Will be interesting to see what happens to this airframe.  When AFMC decided to do aerobatics during a test of one of AFSOC's new AC-130Js they broke the backbone and the $100M+ aircraft ended up as a ground trainer.

well they are marines... they'll  scrap it and use the metal to build 3 F-35s! RUT

On 10/28/2020 at 8:05 AM, ClearedHot said:

Will be interesting to see what happens to this airframe.  

Marine KCs are road hard and put away wet, from my experience.  Pretty convinced that marine maintainers only have hammers in their tool boxes.  Their MEL, essentially, is if it can fly, we'll take it.

 

I was a Marine maintainer, and I will have you know, that we also have adjustable wrenches and a flat head screwdriver (but only a big one). The selection of hammers was pretty incredible though.

8 hours ago, slacker said:

Their MEL, essentially, is if it can fly, we'll take it.

 

Most aircraft in Naval aviation are that way. Required equipment mostly mirrors the FAR/AIM for flight conditions your going into, the rest of the equipment is up to the discretion of the AC. In 14 years in the Navy, after signing for the aircraft, I never asked my boss for permission/waiver to fly for something broken.
 

It was always a discussion between me and  maintenance on what the broken part meant to the aircraft, but the final call was up to me. 

 

On 11/5/2020 at 4:59 AM, slacker said:

Marine KCs are road hard and put away wet, from my experience.  

 

That's true. Certainly nothing like the ANG C-130 that picked me up from Wake that had wifi and two jet skis in the back. 

On 10/28/2020 at 7:05 AM, ClearedHot said:

Will be interesting to see what happens to this airframe.  When AFMC decided to do aerobatics during a test of one of AFSOC's new AC-130Js they broke the backbone and the $100M+ aircraft ended up as a ground trainer.

I still can’t believe that we’re able to pull out of that maneuver and make it back alive. 

On 10/11/2020 at 4:44 PM, di1630 said:

That is a c model, navy does weird stuff, not sure why you’d put gear down.

The jet goes into a different flight control mode when you aerial refuel anyhow with gear up.

I’ve refueled from a c-130 before with Eurofighters and Tornadoes all stacked up. It’s no big deal except when 2x wing pods are out, you feel really close to the other jet refueling right next to you.




Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

 

On 10/20/2020 at 5:01 PM, Vito said:

The C-17 has an AR Mode that dampens some stick forces during AR as well.

 

On 10/12/2020 at 5:07 AM, Sua Sponte said:

The F-22 does the same.

 

And the F-16.  All Lockheed products 😉. 

On 11/19/2020 at 5:38 PM, nsplayr said:

I still can’t believe that we’re able to pull out of that maneuver and make it back alive. 

Were you on that flight? I saw video of it.

And the F-16.  All Lockheed products [emoji6]. 

McDonnell Douglas C-17
General Dynamics F-16

3 hours ago, ThreeHoler said:

 

McDonnell Douglas C-17
General Dynamics F-16

 

Only McD was stupid enough to put a stick in a heavy.

*Airbus enters the chat*

On 10/12/2020 at 8:28 AM, jazzdude said:

Also speculation, but maybe the extra drag improves the engine response (more linear power response and less spool up at higher power settings while flying slow)?

Sounds like some T-37 "thrust attenuators" haha.

On 12/7/2020 at 2:31 PM, arg said:

Were you on that flight? I saw video of it.

I was not thankfully, saw the video also.