Re: Boeing & Lockheed models for BWB tanker/cargo

Plus with the nature of the world today, TRANSCOM has to deliver around the world with a few hours notice. Can't do that as a contracting agency. It's a huge ask. TRANSCOM is a relatively quiet branch of the service, but what they do is incredible, and definitely not optional. Exactly. Try doing a ...

Re: US Marines looking to disperse around Okinawa Islands

That ended nearly 80 years ago. Why is your government still occupying New Zealand, despite the locals wishes? British rule ended nearly 90 years ago. That makes no sense. Who are the locals, I'm a local, there is no alternative govt, the govt comprises people from all ethnicity's present in NZ. Th...

Re: Boeing & Lockheed models for BWB tanker/cargo

Except they did. I’m pretty sure after this incident, civies kept flying into Iraq during the height of the insurgency. I do agree to a point about transporting tanks by air being easier on roll-on aircraft, but 99% of the time tanks are transported by sea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Baghda...

Re: Boeing & Lockheed models for BWB tanker/cargo

The USAF doesn’t need transport aircraft at all really. It’s much cheaper for Transcom to contract out cargo to civilian airliners. Except CRAF freighters don’t have roll-on, roll-off capability as the C-5 and C-17 do. Try driving a tank, a Mark V boat, or multiple helicopters on a 747. Try airdrop...

Re: US Marines looking to disperse around Okinawa Islands

The locals have hated the US presence there (generally) since 1945. However, the current Japanese government has much broader view and can see over the horizon towards China to recognize what is in the best interest for the citizens of Okinawa, the country, and their partnership with their allies. ...

Re: KC-10 Retirement

At least 25 or 26 (of 59) have been retired. McGuire's divestment is complete in a few months with their clunkers heading to DM and their good jets to Travis. All of Travis' tails should be gone by the end of FY24 or early 25. Some of these jets will be returned to service via contracted air, with t...

Re: B-21 Rolling out on Dec.2

bhill wrote:

So what happened to the other B-3 through B-20 models????

Re: B-21 Rolling out on Dec.2

How it handles take off and landing and high AoA is my question. Undoubtedly it can but curious. I was looking to see if there was any "panel" outline below in front roll-out view that might indicate additional intakes for such but could see nothing. I did see that the intake appears to b...

Re: US military aircraft avoiding land

The KC-135 and 707 may be the same general shape but that's about it. They have a common ancestry in the Boeing 367-80 but things diverged substantially from there. Yep, absolutely. I was speaking more to the point that the ICAO designation rules for aircraft type are very specific and that a KC-10...

Re: US military aircraft avoiding land

Except those flights don't ever appear on the flight tracking sites... Tugg There was a somewhat famous incident, before fr24 was around, in Austria. USAF filed a flight plan for a "DC-10" where somebody made the mistake to provide multiple registrations for what should have been just a s...

Re: Carrier Air Wing 1993 vs today

I don't think the 2020 air wing commander will load 10 AMRAMS per F-18. I bet he saves some space for close range missiles, and some space for fuel tanks. Yeah. A 10-AMRAAM load out for a time traveling Nimitz class aircraft carrier Airwing fighting three other Nimitz carriers for god knows what re...

Re: Air refueling while banking

So how much travel does the boom allow when connected? A couple of feet from minimum to maximum with it centering at the mid point? Mechanical spring, air, or hydraulic? What is the break away force - 2,000 pounds? I assume the tanker 'leads' as in setting course and speed, the receiver matches to ...

Re: B-1 Quick Start/Other Aircraft with feature?

The C-5 had a quick start procedure—it used a calendar. Don't be modest. The two quickest ways to get a C-5 off your airfield was either A.) The crew is stuck on base and no trans available. Or B.) The next station has a much higher per diem rate. Or both. "Hydro leak? I don't see any hydro le...

Re: KC-135 Leading Edge Lift Devices

They’re called leading edge flaps. They extend about 100 degrees from retracted and are sort of like small Krueger flaps. They extend out as part of the flap schedule (been way too long to remember when, if I ever knew), probably for takeoff flaps. I’m sure they don’t offer as much lift performance ...

Re: Air refueling while banking

I recommend looking up the old whifferdill turn photos. Crazy stuff there. Also drives home the point that as long as both crews are honed in together and paying attention, interesting things can be done seamlessly That was exactly the purpose of that training event: to instill that mindset, becaus...

Re: Flying hours per Aircraft

I use my AT days before they even think about taking them back... haha take that :lol: 3D chess. But what about that sweet, mythical 'Round the world' good deal trip that you're banking your AT days for? Funny story, I was ADO in 2001 at an AFB near Boston. There was little airlift requirements tha...

Re: How to defend against slow unmanned strike vehicles?

