the military but I confess that from time to time I am lost.  While clambering round the V-22 Osprey at RAF Marham recently I spotted this strange round hatch.  While this is, of course, hugely entertaining I wonder what it actually means.... Posted by Tim Gow at 12:38 
Given the other signage around it I would hazard a guess at 'Airborne Refuelling Speed Equipment' or similar.

8 August 2018 at 13:05 

I can offer no clue but I am sure you will get to the bottom of it....:-)



8 August 2018 at 13:26 
I did wonder if it was to give relief to USAF personnel after a particularly hot curry whilst visiting an RAF mess. ;^)



8 August 2018 at 13:28 
Is there another panel somewhere marked ELBOW ?

8 August 2018 at 14:12 
It's a thought - but shoving a refuelling probe through the hatch would give the co-pilot a rude shock!

8 August 2018 at 14:26 
Once again I am the butt of your jokes...
 
That might explain the proximity of the fire extinguisher...

8 August 2018 at 14:27 
Probably, but I couldn't tell them apart...

8 August 2018 at 14:28 

I am sure that after careful anal-ysis you will solve the mystery. Most modern aircraft have piles of labels but I hope you did not touch anything in either of the two pictures as you might have rectum....

I should be on the stage (the next one out of town methinks...)



8 August 2018 at 15:16 
I have to agree with Martian on this one it's an anagram for something...god knows what.

8 August 2018 at 15:49 StuRat said...

Yeah Martin is close, probably something like "Aerial Refueling Systems Equipment".

We damn colonials don't use arse that way much. We use "ass".

Which is why when I am working with our Academic Support Services, I always try to use their name in the powerpoints in the following manner:


It's the small joys that make life worth living. Or at least work tolerable.

8 August 2018 at 16:28 
I once nearly sold my then employer the renaming of my department to Best Advice Surveying Team And Related Duties. We got rumbled just short of board level....

8 August 2018 at 17:02 
Is there an elderly, deranged Irish priest nearby painting “ FECK” and “GIRLS” on the other side?

8 August 2018 at 22:07 
Great responses here - but there may be less behind the 'ARSE' label than meets the eye. I see above it a similar panel and the hint of a similar label. Tou can just enough of it to see that it comprises 4 letters, the first three being probably ARS, and the fourth NOT an 'E'. My guess would be that it is a 'D'.

And that leads me to believe the the letter "E" in the Arse label stands for the letter "E".
It would not surprise me if elsewhere on the vessel there were round panels labelled ARSA, ARSB, ARSC and so forth.

Some possibilities:
Air Reserve Station
Automated Reserve System
Air Refuellibg Station
Attack Radar Set
Admiral's Reserve Socks.

9 August 2018 at 00:09 itchy's wargames said...

I have been told by one of my US buddies that the signs are :
ARSD =air refuelling system drain
ARSE =air refusing system escape

sounds plausible both sealed areas checked on the ground after flights?

9 August 2018 at 06:28 
With so many signs to read it makes you wonder how they find the time to fly the plane.

9 August 2018 at 07:05 
Any idea what the one above it said (hidden behind pipe)..?

I'm thinking automatic something starboard engine?????

9 August 2018 at 12:56