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There are simply missions that the F-18E/F can't perform (anywhere near) to the level of the F-14.

You know that, i know that, everyone with an interest in the subject knows that.



<i><b>"US Snipers...providing surgical strikes since 1776"</b></i>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>

Boomer, at this juncture I think it is appropriate that you go back to your BOTH avatar. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

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Boomer, at this juncture I think it is appropriate that you go back to your BOTH avatar. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>


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Not without support lol

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
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_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

I don't know... I'll think about it.

You're doing pretty good.





Edited by - Tritonal-05 on Apr 22 2005 10:46 PM

All Pulse doppler radars basically have the same weaknesse do they not?

<i>... it seems the ones who know the most can say the leaste, publicly anyway </i>

Something everyone should remember.
That's what I learned in my experiences.

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All Pulse doppler radars basically have the same weaknesse do they not?

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Basically yeah, to varying degrees, newer RADARs frequently have multiple modes to help mitigate the problems pulse Dopplers have. The SH is currently getting new AESA RADARs like the F-22. Hopefully many of the remaining F-15s will get this upgrade too.

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
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_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Some of the Elmendorf Eagles have the APG-63(V)2 AESA set.

<i><b>"US Snipers...providing surgical strikes since 1776"</b></i>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>

yeah and I'm hoping that number greatly increases, hoping we SLEP a bunch of Eagles too.

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
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_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

The USAF doesn't wanna go that route.

Every dollar for the F-22 seems to be their current thinking. I can hardly blame them.

1 F-22 is worth 4 F-15Cs in my book.

<i><b>"US Snipers...providing surgical strikes since 1776"</b></i>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>

I don't see the remaining Eagle fleet getting AESA... IMHO of course. She's (A-D) getting a bit old and the big kicker budgetary concerns.

The USAF doesn't want to upgrade or SLEP the Eagles. I just read an article about it the other day.

The whole C fleet is already operating under speed restrictions since that one disintegrated over a test range about a year ago.

<i><b>"US Snipers...providing surgical strikes since 1776"</b></i>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>

<i>disintegrated</i>

OUCH! What happened?

The vert stab came apart during an AIM-9X live fire test.

Shortly thereafter, the rest of the Eagle came apart.

<i><b>"US Snipers...providing surgical strikes since 1776"</b></i>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>

I guess if the F-18E/F proves to be a saltwater version of the F-15E, the program can be considered a success. I think the F-18E/F holds some promise, but I really am disapointed the Navy did not realize what the F-14 could have been. The Navy had the opportunity in the 1970's and 80's to really be ahead of their time with a true successfull multi mission carrierborne stike fighter, perhaps with the correct updates the best the world had ever seen. This school of thought seems to be the prevailing attitude in most circles, but what could have been does not help is in the now. Thats history.

Is the Super Hornet sheduled to recieve upgraded powerplants with the subsequent blocks that are produced? It seem like that jet is a bit under powered from the numbers I have seen. I was also curious if there was any attempt with IR reduction in that program. Our Russian "friends" have produced some pretty impressive airborne IR tracking weapon systems that are now being exported to potential adversary's.

What do the pilots that converse here think of the F-18E/F as the next generation carrier strike fighter?


Edited by - Bolter on Apr 25 2005 12:19 PM

They could bolt a Saturn V rocket to the Super Hornet's ass, it will still never have good supersonic performance.

The wing is just plain all wrong for that.

<i><b>"US Snipers...providing surgical strikes since 1776"</b></i>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>

Like the F-16, the Hornets wings are designed for transonic performance, where all the fighting takes place.

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_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

I think transonic from the onset and depending on the altitude. The fight will end up going slow sooner or later... Bingo..

There's a proposed economic engine on the table for the SH.

yup, but the slower it gets, the better it is for the Hornets heh heh heh

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
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_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

The F-14s wing was designed for all flight profiles.

<i><b>"US Snipers...providing surgical strikes since 1776"</b></i>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>

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The F-14s wing was designed for all flight profiles.
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Roger that. It is a thing of beauty from approach speeds at sea level to over Mach 2 at altitude. It can do it because of variable sweep/span, slotted fowler flaps, direct lift control spoilers...the works.

THE RAMPTOR ENGINEERING TEAM <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
"Who cares if it works? Does it look good on the ramp?"

_________________
????

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yup, but the slower it gets, the better it is for the Hornets heh heh heh

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://publish.hometown.aol.com/boomer0400/images/fal_avatar.jpg" border=0>
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Problem is that all of the F18 family drink fuel a lot faster than most planes.

There's an old joke a former FST once told me and it goes like this..

"Why is the Hornet's nose long?"

"Because it is sniffing for gas."


Nevertheless, it would be nice to see if the engine gets approved but I am not holding my breath on it.

Yes sir...The VG design on the Tomcat rocks, they ought to call it a flight profile evolution optomizer wing, or something cool like that to get it away from the variable geomtery stigma. With its mach sweep programmer, and other inherit revoultions its in a class by itself. Mig-23, Tornado, other VG fighters have nothing in common with that robust design.




Edited by - Bolter on Apr 26 2005 08:50 AM

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The USAF doesn't wanna go that route.

Every dollar for the F-22 seems to be their current thinking. I can hardly blame them.

1 F-22 is worth 4 F-15Cs in my book.

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You're right, it is the current USAF thinking. I can understand the need to protect the F-22, but we can't make the mistake of betting everything on the pass line on it by letting other stuff fall by the wayside. We still need the other weps systems to retain their capabilities. And again, I'm not touting the 117 horn, it's got it's niche that it's good at, but money is getting tight allocation-wise, and even now, our ability to do our primary mission is getting affected. The clowns in the upper echelons of the corporation better wake up.

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yup, but the slower it gets, the better it is for the Hornets heh heh heh

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://publish.hometown.aol.com/boomer0400/images/fal_avatar.jpg" border=0>
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

"Nobody ever won a war dying for their country. You win wars by making the other son of a bitch die for his." - George S. Patton.
My motto: pacis per vires