We only need to consider devices which are considered viable weapons systems. If you know of a laser system, current or out of the past, that is a viable weapons system, please provide a link to it. Or else please stop alluding to something that doesn't exist. Since countermeasures apparently don't...

Re: Air refueling while banking

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

Fifth: PATIENCE, rush things as the receiver, unpleasant or really bad things happen. More rushed, the faster they happen.

Re: USAF Refueling - Boom Operators

Whatever happened to the saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"? What happens if the cameras/video feed on the KC-46 craps out? Do they have a contingency plan in place whereby the boom operator can physically eyeball and control the boom from the back of the plane? KC-10: https://www....

Re: USAF Refueling - Boom Operators

This question is specific to the USAF and their tanker refueling fleet. Currently the USAF refueling fleet operates 3 different types (KC135, KC10, KC46). I would assume that the flight crews are specific to their aircraft and cross training between types is rare if not unheard of. As far as the sp...

Re: Air refueling while banking

Hello All, Quick question - when refueling in a bank - how is that coordinated? I.e. does the tanker advise of when the banks are going to initiated to allow the receiving aircraft to sync their movement with the tanker? Also how difficult is it to maintain contact with the tanker when maneuvering ...

Re: Flying hours per Aircraft

Congress gives the MAJCOM funds broken in buckets, flying time comes out of O&M appropriated funds bucket. Then, the funds are allocated by MAJCOM finance. There’s a MAJCOM-level formula, mostly driven by weapon system pilot training needs. For example, Pilot currency table calls for 2 instrume...

Re: Ex-UK pilots lured to help Chinese military- BBC

stratable wrote:

This is also what I don't understand. You are willing to dedicate (and potentially give) your life to defending your country, and your allies, only to then go and do paid consulting for one of your country's key adversaries?

Re: Ex-UK pilots lured to help Chinese military- BBC

TheFlyingDisk wrote:

LyleLanley wrote:

DigitalSea wrote:

Both sides are pretty familiar with tactics, orders of battle, etc.

Then why are they paying them?

Obviously to get an understanding of the things like the psychology behind said tactics, how to best execute said tactics etc.

Re: Carrier Air Wing 1993 vs today

Your math, while correct, doesn’t tell the whole story: by gaining 5 MQ-25s, the Navy is effectively gaining a greater number of Super Hornets no longer burning through flight hours as tankers.

Re: 787 vs A330 Runway Performance/Requirements

BEG2IAH wrote:

Maybe they just like to make noise and use Earth's curvature to achieve their cruising altitude.

Re: Polish Land Forces to order 96 AH-64E Apache

Vintage wrote:

But engaging in such topics would require discipline, thought and insight rather than dogma, tunnel vision and confirmation bias. So don't anyone hold their breath.

Re: Ex-UK pilots lured to help Chinese military- BBC

They wouldn’t be the first, but I’m sure the door will swing both ways: me thinks DIA would love to debrief any one of these guys to get hands-on info on how the Chinese train. Especially for a few £. As far as treason, good luck proving they gave up classified information. It’s not like the Chines...

Re: Polish Land Forces to order 96 AH-64E Apache

Twelve an a half billion dollars for 'frosting on the cake'? Are you serious?...Wow 25 mm vs 30 mm vs 20mm, that changes the whole thread!!!!...Is that a joke?...Here's the thing that appalls me about this thread. At least one of the above posters has railed on about how 'corruption' has hindered t...

Re: Autopilot Functions in Military Aircraft

VMCA787 wrote:

I can guarantee you, the BUFF does NOT have autothrottles. I would be willing to bet they won't get them with the CERP mods, although, it would be easy to do.

Re: Ex-UK pilots lured to help Chinese military- BBC

They wouldn’t be the first, but I’m sure the door will swing both ways: me thinks DIA would love to debrief any one of these guys to get hands-on info on how the Chinese train. Especially for a few £. As far as treason, good luck proving they gave up classified information. It’s not like the Chinese...

Re: Carrier Air Wing 1993 vs today

So what are they using the additional space for? More fuel, ordnance and food? I couldn’t tell you: the only time I’ve been on one was at pier side and the hangar deck looked crowded even without aircraft embarked. Bombs go in the magazines and fuel goes in the fuel tanks, so maybe food and gym equ...

Re: USAF Tactical Tanker

Tangent, but I didn't realize the KC-135's hours were considered low. I don't really have a basis for comparison, but it seems a little surprising, given that it seems like nearly everything else needs tanker gas and they've all been at work since the 1960s. Was it just a lot of airframes built to ...

