US Military aircraft and picture stories

[skyguyscott]

Is it true that the Navy still doesn’t have a plane as capable as the F 14 tomcat?

[AgBullet]

My take: The FA-18 Hornet has been a phenomenal workhorse for the during and after the service life of the Tomcat. It has replaced the Tomcat as a as a superb near-5th generation fighter, the A-6/A-7 as a bomber, and the EA-6B as an Electronic Attack platform. Overall, the Navy has been pretty satisfied with the Hornet's 35+ year performance, and today's flight deck is pretty lethal. With the advent of the F-35, a true 5th gen fighter, it's only getting better. The Tomcat was excellent in its day but as time and technology has passed, the Hornet has been an excellent successor.

The pic is the mighty Prowler; note the Hornet in the background. My last trap onboard THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71).

[skyguyscott]

That seems to track with an article I found on the inner pipes comparing the F 14 with a new super hornet.

The bottom line in the article was that while the F 14 was faster, had a larger radar, more range, and could track more targets and shoot down six simultaneously, it required a second crew member ( radio intercept officer), And was far more maintenance intensive especially the swing wing.

The F-18 is more nimble and agile in a dogfight, and far easier to fly well; It has much better avionics especially the computer which means the pilot can also handle the weapons systems. It was also quite a bit cheaper for the Navy to procure then a tomcat.

[guskmg]

I flew this B-52, 665, now in the Air Force Museum, At Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH, many hours. Later, it was shot up pretty bad over Viet Nam, but it now looks like a new aircraft. The restorers at the Museum do fantastic work. You should see the "Memphis Belle" it is a beautifully restored B-17 from World War II.
After B-47s I flew B-52s for the next 16 years. My crew at Westover AFB, MA. was S-81 (Select). That placed us in the top 18% of the Strategic Air Command rating system for crews. The only crew member that held a spot promotion was our T/Sgt. Gunner. The Command was phasing out spot promotions for the officers, but they let the enlisted men keep theirs for a while. That used to really irk my Radar Navigator/Bombardier who's accurate bombing was the reason for our selection. Oh, the good ole days!
guskmg

[airwoody]

Following - thank you all for your service

[BlackAces]

Naval Ari Station Lemoore, CA

The USN has gone full circle with their fighter aircraft. The twin engine fighters like the F4 Phantom II, F14 Tomcat and F/A18 Hornet are all antiquated relics compared to this modern aircraft. Technology has made everything more reliable.

This two aircraft flight (F35C) is assigned to navy fighter squadron 147 out of NAS Lemoore, CA.

[skyguyscott]

Originally Posted by guskmg

I flew this B-52, 665, now in the Air Force Museum, At Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH, many hours. Later, it was shot up pretty bad over Viet Nam, but it now looks like a new aircraft. The restorers at the Museum do fantastic work.

Wow, never knew the pilot of the museum’s stratofortress was a fellow as owner! Prettycool! Wonder what the resto experts in Dayton could do on my trailer, it would be a show stopper for sure.

[AgBullet]

Originally Posted by BlackAces

Naval Ari Station Lemoore, CA

The USN has gone full circle with their fighter aircraft. The twin engine fighters like the F4 Phantom II, F14 Tomcat and F/A18 Hornet are all antiquated relics compared to this modern aircraft. Technology has made everything more reliable.

This two aircraft flight (F35C) is assigned to navy fighter squadron 147 out of NAS Lemoore, CA.

Attachment 371808

FA18E/F and the EA-18G are most definitely not antiquated relics compared to the F35C. They aren't true 5th gen, but compare very favorably in almost all performance characteristics. The Hornet is aging out, however, and fatigue life is going to accelerate the shift to to the F35. For the near future, however, the Hornet is going to remain the Main Battery of Naval Aviation strike operations. Sorry for the counterpoint, but couldn't let that one go! BTW, more than one Navy pilot wishes the F35 had two engines!

[skyguyscott]

Whatever it takes to Git'er done!

[Boxite]

Originally Posted by vintageracer

The Air Force and NAVY being nice to each other!

A story below about the Boeing 747-400 Laser jet!


https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/th...ery-1724892313

Ahhh... TRUE “AN HARDWARE”!!

As an IP I had to transition a Marine (maybe THAT was the problem?) to a civilian jet and was horrified to find that the F18 had such lousy navigational capability. That airplane was 20 years behind the times as far as even basic civilian aircraft nav capabilities.
(Of course, the airplane I was teaching had ZERO shoot-down capability ....We’d have to RAM the enemy....so maybe that’s the trade-off.).

[wpugh007]

Without the ammo the Air Force, Army and Navy would just be another airline. IYAAYAS.

SR-71, A-10 and B-52 favorite planes.

[BlackAces]

Originally Posted by AgBullet

FA18E/F and the EA-18G are most definitely not antiquated relics compared to the F35C. They aren't true 5th gen, but compare very favorably in almost all performance characteristics. The Hornet is aging out, however, and fatigue life is going to accelerate the shift to to the F35. For the near future, however, the Hornet is going to remain the Main Battery of Naval Aviation strike operations. Sorry for the counterpoint, but couldn't let that one go! BTW, more than one Navy pilot wishes the F35 had two engines!

I was speaking in general when using antiquated. The service life of military aircraft can only be extended so many times with depot level maintenance, then they go to the bone yard. Those that have experienced excessive high "G" loads the most will get there first.

The F/A-18 aircraft I worked with are surely antiquated in more ways than service life.

I retired from the Navy 32 years ago. When I retired I was the maintenance chief for VFA-132, F/A-18 aircraft.

[Boxite]

Originally Posted by wpugh007

Without the ammo the Air Force, Army and Navy would just be another airline. IYAAYAS.

SR-71, A-10 and B-52 favorite planes.

Sooo...what are you saying....? That the SR71 is an airliner..?

[Escape_Plan]

[QUOTE=BTW, more than one Navy pilot wishes the F35 had two engines![/QUOTE]

You misspelled Naval Aviator.

[skyguyscott]

Originally Posted by Boxite

Sooo...what are you saying....? That the SR71 is an airliner..?

Sure it is, I agree! Flying tourists to exotic locales taking pictures, what else! And weren’t the guys flying those technically CIA? ( And even if they were, could they admit it?)

[Tom Nugler]

Originally Posted by BlackAces

I wasn't kidding when I said I have pictures from many aviation museums.... One time we stopped for a few days at the Ozark KOA primarily to visit the Fort Rucker Army Aviation Museum.
He are a few of my pictures taken there.

Well, my kid wanted to fly.
Joined the Army.
Got his ride.
20 years in and four combat tours flying an OH58D Kiowa Warrior.

Tom

[jimmini]

From days gone past till today at 85 years old and working.
NOTE Handicapped sign in window of C-130.

[jimmini]

Anyone know this one look closely.

[jimmini]

It is a 500P Known as The quit one, Air America CIA helicopter.
See at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzkrW27c4h8

or read about it in Air & Space magazine.

[BlackAces]

When driving by the Blackhawk hanger while spending some time at the RV Park at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX; I snapped these pictures.

The RV Park is well situated right on the bay, with a modern fishing pier jutting out into the bay, where sea trout and reds are plentiful.

https://military.wikia.org/wiki/HM-15