SFers? FA-18s on patrol 10/6

[magman007]

any SF;ers watch the redbull air races??

[rkjunior303]

I know they're not flying Super Hornets yet, just not sure what version of the original 18 they're in. The "A" model would be lightest and simplist, so probably best for acrobatics.

Who knows if they'll eventually switch to the 35s. The navy plans to keep using the Super Bugs and F-35s at the same time, so I'd think they'd just keep running the Hornets for a while.

As for the Blue Angels, I met one of the crew chiefs a while back, and got a nice look inside a few of the planes. The history and naming of the planes is pretty cool. I'd imagine they use older airframs, as they don't need the extra avionics that have weighed the planes down. The F-16A was the lightest and most manueverable of the whole series.

Aren't they planning on retiring the F-14 soon, once the F-35 comes into service?

[Steelrat]

Aren't they planning on retiring the F-14 soon, once the F-35 comes into service?

They'll retire the 14 before the 35 comes online. The 35 IS NOT a replacement for the 14, as the mission the 14 was designed for, long-range interception of Soviet bombers, is long since gone. Currently, the 14 is used for (believe it or not) strike missions, as they modified them to carry air-to-ground ordinance. Supposedly they are pretty good at it too. The 35 is, first and foremost, a strike aircraft, with a secondary air-to-air capability. Navy planners figure the 18 and 35 can handle any air threats that may come at them.

If the Navy really hits some severe air threats, they can always call on the Air Force and their 22s, which can defeat any projected threat.

[TheDuelist]

The F-16A was the lightest and most manueverable of the whole series.

Which series?

As for the F-14, my understanding was that once the Super Hornet came into service the 14 was decommissioned.

[Eagle]

I don't know quite how old the current planes are, but they are among the oldest in the inventory. As for retiring the F14, they are doing a squadron or 2 a year now that the superbugs are online.

[Steelrat]

Which series?

As for the F-14, my understanding was that once the Super Hornet came into service the 14 was decommissioned.

Lightest and most manueverable of the F-16s. They sacrificied that simplicity and manueverability to give it BVR missle capability and all-weather strike capability, among other things. Growth in any airframe is considered normal. They actually factor it in.

14 is still in service alongside the Superbugs, it'll be gone soon enough. I'll miss the cat, but it's not really needed anymore. I sure with they had made some of the Supercats though, they would have been a sight to see.

The Phoenix has already been decommissioned, maybe thats what you were thinking of?

[Eagle]

Yeah, the primary purpose of the F14 was to carry Phoenix air to air missile. The Phoenix was removed from service a year or two ago, so now the 14 Squadrons are being phased out and being replaced by Super 18s.

A piece of trivia: The Phoenix was developed as a conventional version of a nuclear weapon. The Phoenix was developed specifically to be carried on the F-12, which was a fighter version of the A-12, which was the CIA spyplane that led to the development of the SR-71. When the F-12 was cancelled, the F-14 (which was in development at the time) was modified to carry the Phoenix.

[can'tthink of1]

If the Navy really hits some severe air threats, they can always call on the Air Force and their 22s, which can defeat any projected threat.

After talking with one of the pilots of the F-22's, he says the F-22 is good against anything as long as the enemy doesn't see them. He said if they got into an oldschool dogfight, some russian planes might give them a run for their money.

[magman007]

in all honesty, i really wish that they would just update the f14, make some new ones, etc. the f14 is an amazing, powerful, and ingenious aircraft. Hell, it can actually out run the catapult at full afterburner, it is faster, and in its own right, more capable in the way of payload than the f18. In all honesty, its one of the greatest aircraft ever created.

[Steelrat]

After talking with one of the pilots of the F-22's, he says the F-22 is good against anything as long as the enemy doesn't see them. He said if they got into an oldschool dogfight, some russian planes might give them a run for their money.

The Su-37 is very manueverable, but the Raptor is its equal in a dogfight, and completely owns it BVR. Soviet aircraft have no stealth capability, and their electronics still aren't on the same level. They used to completely own dogfighting with their helmet mounted sights and AA-11s that let them do off-axis IR missle shoots, but now that the USAF (FINALLY!) has the AIM-9X and HMS, the playing field has been leveled.

[Steelrat]

in all honesty, i really wish that they would just update the f14, make some new ones, etc. the f14 is an amazing, powerful, and ingenious aircraft. Hell, it can actually out run the catapult at full afterburner, it is faster, and in its own right, more capable in the way of payload than the f18. In all honesty, its one of the greatest aircraft ever created.

Yeah, its great, even though it was originally nerfed with poor engines, but the job it was created for is long gone. And, as a pure fighter, it was never the equal of the F-15, which is STILL winning contracts versus newer types such as the Rafale and Eurofighter. Heck, the 15 just beat out the Rafale and Euro for the Singapore contract! What the navy needs is a navalized F-22

[SCpoloRicker]

Stand-off 100 mile range missiles are awesome. :)

[magman007]

Yeah, its great, even though it was originally nerfed with poor engines, but the job it was created for is long gone. And, as a pure fighter, it was never the equal of the F-15, which is STILL winning contracts versus newer types such as the Rafale and Eurofighter. Heck, the 15 just beat out the Rafale and Euro for the Singapore contract! What the navy needs is a navalized F-22

i wouldnt be surprised to see a navalized version of the f22, seing as navy pilots DO not want to fly the f35. Any one knows, you dont take off of a floating runway with only one engine, thats why the brits are so crazy. Damn problem plagued harriers.

THe f15 is an amazing plane, and partly i believe because of its closeness in design to the f14, it just isnt weighted down with all that navy stuff :) the beafy gear, the tail hook, the reinforced airframe to handle landing etc. Both great planes from Grumman and MD.

also, what has happened to grumman? they have baisically fallen out of the industry.

[rkjunior303]

The Su-37 is very manueverable, but the Raptor is its equal in a dogfight, and completely owns it BVR. Soviet aircraft have no stealth capability, and their electronics still aren't on the same level. They used to completely own dogfighting with their helmet mounted sights and AA-11s that let them do off-axis IR missle shoots, but now that the USAF (FINALLY!) has the AIM-9X and HMS, the playing field has been leveled.

What about the Mig-29?

[Eagle]

More aviation history. When the Chair Force was looking at new fighters, they looked at the YF-16 and the YF-17. They chose the YF-16. Well, the Navy looked at both fighters, and decided niether were well suited for cairer ops, but figured the YF-17, with a few mods would work. So thus was born the F-18.

As for the F-22 operating from a cairer, I don't see that happening. It would require to many mods. Reinforced frame, beefed up landing gear, tailhook, folding wings. Plus, stealth arircraft require a buttload of maintanance to maintain there stealth abilities. I forsee that becoming an issue when the F35 comes online, along with the fact that it only has 1 engine.

As for Grumman, they merged with Northrop a few years back. Aside from the B-2, I'm not sure what they have going on in the way of aviation, but they own a couple of shipyards that build ships for the navy.