Re: Polish Land Forces to order 96 AH-64E Apache

I asked for a link to RJMAZ's claim. He said nothing about flying high above urban areas. And you missed completely missed why I asked him for a citation. It's better to leave others to make their own arguments. He’s been talking about near-peer the entire time where it’s safer to be low because po...

Re: Carrier Air Wing 1993 vs today

A Carrier Air Wing in 1993 was 2 fighter squadrons (VF) of 10–12 F-14 Tomcats 2 strike fighter squadrons (VFA) of 12 F/A-18 Hornets 1 medium attack squadron (VA) 10 A-6E SWIP/TRAM intruders 1 tactical electronic warfare squadron (VAQ) of 4–6 EA-6Bs 1 anti-submarine squadron (VS) of 8 S-3A/B Vikings...

Re: Autopilot Functions in Military Aircraft

Hello All, Had a quick question - when it comes to military tactical fighters/bombers/transports which ones have autothrottles/thrust management functions? Is that fairly common for those aircraft made post 1990's? I know that certain tactical aircraft and bombers and helicopters have complex terra...

Re: Polish Land Forces to order 96 AH-64E Apache

Link? It's in the link you, yourself, posted. Flying high altitude (for helos at least) over urban areas is a major change from normal SOPs and without the right equipment and proper TTPs is unworkable. As stated in the article you posted, with proper equipment and training high altitude is a worka...

Re: USAF Tactical Tanker

The thing is the USAF has an unbroken track record of tanker procurement failures going back over 50 years now. Can you elaborate on why you think this? If you'd said 20 I'd understand, but >50? I'd say the KC-10 was a pretty damn successful acquisition - 16 originally planned, 60 actually purchase...

Re: Upgrading the F-18 Classics (Really?)

They should upgrade them with the F404-INS20 engine. Would get you as close to the superlative F-18L as you're ever going to. With those engines, AESA radar and Meteor/Asraam capability it could hang with any of the 4.5 Gen aircraft in the A to A role and could probably even supercruise. Not possib...

Re: C130H grounding

H3s?

Love seeing those smoke trails and hearing that beautiful sound. The J engines just lost the panache and only got performance and economics in return.

Re: C130H grounding

Perhaps, but I hope whoever had the bright idea of plasma-lasering the VIN on those things instead of acid gets fired. Only what, 130 Herks out of commission in the meantime?

Re: USAF Tactical Tanker

Avatar2go wrote:

Not really sure why this gets hyped so much in the press.

Re: C130H grounding

Wonder if this might give more impetus to quickly replace the H’s. The Nav and FE unions will strenuously object, but this could tip the balance in favor.

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - Military Aviation News and Discussion Thread

With 1200 hours in fighters, I’ll ask the same question— your experience to make these rather sweeping judgments. How many form take-offs, join-ups out of traffic? A-10s, we’d do these departure 2-3 sorties when deployed as lead or wingee. So was that 1200 in the Hun and non-fighter time in the Hog...

Re: USS Bonhomme Richard Fire: Sailor Acquitted

Knowing the Navy they'll probably non-vol him to be a recruiter for the rest of his enlistment. This kid sure earned his 9/11 GI bill benefits. The only thing the Navy has managed to prove by blaming the fire on the USS Iowa, errr, I mean Bonhomme Richard, on this kid is their potential for incompet...

Re: USAF Tactical Tanker

Hopefully, but this guy was right there and he didn’t avoid it either: the NATO E-3 pilot did the work. Equally hopeful a remote boom wouldn’t stutter like this guy when blurting out ‘the B-word’. :lol: Truth be told, this incident is a better example of why remote pilots can’t do time-sensitive tas...

Re: USAF Tactical Tanker

The bomb bay should be around 20 feet long to carry 6m long cruise missiles. The most aft point of the bomb bay should be quite close to the rear of the aircraft like the B-2 which is convenient for a boom. Half of the boom could retract into bomb bay to help with rotation angle. That’s clever, but...

Re: USAF Tactical Tanker

The key difference is the KC-46 will get shot down with 2 pilots KIA if it goes near the front line. Not wanting to lose two pilots is the reason the USAF is going for the one pilot/one boomer concept for Peggy. Since the boomer is apparently free real estate, there’ll still be someone to raise the...

Re: No F-22B version

If your wife comes home after spending $2,000 on 10 pairs of shoes and justifies spending such a huge sum by saying each pair was cheaper by buying in bulk that doesn't make everything copacetic: she still spent $2,000. The correct analogy would be: The husband had already approved for the wife to ...

Re: No F-22B version

iPhones are drop in, low cost improvement for ancient Nokias. Upgrading the F22 avionics would cost $billions Are you arguing for upgrading the F22 avionics and electronics? It's an analogy. In any case the iPhone wouldn't be a "drop in, low cost" improvement if you didn't have a computer...