Posted on 07/29/2016 6:20:24 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Boeing scored a $12 million dollar contract to transition the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron to newer jets. The Blue Angels, who have been flying the F/A-18 Hornet since 1986, are moving up to the bigger F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
The Blue Angels currently fly a mixed bag of older Hornet fighters. They've got three of the oldest F/A-18A model, 10 of the newer -C models, and three two-seater models. The -A and -C models are all 20 to 30 years old. The Angels typically fly Hornets that are very much still functional, but too old to keep operating from aircraft carriers. The Blues' own website says their jets arrive from the fleet "at the end of their carrier arrest functionality".
According to AirShow News, the conversion to the Super Hornet should be complete by September 2017. It takes a bit because Jets bound for the Blue Angels have their 20-millimeter nose cannons removed and replaced with a smoke-fluid system for laying smoke trails during an air show. The planes also have a fuel pump inverted, a stop watch and adjustable constant-tension stick spring installed, and entire aircraft painted in the iconic blue and gold paint job.
The Blues have stated in the past they would rather stick with the older planes. The website used to state: "While the Super Hornet has more recent technology, the Hornet is more suitable to the needs of the current team due to its light weight and slick maneuverability." But older Hornets are getting tricky to maintain in the field. A combination of aging airframes that need more TLC, difficulty finding parts that are no longer manufactured, and budget cuts have left Navy and Marine Corps Hornet squadrons struggling. For example, as of April, only 87 of the Mariner Corps' fleet of 276 Hornets were in flyable condition.
In addition, the carrier version of the F-35 is nearly three years from entering active service. As a result, the Navy may feel it have no choice but to migrate to the newer planes.
While the Blue Angels may have preferred the Hornet over the Super Hornet, they'll adapt to the new platform. The team has flown jets with less power, like the A-4 Skyhawk, as well as planes that are bigger and less maneuverable, like the F-4 Phantom. Moving from an older to a newer Hornet is easier than moving to a totally new aircraft, and spare parts will be easier to source, too.
The team's September 2017 schedule is just a little bit light compared to other months, with June being another light month. Could October see an all-new fleet of planes gracing air shows nationwide?
Via AirShow News
Thank you Barack Hussein Soetoro 0dinga Soebarkah Gofukyourself 0bama, you worthless piece of dog turd.
Seems reasonable.
30 years... an upgrade is in order.
I guess they weren’t pulling enough g’s.
That he is.
I wonder what sort of quid pro quo for this deal was made.
Ah, just saw the Blue Angels’ first female pilot a year ago on youtube.
And the Fraud and co. will want to talk about this for the Queen’s flyover — in new jets.
Since the Blue Angels are and always have been marketing and recruitment tools, they should be flying the newest and best of the fleet. Amazing that they took so long to upgrade.
You don’t want to be stressing those old airframes too much.
$12 million? Uh is that the price without electronics and engines?
Still waiting for the cost benefit documentation that shows it is worthwhile to spend this money.
What are the specific benefits?
How many new recruits come in and at what cost?
Is this the best use of dollars?
I remember seeing them when I was a wee lad at the Selfridge ANG base airshow. I think it was Skyhawks at the time. Also got to see an A7, and other treats. Made me want to be a pilot when I grew up.
12 million is the price to take some Super Bugs already in the fleet and refit them as Blue Angel demonstration planes.
Why don’t you apply the same bean-counting attitude to TANF, SNAP, WIC, AFDC, Medicaid, and 0bamacare. Run that project to completion ... then come and talk about bean-counting the Navy to death.
A combination of aging airframes that need more TLC, difficulty finding parts that are no longer manufactured, and budget cuts have left Navy and Marine Corps Hornet squadrons struggling.
...
A president who hates America has left them struggling.
Since the Blue Angels are and always have been marketing and recruitment tools, they should be flying the newest and best of the fleet.
...
99.9% of the audience wouldn’t know the difference. As the article indicates the Blue Angels preferred the older aircraft for their agility. They don’t need all the equipment that makes them fighting machines.
The team chooses it next members and the female made the cut, she earned her spot.
$12 million is pocket change when it comes to a small fleet of jets.
It brings in millions of dollars just on the merchandise but also millions to every community that pays to host the Blue’s and all of the other acts. It is a very worth while goal and have recruited many top pilots because they saw the Blue Angels perform at an airshow.
You are correct however the problem still remains on getting old parts for currently flying aircraft.
After learning that 10% of Blue Angel pilots have died in accidents, I no longer enjoy the shows. It’s frankly immoral to ask some of our finest people to take chances like that for any purpose short of outright combat with the enemy. Much less entertainment.
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