Two YF-23 in flight (US AF photo)
Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23
Seven photos in photo gallery at above link.
Posted on 07/02/2004 5:27:53 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
- Ens. Manuel Sanchez, VX-30 maintenance material control officer, recently made history by being the last Navy F-14 Tomcat test and evaluation maintenance material control officer. According to tradition, Sanchez took a supersonic ride in the back of the F-14 Tomcat which he said was the time of his life.
“If you haven’t heard, the world famous Tomcat that Tom Cruise put on the map with the movie Top Gun is currently disestablishing from the Navy,” Sanchez said. “We at Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Three Zero (VX-30) ‘The Bloodhounds’ out of Point Mugu, Calif., are a Combat Support Unit. The Bloodhounds exist to carry out missions in support of our naval war fighters. These missions consist of providing our naval war fighters with system improvements that enhance their ability to ‘put missiles in enemy cockpits and strike weapons through their front doors.’
“We do this by conducting and supporting cutting edge research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) flight tests of naval combat systems,” Sanchez continued. “To accomplish these missions, we provide Naval Air Systems Command with people and aircraft that contribute both unique and complementary RDT&E capabilities to our winning team. However, since the Tomcat squadrons will be going away by midyear 2006, the requirements to continue research and tests of advanced weapons and systems for the F-14 Tomcat is no longer a demand.
“The Navy’s heart and soul for fighter aircraft is now the Strike Fighter F/A-18 Hornet which is currently used by the world famous Navy Blue Angels,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez joined the Navy out of Beeville in May 1990 as an enlisted sailor and was commissioned as an officer in December 2002. He is the son of Abel and Esther Rodriguez of Beeville. He will leave Point Mugu for VFA-27 Royal Maces (F/A-18E Super Hornet Squadron) out of Atsugi, Japan, in April 2005.
“I’ve had an awesome tour here at Point Mugu as you can tell by a couple of these photos,” Sanchez said. “I gave actor Jamie Foxx a tour of my squadron and had him sit in the Tomcat. He wanted to get the feel of sitting in a jet as he was filming for his upcoming movie ‘Stealth.’ Also, I participated in President Ronald Reagan’s funeral. Being away from home, I sincerely enjoy going online (to read the newspaper) and keeping up with Beeville every Wednesday and Saturday. You guys do a phenomenal job!”
The Navy always seems to get the leftovers. Which is amusing; we're always the first ones to a trouble spot. The Air Force always shows up later, AFTER they've negotiated basing rights, etc.
And I won't even begin to rehash how much better in quality and amenities THEIR bases are compared to OURS. Suffice to say, their E-1's refuse to stay in the barracks I live in as an E-6 when they come here. It's not up to their standards.
Very sad to read this. I served on the USS Nimitz back in the '80s. Not aircrew, just a regular squid. But I used to love hanging out up on Vulture's Row at night and watching the Tomcats take off. I thought the F-14 was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. A very sexy plane that looked somewhat like a space ship when viewed from above. Loved to watch the fiery exhaust stream out behind them at night and feel the power of their engines as they took off. Wish I could put in words just how exhilarating that was. And I wish my Dad could have seen it.
Well aware, but the Navy had primary spec responsibilities because their performance needs were more critical.
a) Low speed handling characteristics
b) Carrier climb-out to station
c) Max acceleration
d) Max sustained G
ADM. Tom Connelly sacrificed his career in front of Congress to get the Tomcat (his namesake) by being honest about the performance deficiencies of the F-111.
F-18/YF-23... I worked on both (from an office).
Losing the ATF competition was one of the most depressing days I remember.
I'll hope for lightning as well. :-)
They don't like to get their little uniforms dirty. Eagle drivers have downed their own planes if their air-conditioning wasn't working. Cant be sweating when Job 1 is to look good while getting shot at.
That's what I am hearing too. They are using Super Hornets as tankers now and they are about to come out with an electronic warfare version so they can retire the Prowler. Pretty soon you aren't going to see anything but 18's on the flight deck in every sort of configuration you can imagine.
Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23
Seven photos in photo gallery at above link.
I know. But "it wasn't our turn" :-(
PhilD: Thanks for the pics... BIG ***SMILES*** :-)
It's gonna be sad to see the F-14fly off into the sunset. :-(
Awesome bird. Very handsome profile...I'll be sad to see it go. If the 23 were taking it's place it would soften the blow. As is, the SuperHornet seems like a piece of crap morphed from a plane that lost out to the F-16.
Man the Navy sucks at this stuff.
I've always liked the lines of the F4 Phantom.
Ping. Your favorite bird is flying into Glory.
Someone's "little rebellion?".
Now if we could JUST put some nose art on our ORIONS...
The original Hornet sucks. The new Hornet sucks. Both of'em suck!
Now that's a relative rant. I mean compare'em to some Chinese or Russian hunk of crap and maybe they dont suck so much.
Eitherway...I'm just disappointed in finally reading about the phasing out of the 14. I knew it was coming but I had strayed away from anything intimating it...however, I couldnt miss reading the original headline so now I'm semi-depressed.
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