Hot and sandy desert operations in Kuwait to hot and humid conditions in Malaysia. Will premature corrosion be a potential problem? About a year ago The Drive said "Of all the ‘legacy’ Hornets, the surviving Kuwaiti F/A-18C/Ds are among those in the best condition, and in the past, both Canada...
Jump to postReading the whole article, my understanding is that before July 9th the KC-46 had been certified for testing or exercises, but not operational use. But now it is certified for day-to-day refueling operation and can do some planes such as F-18 that use a drogue, and three large planes that use a boo...
Jump to postAre we really calling landing mishaps crashes now?? Chumysix a Class A mishap to the USAF is 2.5 mill or more of damage including aircraft destruction. Doesn't matter how or where they break it, only how much it costs. Does a wingtip in the dirt on a billion dollar aircraft look like more than 2.5 ...
Jump to postThere is no law that prevented export of the F-22. Making exports prohibitively expensive prevents them just as effectively as an explicit ban. Considering how superior the F-22 is said to be, for what other reason would potential allied customers choose not to buy. The law enacted to prevent the f...
Jump to post"Various allies have expressed interest in buying the plane, but U.S. law prohibits its export." 100% False. There is no law in place that prevented export of the F-22. In fact, Japan was nearly a customer, but chose to allocate the money to fund an export variant to the F-35 procurement....
Jump to postThe plan has always been to replace the F-22 with the NGADF. Not sure why they think this is new. They've also taken another liberty...no one said the F-22 was being retired early! Not once did anyone say that, Defense One just made that assumption. They don't seem to know their facts either..."...
Jump to postchecksixx....... Read Flight International to see the rationale that led to the EX. Bikerthai hit the nail on the head with his answer to you. The current E will not be around forever and the EX will be able to assume the role of the E. The cost to keep the current fleet of C/D flying is more than ...
Jump to postThe USAF made it very clear they wanted a quick solution to the F-15C/D availability and the EX was the cheapest, fastest solution. So they are getting the first frame 9 months after contract award. That is awfully fast even for a mature program. Making it a single seat would probably add one to tw...
Jump to postWhat everyone should be able to agree on is the absolute rip-off price Boeing is selling these new Eagles at. They literally cost more than an F-35. Of course they would cost more. Each have an extra Engine and lots more parts to assemble, being a larger plane. Now you really can not call it a rip ...
Jump to postSomeone needs to check their sources alright...YOU. Boeing offers the F-15CX (single seat) and the F-15EX (dual seat) for purchase. This was a specific requirement of the program. You had better do some research on what you are writing. Boeing may have offered it, but the EX was offered first and t...
Jump to postWhat everyone should be able to agree on is the absolute rip-off price Boeing is selling these new Eagles at. They literally cost more than an F-35. Considering they used a sheet design that was funded by a foreign military, and has been flying for some time, to tweak to the 'CX/EX' standard...its o...
Jump to postI think you had better check your sources. The F-15EX comes in a two-seater only. There are no plans because of the engineering required to develop a single-seat F-15X. The USAF has taken the position the EX as it stands right now is fine. Clearly, the current configuration would allow another &quo...
Jump to postRJMAZ wrote:The F-22 is only cleared to carry external fuel tanks for ferry use.
So I don't actually know what forces contributed most to the aircraft's destruction and to what degree the pilots were still in control, but I'm quite sure that they attempted something that looked like a landing, and the electricity pylons did play a role. Here's the difference, without all that u...
Jump to postThat one user of the aircraft chooses not to fly with four AIM-120s internal is their choice. I am interested to know why and hence why I asked you to provide sufficient sources to support the statement. You have not and your unverifiable claims about conversations with F-35 pilots isn’t evidence. ...
Jump to postWhat always baffles me with these military transport crash-landings is the significant damage to the aircraft on landing. The KC-390 suffered major damage to gear and fuselage in a runway overrun. The A400M was completely destroyed while landing on a relatively flat, open field. This KC-130J either...
Jump to postWhat always baffles me with these military transport crash-landings is the significant damage to the aircraft on landing. The KC-390 suffered major damage to gear and fuselage in a runway overrun. The A400M was completely destroyed while landing on a relatively flat, open field. This KC-130J either...
Jump to postAt the moment it is FOUR, should I capitalise it as well because in the absence of facts putting things in capital means it must be true... In case you want to know the FACTS, should I have capitalised that, the SDD program cleared the aircraft to carry four AIM-120s internally. You sound like a ba...
Jump to postNo I mean six. At the moment it is four, two on the door and two on the A2G stations but moves to six with the funded (in FY21) sidekick rack for Lot 15 jets, https://theaviationgeekclub.com/us-navy-wants-sidekick-internal-weapons-rack-for-f-35c-to-carry-6-aim-120-air-to-air-missiles/ At the moment...
Jump to posthttps://imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/1/8/3/5788381.jpg?v=v449642b445c Hi,The above Photo was rejected due to softness.but got upload ban immediately. i have been following rules of this website since i joined it.its not fair that after altering the small issue of softness,i uploaded three...
Jump to postThe Raptor was not barred from export. The Obey Amendment just ensured that none of the funding approved by Congress could be used by the manufacturer to develop an export variant. His intent was to bar it from export...he failed. That's the exact reason Japan seriously considered paying to R&D ...
Jump to postThe ride inside the starlifter was crap. You'd freeze at altitude and bake when you landed (in hot areas). Hated it...thank God their gone.
