Trigger

Shots taken at Davis-Monthan during the Heritage Flight Training Course. There were three F-86s, a P-47, a P-40 (British markings), a P-38, two F-22s (Langley), two F-35s, three P-51s, and three F-16s (Shaw, including the 50th Anniversary Wild Weasel).

Coming soon to a Heritage Flight near you...

I eagerly await the "expert" analysis from the Hot Dog vendor. Def better than neck-beards; "Wookie-Necked Hipster" has become a part of my daily vocabulary.

Via FighterSweep; the response is from a former F-18 and F-16 driver.

Except T-38 - aside from getting long in the tooth - doesn't have the handling and performance qualities to prepare pilots going into 5th generation aircraft, none of which have two-seat conversion trainer versions. The T-38 was designed to train pilots to fly the Century Series aircraft.

Flashbacks to the early Raptor days... Idiots who can't figure out how to fly a new aircraft: "This sucks." Guys who learn the new aircraft strengths: "This is awesome!" Internet reaction"OMG did you hear what that first guy said?!?!?" Pierre Sprey:

A former F-16 pilot, used to flying a FBW aircraft. A former F-15E pilot, who's not used to flying a FBW aircraft.

Meanwhile, over on FA...

1 March 1991 A cease-fire plan was negotiated in Safwan, Iraq.

ACC F-35A working up to IOC Airmen from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings dropped laser-guided bombs at the Utah Test and Training Range this week, marking the first time an F-35 combat unit has employed weapons from the F-35A. Lt. Col. George Watkins, 34 FS commander, said employing weapons on the F-35 allows pilots to more fully engage the aircraft and confirm that everything works as planned. “This is significant because we’re building the confidence of our pilots by actually dropping something off the airplane instead of simulating weapon employment,” Watkins said. Air Force F-35s ha

Capt. “Hoser” Draeger, in Rico Rodriguez's 85-114, with Capt. "Kimo" Schiavi on his wing, on the last of day Desert Storm. Images taken by Bill Eaton from a KC-135R. 



Don't forget to re-designate it "A-21"

B-2s have fewer airframe hours than B-1s and B-52s. LRS-B places an emphasis on range and ISR, not so much on a massive payload. It'll be big, but don't be surprised if it's not as big of a payload as the B-2 is capable of handling, so the B-2's capacity will still be useful. If GSC gets all 200, then I wouldn't be surprised to see B-21s replace B-2s but the current road map for the B-2A has it's retirement date set at 2058.

Global Strike Command has stated their requirement is for 175-200 B-21s Re-engining B-52s has been talk for two decades. There are far bigger recapitalization priorities - B-21, T-X, KC-46, F-35, CSAR helicopter - than putting new motors into the B-52. By the time B-21s begin to arrive on the ramps post-2026, look for them to start replacing B-1s and B-52s.

Source

Day 44 : Thursday 28 February 1991 Kuwaiti troops raise emirate’s flag in Kuwait City.

Day 43 : Wednesday 27 February 1991 OA-10A 77-0197, 23rd TASS/602nd TACW crashed killing pilot Lt Patrick Olson (posthumously promoted to Captain) after a reconnaissance mission over Kuwait. Aircraft had been hit by surface-to-air missile and was attempting a landing at KKMC FOL in Manual Reversion after loosing all its hydraulics, in extreme weather conditions and with only one engine. On landing aircraft hit a little short, on the soft overrun where the gear sunk into the ground and sheared off. The aircraft started sliding and turned a little sideways when the left wing started gaining l

"B-21" Oh nos!

Sure. Right up until you hit 3G, and the tanks disintegrate. Hit the burners at the right time, and it'll make the F-111's torching look like a Black Cat firecracker!

Sen. MeVain

What happens is, the USAF determines what they want out of the program (ATF, JSF, LRB-S, etc) - "these are the performance targets, these are what we need for it to do, we need it to have X range, this is a target RCS, this is what we need it carry, we need it to have X, Y, Z, etc." and they submit the RFP. Since this is the federal government, they have to open it to more then one bidder (unless that bidder is Halliburton, but that's another matter altogether). Thus, Northrop-Grumman and Boeing (who brought in Lockheed for their expertise with manufacturing LO aircraft, something Boeing doesn

When you have the budget to run through three failed programs in 30 years (RAH-66, ARH-70, OH-58F) to replace the OH-58D, it's easy to talk $#!† about everyone else's business.