12xu2a3x3
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Posts posted by 12xu2a3x3
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2 minutes ago, Clark Griswold said:
The RF-4 would be a good inspiration for a revitalized capability in that mission set, that mission is different now but still present me thinks...
Anyway, for info and to stir the pot...
https://www.mcara.us/RF-4B.html
https://flying-eyes.fandom.com/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_RF-4_Phantom_II
RF-4s with upgrades under Project SURE.
Inspiration but not necessarily a design starting point, this is just a theoretical requirement
I would still prioritize altitude, endurance over speed so a larger, straighter (sts i guess) wing but maybe a delta for whatever fuselage form would be selected. Sensors over weapons but the capacity to weaponize as a must have.
have been trying to finish a paper about this for the longest time
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14 hours ago, di1630 said:
Please expand. Not sure if I’m going to argue for or against you yet.lol
I think an argument can be made that, while there were obviously multi-role tactical aircraft before Desert Storm, the draw down following it (and the Cold War) also created the brain drain from the de-specialization that went along with multi-role's ascendance. The Wild Weasel community for example, lost their EWOs and the AN/APR-47 in the F-4G for single seat vipers with HTS. Allied Force is a pretty good example of how this was not really optimal. The Tac Recce community didn't fair any better, their mission was more or less obliterated. The only vestige of this capability was the TARS pod, also for the F-16. This was and i think technically still is a mission that was more or less dumped on the guard since they had basically sun-downed the RF-4C mission and the block 25/30s that carry it were making their way to the ANG. The TARS system as you might recall was deployed in OIF but it's inadequacy was I feel pretty confidant stating, a major driver for the rapid acquisition of the MC-12Ws.
Of note as well is the TR-1A/U-2Rs (pretty sure they weren't the S yet) and RF-4Cs turned out to be WILDLY insufficient for theater requirements was back in ODS, so much so that we begged the Australians to send their RF-111Cs which did not happen. So, we didn't really have the juice to cover major combat ops then. Does the RQ-170 make up the difference since then? Not gonna speculate on here but i guess that's a lot of what it comes down to. However, the idea of have those sensors, but like updated in the cockpit, real time and in the link with dudes in the jet...seems like an idea worth revisiting.
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18 hours ago, Springer said:
And some of these had Side Looking Radar (SLAR)
it's criminal what was done to the tac recce mission
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that has to be texas raiders
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we used to have jets for this that weren't biz jets
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there's one community that already does most of that alone...
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11 hours ago, filthy_liar said:
I spent some unwanted time at Eskan Village in Saudi. Got to travel the country. My opinion: overall shithole. Arrogant incompetent assholes. Saw things I've never seen before: 18 wheelers laying sideways on the interstate with a billion coke cans strewn across all 8 lanes, dude driving 75mph with a camel in the back of a pickup truck, the Saudi sweep, etc. Driving skills aside, interacting with them, they were arrogant assholes who sucked at whatever they did. I mean they are real assholes. Going into the RSAF headquarters they treated you like you were laden with explosives, denied every overflight request going to OEF, denied an IFE 2 ship of dark grays to land in their territory, and generally treated me and everyone else that was not Saudi like shit.
I don't understand how/why we gave them a pass for 9/11. It definitely wasn't for the oil. They were scared shitless of us not buying their oil, every conversation about overflights or maintenance on F-15s or AWACs devolved into an oil discussion. As an old head trying to clean up 9/11, why didn't we do anything about Saudi? Wasn't the vast proportion of terrorist attacks on American soil traced back to Saudis?
Thee Bitter Lake
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5 hours ago, Prosuper said:
They probably fly the jet without the low observable paint to save money, when they do it most likely goes into the paint hanger for a week to correct that. We do the same with ours. Come out of major inspections then fly it to get the cobwebs out of it, then to paint hangar for the special coatings then green it up for real world taskings.
...seems like now might be when they would want to do that. i have never worked fifth gen, i will take your word for it. you think this jet is just like coming out of cat status or something?
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18 hours ago, ClearedHot said:
Recent chat about the Russians being reluctant to employ the SU-57 in Ukraine. It is reported that they just took delivery a few more bringing their total to 12.
Interesting photos reportedly first person from an SU-57. If these images are real then it is obvious there airplane are far more rudimentary and FAR less stealthy than the F-22 and F-35. Uneven seams and what appears to be standard metal screws.
putting my coveralls back on for a second and observing those screws look kinda fried and that leading edge looks beat to shit, i wonder if it's just cause they have so few and are flying them a lot or if maybe they're broke all the time
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58 minutes ago, filthy_liar said:
Have you guys in the CAF experienced positive results from the 8's and 9's in your organization? My experience was that if they never showed up to work at all a better decision would've been made that day. That's from the squadron all the way up to the MAJCOM. I spent a 3rd of my career on Army bases and while there were some worthless E-9s, some of them were pretty damn helpful at accomplishing the mission. I personally never met one E-8 or E-9 in the AF whose pay fairly equated to what they contributed.
