F/A-18E photo: buddy buddy or fuel tank?

[Alpagueur]

Hi guys, is it the aerial refueling store (ARS) or a standard fuel tank?

[achterkirch]

I think it's the ARS. I see a blade of it just hinting out behind one of the guys in the photo.

[habu2]

I think that's a 2-seater, an F not an E. Or maybe it's the KF/A-18T tanker version... :)

[Neeko]

That is absolutely an ARS pod on a 5-wet tanker. The orange "-5" and the RAT give it away.

[Alpagueur]

thank you guys! but technically is it possible to hang up 5x 480 gal. fuel tanks at the same time?

I think that's a 2-seater, an F not an E.

yep... sorry! :)

Edited September 14, 2015 by Alpagueur

[Neeko]

Technically yes, one could hang 5 fuel tanks on a Super Hornet... but it is not cleared to fly in that configuration.

We also would occasionally hang the ARS pod backwards on a wing pylon to do maintenance on it. Again, ARS is not cleared for flight on any station other than 6 (centerline).

[Rich in name only]

I've gotten confusified again, which is easy.

I see that it's an F. Why use a two-seater for inflight refueling?

I see one ARS pod and 4 fuel tanks--or do I? Is this for a large fuel load for offload, not using any internal tanks?

What or where is the orange -5?

"KF/A-18T": no F-18s have a K prefix do they?

Thanks!

[Spook498]

Actually, I snapped a pic of a Tophatter E with a true 5 wet config. I don't know if they were full or not, but they were mounted, not dry hung. I will try to post the pic when I get home this evening.

[habu2]

"KF/A-18T": no F-18s have a K prefix do they?

'twas but a joke..... :)

[mrvark]

I see that it's an F. Why use a two-seater for inflight refueling?

I see one ARS pod and 4 fuel tanks--or do I? Is this for a large fuel load for offload, not using any internal tanks?

What or where is the orange -5?

Both Es and Fs can to the 'five wet' aerial refueling configuration. At least in the F, the crew can commiserate with each other while being bored out of their skulls boring holes in the air...

Yes, the five wet configuration consists of the centerline mounted ARS pod and four 480-gal fuel tanks. If needed, they can offload internal fuel.

The number 5 is found on both sides of the nose of the pod. The ARS is designated A/A42R-1, but because the bozo(s) applying for the designations didn't know what they were doing, the only way to tell the various iterations apart is by the part number, 31-301-48310. Following all those numbers is the variant number: -1 was used by the A-6E, -2 by the S-3B, -3 by the F/A-18E/F (with the original RAT), and -5 by the E/F again, but with the new RAT that looks like a coffee can on the front of the pod (the -4 wasn't used).

BTW, Wolfpack does an excellent pod.

[planeboy]

Interesting pic. Looks to be VF-2. I assume the fuselage stripes are on '00 and '01, but are those the Langley stripes I see on the wing tanks?

[Rich in name only]

Thanks!

I did chuckle at the -18T thinking of KC-130s but this was one where I didn't know enough to laugh hysterically. Chose embarrassment rather than quiet (another easy matter---do the one easily and can't do the other) 'cause I would either demonstrate iggurunce or admit it.

[Alpagueur]

The ARS is designated A/A42R-1, but because the bozo(s) applying for the designations didn't know what they were doing, the only way to tell the various iterations apart is by the part number, 31-301-48310. Following all those numbers is the variant number: -1 was used by the A-6E, -2 by the S-3B, -3 by the F/A-18E/F (with the original RAT), and -5 by the E/F again, but with the new RAT that looks like a coffee can on the front of the pod (the -4 wasn't used).

Is this correct for a Super Hornet?

http://www.scaleaircraftconversions.com/moreinfo.cfm?KIT=18

but it's called D-704 and not A/A42R-1... so which changes are needed?

regards

Edited September 15, 2015 by Alpagueur

[Spongebob]

I see that it's an F. Why use a two-seater for inflight refueling?

A couple of reasons:

- Shares the pain. The F squadron has more aircrew to share the workload

- Allows NFO's on the embarked staffs to get flight time without having to be super proficient. Used to be a core S-3 mission.

- Allows Pilots on the embarked staffs to get flight time without having to be super proficient with a back-seater to do the hard stuff.

- Nugget "good deal night traps" in the F squadron.

The difference in the amount of "give" between the E and F is minimal. The 5W configuration was used up until a couple years ago when nobody wanted to use the E/F for tanking in any way different than how the S-3 was used. This resulted in A LOT of dumped gas since the external tanks need to be empty for the jet to recover. Back in 2003 CVW-11 did a fair amount of 3W tanking but it died out. Currently, they seem to run just the buddy store most of the time and probably do yo-yo tanking (launch, give away some love and recover on the same cycle).

HTH

Spongebob

[Spook498]

Like I said, I don't know if the tanks were full or not, or just being ferried. But, they are mounted.

[Alpagueur]

Like I said, I don't know if the tanks were full or not, or just being ferried. But, they are mounted.

Five 480 gal tanks at the same time.... great look, I love it!

many thanks for the photos.

[Rich in name only]

Thanks for the info!

Not much said about the Hornet tanking mission elsewhere.

After the A3, A6, and S-3 it's almost as if info dried up, along with the tanks at end of mission.

I'm sure the goal of commonality has saved a lot of procurement/supply dollars but I wonder how the launch cost of a Hornet with AB compares to the other types and what the projected operating cost of a V-22 tanker is compared to a Hornet.

[mrvark]

Is this correct for a Super Hornet?

http://www.scaleaircraftconversions.com/moreinfo.cfm?KIT=18

but it's called D-704 and not A/A42R-1... so which changes are needed?

regards

No. The D-704 is an earlier ARS. I know it's appropriate for the A-6, which I photographed one on in 1994. Maybe Tommy Thomason can provide more info on when it came into service. The A/A42R-1 designation was assigned in mid-1984, so it probably didn't show up in the fleet for a couple of years after that.

Visually, the main difference is that the A/A42R-1 lacks the four bumps for the hose reel. Other than that, the D-704 looks a lot like the -3 variant used by the Supers early on. The Wolfpack A/A42R-1 is kit 48132 and goes for $15 at Sprue Brothers.

Edited September 16, 2015 by mrvark

[Collin]

At least in the F, the crew can commiserate with each other while being bored out of their skulls boring holes in the air...

Poor bored Hornet crews.

I used to conduct ESM scans, monitor buoys in the water and ISAR surface contacts 200+ miles away updating the SURPIC/link picture for the BG when I was in the overhead tanker pattern.

Slackers.

Cheers

Collin