metric vs imperial - which does CF use?

[exsemjingo]

Better Question:  Which system does the CF use for it's tools & equipment?

 

[aesop081]

Better Question:  Which system does the CF use for it's tools & equipment?

Both.....

 

[BernDawg]

Full on.  The "official" issued measuring tape has inches and mm on it. (for us wood butchers anyways)

 

[SeaKingTacco]

The Sea King world uses Imperial only- pretty much.  As was stated earlier, we measure altitude in feet, fuel in pounds, aircraft weight in pounds and distance in Nautical Miles.  For obvious reasons, we care more about how much fuel weighs, than how much volume it takes up.  When working ASW, we measure depth in feet.

The sole metric exception that I can think of deals with the way that Navy measures fuel.  They count fuel as cubic metres (Cums, for short- yeah, I know).  My helicopter burns 1/2 Cum per hour (very roughly), so each sortie on a ship burns about 1 Cum.  It makes the math easy when the Engineering Officer comes to see me before a RAS to see how much JP-5 to ask for from the tanker.

As we start to work more and more with the Army, we will have to convert some of our thinking to Kms and begin using MGRS.  No biggy really- we just have to be clear about that whichwe are speaking.

 

[Shamrock]

No biggy really- we just have to be clear about that whichwe are speaking.

And speak sloooowly and use litttttle words.

 

[Taylor187]

Agreed, I often work in metric measurements when I have to do fractions.  After all, what is 0.63 of an inch?

The most important measurement we need to consider though, is still in imperial and that would be the lowly pint  :cheers:

Just teach kids that 25.4mm is 1". All is well.

It was lots of fun going through college having to double up on all my work since Prof's wanted every print in Metric and Imp. Good ol' 25.4. I have not seen metric since I finished college two years ago. Any one know what most of a Material Techs work measurements are in?

 

[exsemjingo]

Sometimes there are problems with my car that aught to be fixable with household tools.  The repair is always a struggle, though.  That's when I would think to myself 'If this were the army, this engine parts would be put together with wing-nuts and phillips- head screws.'
Can I look forward to no-nonsense maintenance, or is the army also dogged by this problem?  I have a sinking feeling it may be the latter...

 

[JackD]

Phillip's head? Make that Robertson!

 

[exsemjingo]

Which is what?  I meant the flat heads.
I think I have the answer already, so my post is moot.  Too bad, 'cause I really hate not being able to change a light on my own, or a fan-belt, or a spark-plug...

 

[JackD]

Hi! Robertson screws - of course you won't find them on an automobile - too bad really - A great Canadian invention - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screw  ...

 

[Klc]

If military kit uses robertson, I would be a happy camper. That's all we used in my High School electronics classes, and I fell in love with them.

 

[BernDawg]

Americans seem to be to stubborn to see the light when it comes to robertson screws, however, I seem to recall that they have recently invented a marvelous screw called a socket-head.  It seems it has a square socket set into the head of the screw and is driven in by a sqaure screw driver.  Arent they smart? (insert sarcasm smiley here!)

BTW when we have any say in the screws we use we use Robbies.  (construction trades anyways)  Sucks doing an exchange in the states fricken Phillips head nightmares!

 

[Shamrock]

They'd better hurry up and patent the socket head screws before some thieving Canadian comes and invents it right out from under them!

 

[geo]

with the arrival of the torx head screws we're in for another round of which screw are you going to find when you try to fix / install something............

/$/%?/$?/$?$"!"/$%?&?**

 

[exsemjingo]

How's this for a complication:  I heard a radio-spot a while back about the difficulties with alumminum auto-parts.  A seperate set of tools is needed to work on them, since steel tools will damage the alumminum.  Welding alumminum is also more difficult, so much so that few repair shops are able to make the investment.
I'm sure someone in the know will be able to verify this, unfortunately.

 

[geo]

why get the special tools to fix aluminium parts.....
do repairs, damage clients car, let client leave garage (after making payment)
.... deny being resp - claim the damages were there beforehand, claim that damages were done afterwards.

 

[Kat Stevens]

But to reply to the original question, the answer is "yes".

 

[392]

In the army diving world, we use both:

depth is in feet,
air pressure in PSI,
distance in metres (we're still Army afterall ),
direction under water in degrees - above water in mils.

That being said, we're in the process of metrification of everything diving related.

And don't get me started on Torx head fasteners. I'd like to throat punch the idiot who invented it  :rage:

 

[aesop081]

where i work, everything is in miles, yards, fathoms, feet, knots.....and ,in an interesting mix of both systems, kiloyards.........directions are in degrees ( true and magnetic)

 

[George Wallace]

.........directions are in degrees ( true and magnetic)

Whew!  Add in 'Grid North' and you really can get lost.   ;D