Re: jets?

From: Ed Rudnicki <erudnick_at_pica.army.mil>
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 96 15:15:29 EDT

>>I know this is a little off-topic, but it does have something to do with
>>jets:
>>
>>Is an F-18 Hornet an air-force or Navy jet?
>
>In Canada, they form the backbone of our Air Force now that the venerable
>CF-5 has finally been put out to pasture. In the 'States, your Air Force flies

But I thought that there wasn't a Royal Canadian Air force any more,
but just that "Canadian Forces" business?


>F-16's, I think, your Navy flies F-14's, and the Marines fly F-18's. I think
>there's some cross-pollination happening there, but the details are a bit of
>a fog at the moment. Can't recall who flies the 15 right off the bat, as where we
>simply have "Air Force", you lot have aviators in every branch, and things like
US Air Force fighters - F-15 and F-16, and hopefully soon F-22.

US Navy flies F-14 as fleet interceptor and most recently medium
attack. F/A-18A-D was conceived from gound up as fighter and light
attack. F-18E/F will do it all - light/medium attack, fighter,
interceptor.

Oh, yeah, the US Marine Corps flies the F-18 too, both from carriers
and land bases.

Canada flies the F-18 also, as an "air force" aircraft, as do
Australia, Spain, and several other nations. Not as successful an
export as the F-16, but quite successful anyway.

The original plan was for McDonnel-Douglas to build the
carrier-capable F-18A/B, while Northrop would market a non-carrier
capable "F-18L". This never came to pass, and all F-18s, even those
sold to landlocked Switzerland, can land on carriers if necessary.
This was true of the F-4 Phantom as well; there's an interesting
story out of Vietnam, about a pair of Air Force Phantoms running low
on fuel, their tanker nowhere in sight, and a carrier nearby, but
the pilots' response to the idea of actually using that tailhook is
a bit salty for this list :)


>AFRES and the Guard often fly other models yet again (though I'd *hope*
>every F-4 variant outside the Wild Weasel is well past stand-down by 1996!).

The Wild Weasels are gone too, but the mighty Phantom still serves
in other Air Forces around the world.






Ed

Received on Mon Jul 01 1996 - 16:32:51 PDT