Re: jets?

From: Ed Rudnicki <erudnick_at_pica.army.mil>
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 96 14:37:13 EDT

>>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.
>
>Ehh...we dismissed the F-16 because of early teething problems and some
>kind of engine concerns (as I recall), and the F-14, F-15 and Panavia
>Tornado for various reasons including "too much plane for two people
>to handle". So we went with F-18's instead, and grounded the lot because

With the last three it's more like "too much plane for the defence
budget to handle..." :)


>>>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.
>
>Hmm. Saw two F-4G's at Abbotsford Int'l Airshow last year. Guess they
>must've been put out to pasture since. Great plane, but airframes can go through

This is correct; the last US F-4 was retired but a few months ago.


>just so many life-extensions before they're all in. (Razor will never get the TK to
>that point - they've replaced it *how* many times in two years?? The rivets don't
>even have a chance to oxidize.)

Well, the "new plane" option does cut down on preventive maintenance
requirements :)





Ed

Received on Tue Jul 02 1996 - 15:15:10 PDT