F-35 first flight today

[Steel2686]

Nothing.....The F/A-18 has replaced both the F-14 and the A-6 in the carrier fleet, while it is not as perfect for the job as either of the others.

The Navy still uses the A-6 for radar jamming and other non-combat situations. My friend's brother is a navigator, stationed in Washington state. They are, however, used far less than they were in the past.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

The F18 has a maintenance to flight ratio of something like 3 to 1.
The F14 has a maintenance to flight ratio of something like 16 to 1.
So the F18 is a LOT cheaper to fly. The F18 has the electronics on slide in rails so if something fails they can slide out the old one and slide in the new one and send the plane back up. On the F14 they have to fix it on the plane.

On the other hand the F14 has an un-refueled range about 3 times more than an F18 and it can carry a heavier load and the F18 can't carry the AIM54 Phoenix. In the Gulf they had to refuel the F18s on the way to the target and on the way back. The F14 could do the whole mission without being refueled. That means with the F14 they don't have to send up tankers.

I'm really surprised they retired the F14s.

Not that it matters but I think the EA6B is a 4 man aircraft. They added a back window on it.

[Steel2686]

I believe the Superhornet has the same fuel range as the F-14's did. I'll look it up. The Superhornet is larger than the older F-18.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I believe the Superhornet has the same feul range as the F-14's did. I'll look it up. The Superhornet is larger than the older F-18.

I hope so. They needed to do something to fix that.

[Steel2686]

Not that it matters but I think the EA6B is a 4 man aircraft. They added a back window on it.

The trainers and radar jammers are four-man planes. The original combat Prowlers were two-man. The Navy pilots and navigators refer to the A-6 as "the big pig".

[Jeff_in_Atl]

The trainers and radar jammers are four-man planes. The original combat Prowlers were two-man. The Navy pilots and navigators refer to the A-6 as "the big pig".

The E in EA6 stands for electronics or the jammer version. I thought that was what was being talked about.

[Steel2686]

The E in EA6 stands for electronics or the jammer version. I thought that was what was being talked about.

My fault. I thought you were referring to the entire fleet. You are correct.

Here's some info on the F-18 Superhornet's upgrades over the old Hornet...

The multi-mission F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet" strike fighter is an upgrade of the combat-proven night strike F/A-18C/D.

The F/A-18E/F aircraft are 4.2 feet longer than earlier Hornets, have a 25% larger wing area, and carry 33% more internal fuel which will effectively increase mission range by 41% and endurance by 50%. The Super Hornet also incorporates two additional weapon stations. This allows for increased payload flexibility by mixing and matching air-to-air and/or air-to-ground ordnance. The aircraft can also carry the complete complement of "smart" weapons, including the newest joint weapons such as JDAM and JSOW.

The Super Hornet can carry approximately 17,750 pounds (8,032 kg) of external load on eleven stations. It has an all-weather air-to-air radar and a control system for accurate delivery of conventional or guided weapons. There are two wing tip stations, four inboard wing stations for fuel tanks or air-to-ground weapons, two nacelle fuselage stations for Sparrows or sensor pods, and one centerline station for fuel or air-to-ground weapons. An internal 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon is mounted in the nose.

Carrier recovery payload is increased to 9,000 pounds, and its engine thrust from 36,000 pounds to 44,000 pounds utilizing two General Electric F414 turbo-fan engines. Although the more recent F/A-18C/D aircraft have incorporated a modicum of low observables technology, the F/A-18E/F was designed from the outset to optimize this and other survivability enhancements.

The Hughes Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infra-Red (ATFLIR), the baseline infrared system for the F/A-18 E/F, will also be deployed on earlier model F/A-18s. The Hughes pod features both navigation and infrared targeting systems, incorporating third generation mid-wave infrared (MWIR) staring focal plane technology.

Although 41% interdiction mission range increase may be the most notable F/A-18E/F improvement, the ability to recover aboard with optimal reserve fuel and a load of precision strike weapons, is of equal importance to the battle group commander. The growth potential of the F/A-18E/F is more important to allow flexible employment strategies in future years. If an electronically scanned array antenna or another installation-sensitive sensor or weapon system becomes available, the F/A-18E/F has the space, power and cooling to accommodate it. Although the more recent F/A-18C/D aircraft have incorporated a modicum of low observables technology, the F/A-18E/F was designed from the outset to optimize this and other survivability enhancements. The all-F/A-18C/D/E/F air wing brings an increase in capability to the carrier battle group while ensuring the potential to take advantage of technological advances for years to come.