Not questioning the MAF or support folks because an immediate flaming about how valuable senior NCOs are would ensue. I saw it at SOS. And at ACSC. A long time ago. The question is for CAF pilots/aircrew.
no lol
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1 hour ago, SurelySerious said:
I mean I assume since most got sucked to staffs, ACC flesh peddlers are sitting like Monty Burns about it.they took who they could but most aren't gate one complete and are experiencing what i would describe as "life in age of diminishing rated expectations"
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2 hours ago, ATIS said:
He would be the first one to endorse pilot/NFO (WSO/CSO/whatever you want to call them in the USAF) up front like we had in the Navy
don't tell anyone there are 150+ 12R panel navigators that are about to have no job and are stuck in ACC
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On 9/5/2022 at 4:54 PM, nsplayr said:
UTFSF:
this is going to summon Toro
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On 8/27/2022 at 11:40 AM, Blue said:
We keep littering the globe with advanced man-portable anti-aircraft missiles, we're not going to like the result.
hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville and this is flood Ukraine with heavy weapons for the next fifty years
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On 7/18/2022 at 6:17 AM, WoAce said:
Has an 11R (recon/tanker follow-on)
11R Tanker?
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On 11/7/2017 at 1:25 AM, Springer said:
RF-4C
1. Ops tempo: Outstanding. Best kept secret. Basically a flying club. As a 1Lt it's your airplane with great responsibility; "All we ask is bring it back in one piece." Flying is mostly low level single ship to where ever YOU and your WSO decide to go that day. Not flying, review your film from previous day, do a tour in the RSU, perhaps a little studying in the vault, shelf check at the BX. TDY's and deployments minimal and considered a good deal. AAR training every couple of months. Night AAR is always scheduled with a full moon. If stationed in Germany always save a little fuel for the fur ball with whomever is trolling along the Rhine.
2. LIfestyle/family: Could not be better. Home every day by 5. No working weekends. If stationed in Germany most have a rental Swiss chalet for the winter skiing months.
3. Community morale: Excellent. Surprising amount of fellow pilots UPT DG's. Some turned down fighters to fly Recce. Everyone works and pulls together.
4. Advancement & Future of Airframe: Terrible, once Recce always Recce according to MPC although I managed a 4 yr OA-37 assignment to DM. (another flying club). NO future dedicated manned Recce airframes.
5. Preferred PCS locations: Zweibrucken, Alconbury, Bergstrom.
Oh crap, just got up from a nap. Dreaming it was 1977 and not 2017! Sorry guys, you missed a great time in the AF. 10 years AD then off to a legacy airline.
woke up thinking about this incredible post the other day, had to RT for old times sake
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On 7/21/2022 at 3:05 PM, LiquidSky said:
Wedgie: Not great capes. Old. Still going to take 4-5 years to hit the production line per reports despite being an existing design.
a bit off topic and not disagreeing at all with your main premise but
1. wouldn't characterize the current capes that way, future is vague to say the least
2. beats constant E-3 IFEs
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57 minutes ago, SocialD said:
One of the great things about being in the Guard, is not living anywhere near an MTF...not to mention all the other negatives of being on an AD base. For those looking to get out soon, add this to the long list of reasons why you shouldn't just hit the easy button and join the Reserve squadron on the AD base you're currently based.
it's not always rosy at the little guard bases, sometime leadership thinks they can get away with shit because big air force can't see
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alas i was not
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2 hours ago, Sua Sponte said:
"Air Mobility Command is discussing the option as part of how it may handle war in the Indo-Pacific, where it believes large, slow jets including tankers would be more vulnerable to attack from Chinese anti-aircraft missiles. Shrinking the number of airmen onboard a tanker could help minimize potential troop casualties while still getting combat jets the fuel they need."
PACAF attrited half the F-105 fleet in three years and in the middle when they ran out of fighter dudes to fly them started non-voling 135 guys to fly them...
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On 5/24/2022 at 7:53 PM, Ch33s3 said:
Howdy! Just curious about the 46, hoping for some updated gouge ferda boys looking to move that way
1. Ops Tempo/Deployment
How much do you fly, how often do you get trips? (good and or bad ones)
2. Lifestyle/ Family Stability
Typical PCS cycle in effect for y’all?
3. Community morale
4. Advancements & Future of the airframe
Timeline for AC/IP upgrades?
5. Preferred PCS Locations
i am not a 46 guy (yet) but i just had dinner with a 46 friend and he answered some of this so, fwiw:
1. still in testing so no traditional deployments right now, not sure how long this will last. on the road one week a month is the standard, more available as desired.
2. not quite as typical as it will probably end up being, but people are still able to take in community assignments. vectors outside are probably a few years away.
3. people seem to like flying the plane quite a bit, especially coming from older aircraft. can't speak to the pulse of the whole community.
4. hearing a year or so ac to ip but it depends.
5. Pease, McGuire and Shady J all coming online, Travis and i hear March to follow. McConnell and Altus are what they are.
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some key issues:
everybody is stuck at tinker, for better, for worse, for neither, we're all packed in here together, no coastal bases
the jets are very broken
11Rs don't have a ton to do with the mission once the jet is up, the way jet is configured, BUT they have the chance to get smart on the mission stuff, HOWEVER no one is sure when to do with them when that happens, i.e. no WIC etc
13B leadership can't reckon with how dis-empowered 11Rs feel to say nothing of 12Rs; the FGOs leave, the CGOs feel generally, pretty hopeless. your only move is to ride it out and get out or plead into a better deal.
it doesn't need to be this way. we probably need people from outside the community, for sure new iron and ideally new, additional bases. whether the E-7 is the solution or not is irrelevant if you give it to a 552d as it is today, where every day is funny hat day
Active duty switch from from heavy to fighter
in General Discussion
Posted
my body was broken from fixing fighters, now i'm flying heavies and i'm 100% healed, even my breath is better