airplane geeks

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

My sister reports that a substantial number of perfectly preserved brand new WWII Spitfires have been found buried in their crates in Burma.  What a find that would be...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Cute, Slate, but is it part of its intended mission if the F 35B ever gets into service?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Ali - I think what happened is they were packed in crates, labelled to be shipped to "Burma" but somehow got lost in shipment to "Myanmar."  Now that they are letting folks call the place "burma" again, they showed up.

[Nathan]

Well, how old are B-52s?  Must be 60+ years on those things by now.

1976 so 37 years?  ROCK LOBSTER!

[Slateman]

Cute, Slate, but is it part of its intended mission if the F 35B ever gets into service?

The Harrier operating at low speeds isn't a capability, it's a short coming due to it's VSTOL capability. Harrier pilots don't keep it in hover mode for very long. They certainly don't hover and float like that in a combat zone (not like True Lies).

1976 so 37 years?  ROCK LOBSTER!

Try 1955

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Thanks, Slate, for clarifying on the Harrier.

BTW, I think the B-52 Nathan was refering to was this:


The first riff my roommate learned on the guitar was Rock Lobster.

[Slateman]

Better riff

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Weren't the Argentines flying Mirages during the Falklands war?  That didn't work out so well for them.  Perhaps they needed Obamacare/

The Harrier operating at low speeds isn't a capability, it's a short coming due to it's VSTOL capability. Harrier pilots don't keep it in hover mode for very long. They certainly don't hover and float like that in a combat zone (not like True Lies).
Try 1955

[Slateman]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7947679/Pentagon-reveals-F-35-Lightnings-guns-dont-shoot-straight-cracking.html

Don't know where else to put this. Lulz.

[HalfSmokes]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7947679/Pentagon-reveals-F-35-Lightnings-guns-dont-shoot-straight-cracking.html

Don't know where else to put this. Lulz.

best part

The $428 billion program has produced 491 jets so far that must be fixed

so $870 million per plane

[GburgNatsFan]

best part
so $870 million per plane

If it's like every other enormous government contract. Impossible, contradicting, changing requirements, dualing contract authorities, etc.

[dracnal]

I'll still take the A10 all day everyday. A late co-worker built the when he worked for Fairchild in Hagersburg. A cousin of mine was a nav on an F14 in the 80s-90s.

I also have a soft spot for the AC130 Specter.

 My father has flown every AC130-H and most of the AC-130As to enter service when he was in the 16th SOS. He transferred to help establish the EC-130s, then on to ACCS (an airborne battle command platform), and finally E3 AWACS.

He flew normal C-130 on forward support missions during the Linebacker 2 push, and was  aflight instructor prior to that. Long and interesting career with a lot of stories.

[Slateman]

AC-130s and A-10s are nice ... until you stop fighting against forces with no anti-air capability beyond a Dishka.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

AC-130s and A-10s are nice ... until you stop fighting against forces with no anti-air capability beyond a Dishka.

here's hoping that some A-10s do a fly over at Nats Park because . . . you know where I'm going . . . Shark Teeth!

[Copecwby20]

here's hoping that some A-10s do a fly over at Nats Park because . . . you know where I'm going . . . Shark Teeth!

I work for the man... should I put a request in?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I work for the man... should I put a request in?

do we still even have A-10s? I thought the air force got so tired of Congress extending their service that they got rid of them altogether

[Dave in Fairfax]

do we still even have A-10s? I thought the air force got so tired of Congress extending their service that they got rid of them altogether

There are 282 operational A-10s. Operational squadrons are split among the active Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. The closest to us is probably the 104th Fighter Squadron at Warfield ANG Base, also known as Martin State Airport near Baltimore.

[Slateman]

do we still even have A-10s? I thought the air force got so tired of Congress extending their service that they got rid of them altogether

Yes. They cant come up with a replacement.

In all honesty, the A-10s replacement will likely end up being an autonomous aircraft. You simply cant match their time on station. Nothing more annoying than being on a patrol and hearing F-18s check in and the roll off station 20 minutes later. Like dude, why even show up?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

There are 282 operational A-10s. Operational squadrons are split among the active Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. The closest to us is probably the 104th Fighter Squadron at Warfield ANG Base, also known as Martin State Airport near Baltimore.

surprised.  I thought they were down to like 1 active squadron out in Ohio and there's a fight every budget cycle whether to get rid of it.

Definitely need a Shark-toothed flyover on opening day.