Jump to postOzair wrote:New smaller missiles will be coming along shortly and these may increase the internal bay load beyond the current six.
For those interested in the air show demonstration by the F-35 team you can find the F-35A demo manoeuvres package here, https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/airshow/media/military/AETC_F-35_Demo_Maneuvers_Package.pdf Some things I found interesting are the limits and the fuel load. The minimum fu...
Jump to postPlayLoud wrote:Ok, and now there was an A-10, but there is no airshow in the area for a couple weeks.
Ft. Worth Alliance airshow is Oct 19-20, and the Raptor team will be there. I guess that must be it. Just seems early to arrive.
Without getting into sensitive information.... You will be detected many miles away. Many miles. Before you can even see Groom Dry Lake. By air? "Area-51" is actually a grid reference on the Nellis Range. Should you choose to fly in, you might be able to land as I doubt Nellis jets would s...
Jump to postFor the 9/11 anniversary. All the evacuated aircraft went to Tinker AFB, OK.
Jump to postSome more info on Burlington F-35 use and afterburner impacting the noise footprint. https://vtdigger.org/2019/08/29/docs-show-f-35-afterburners-use-may-be-higher-than-publicly-predicted/[/quote] They have an 8,000ft runway there. Afterburner usage should be extremely low, unless heading out with a...
Jump to postWatch the TFR and check this in the morning...will be very close to the schedule posted.
https://factba.se/topic/calendar
I wasn't convinced it was 100% real - even with the perfect dust flow from the wake vortex, but the way the vapes form off the chines of the F-18 the second he loads it up and pulls kinda push me over the edge into convincing territory. Former Blue Angel in the seat, 30ft AGL, multiple passes over ...
Jump to postThe cost overruns in its manufacture caused the program to be terminated before it could actually be the replacement for the F-15s and the cost of maintenance will be the reason the F-22 program will be terminated as soon as enough F-35s become available to take over the whole of the air defense ro...
Jump to postKill switches and codes...Good Lord...what some people will believe.
Jump to postAgree but previous to this, and some drop tank speculation back in 2007, the F-35 has never been slated to receive them . Given it carries almost as much fuel internally as most 4th gens carry internal and external it is a somewhat surprising move. I think Israel is likely the one prompting this an...
Jump to postMax Q wrote:that wasnt for a weather diversion
GalaxyFlyer wrote:Max Q
Do you have any military experience?
Good job but fail to see the ‘heroism’ "The Air Medal is awarded to U.S. and civilian personnel for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievements while participating in aerial flight and foreign military personnel in actual combat in support of operations." The portion I've highlight...
Jump to postGood lesson for anyone thinking about participating in a project with the US though. Pretty sure there wasn't anything in the F-35 contract about also being forced to buy any substandard equipment for inflated prices (Patriot). Turkey made a decision to buy a better product and for a better price (...
Jump to postI'm not sure this is as big an issue as is being reported. Contractually I would think it was more costly to change the contract for F-35 specific changes compared to those occurring post delivery, especially given all current in service ships have to be modified anyway. The Navy's newest supercarr...
Jump to postNOTE. Afterburner is an 'old fashioned' term for a single-stage [off-on-off], short-term, engine thrust augmentation. New engines have multistage thrust augmentation... allowing a range of thrust increase for 'the most efficient use of fuel-flow'. The F100-100 [Typical of F-15C/D models] has a 5 au...
Jump to postOzair wrote:At the end of the Cold War Russia essentially stopped these missions but they started up again about five years ago and have continued ever since.
The F-22 will not need afterburner but it has a very small fuel capacity so it actually has no advantage. The Suhkoi and F-35 would need a very low afterburner setting to maintain that speed but they both have a huge fuel capacity allowing them to keep up with the F-22. You do realize the F-22 and ...
Jump to postTop speed isn't important. Most pilots fly their entire careers without ever seeing the top speed their aircraft is capable of.
Jump to postCanada is changing it's rules to allow the F-35 to be part of the competition again https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canada-changes-fighter-jet-rules-to-allow-f-35-bid Honestly...its like dealing with a child with hurt feelings. Let's just cut them off from the jet. They clearl...
Jump to postCanada is changing it's rules to allow the F-35 to be part of the competition again https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canada-changes-fighter-jet-rules-to-allow-f-35-bid Honestly...its like dealing with a child with hurt feelings. Let's just cut them off from the jet. They clearl...
Jump to postDo you actually think the every air force person sees things exactly the same as every other air force person? :roll: I would guess that opinion varies widely amongst air force personnel. You're right...I should have said those with even the slightest connection to the operations would disagree wit...
Jump to postThere has also been a reduction for it's annual acquisition, from the planned 60 planes a year to 48 planes a year over the next five years. Don't worry, next year Shanahan will find a new way to cut back Lockheed's F-35 and give more business to Boeing. We are lucky that the F-22 production was cu...
Jump to postOzair wrote:No, the cost to operate the F-22 killed it. It was simply unsustainable to operate those costs long term with the fleet size the USAF wanted.
Correct, it is the DOD which is reducing the F-35 buys: the same people who are making the F-15EX buy. The planes that are being cut back could be "A" models as easily as "B" or "C" models. They're only reducing the number purchased for that year. There is no reduction...
Jump to postOzair wrote:Several F-35 operators have extended their runways to allow mil power take offs with the intent to reduce the noise footprint so clearly it is possible.