GW8345

Bringing them back to the boat if they are not expended (i.e. max trap weight), the more ordnance you bring back, the less gas you have. Plus you have to factor in max catapult weight when you get flung off the pointy end. Most of the missions the USN is doing is CAS and tactical strikes, the GBU-31 really isn't a CAS weapon. They (GBU-31) will be used if there is a specific pre-planed target that requires that level of ordnance but if you are just "trolling" around for targets of opportunity, you really don't want to be lugging around "Volkswagens". F-18's can carry them and they do drop them in training, but out "in country" they are rarely carried unless there is a specific target that requires leveling on a grand scale.

Lost another great American. RIP Mrs. Bush

The GBU-31 is not a commonly used weapon for the USN, they have been used on a few occasions but are not something you would normally see loaded. Also, non-thermally protected (NTP) bombs are not commonly used by the USN, the only time the USN would use NTP bombs is when they are doing training missions while state-side. hth GW

Awesome looking. Are the outboard pylons installed?

Just a note. USN/USMC Hornet's are not cleared for JASSM and to my knowledge, only a few test flights were done back in 2001. (I was in VX-23 bomb shop at the time and those things were a PITA to load). There are some FMS customers that do fly it though.

The injector air intake would change if the aircraft was converted from an Alpha to either a Bravo or Delta. The reason for the different location is where the injector air intake was on the engine, hence, the TF-30 and F110 injector air intakes were not in the same location. hth GW

Hate to say this but the forward fix cowl (the panel with the small NACA intake) is for the F-14A, not the F-14D. The NACA intake is the intake for the injector air (oil cooler) and the small panel above it (below in the pic since cowl is upside down) is the punch in panel for where you put the fire extinguisher nozzle encase of an engine fire. On the F-14A the punch in panel is directly above the injector air intake, on the F-14B/D, the injector air intake is slightly forward (the leading edge of the intake is on the leading edge of the panel) making the punch in panel offset aft of the intake. Also, the intake is a different shape on the B/D than on the Alpha's. For a reference of what I'm talking about, refer to Danny Colemans Uncovering the F-14 book, page 58 & 60. Also. a few small details I noticed; - Missing is the slot for the main landing gear brace that folds up into the nacelle. The raised leading and upper edge of the forward fix cowl are not normal to the aircraft, that is an aircraft specific repair. - The small inspection panel (small round panel) on the weekly door is too far forward for an F110 engine'ed Tomcat, it should be were the double round patch is. It's current location is for a TF-30 engine Tomcat. Basically, the forward fix cowl and weekly door appear to be modeled from a F-14A, the weekly door was common on all Tomcats.

Oh I remember -124, just thought they shut down before getting any Delta's but know that you mention it, I was at NAMTRA Oceana when they shut down and took over all of the Delta training.

Yep, forgot about VX-30, like I said, I was going by memory.

No The only Delta squadrons I can remember were VF-2, VF-11 (they went from A's to D's then to B's), VF-31, VF-101 and VF-213, along with VX-23 and VX-9.

Came across this set of walk around pics of the gate guard F-14D at NAS Oceana that has the BRU-10 and Adapter installed, there are several shots that show the old set used before the BRU-32/ADU-703's set up. The BRU-10 and adapter were only used for ALQ-167's and baggage pod, the only known time it was used for air to ground ordnance was for testing by VX-9. Thought I'd pass it along incase anyone was interested. http://www.carrierbuilders.net/element/element.php?id=582