Shaun Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 http://www.newsairshow.com/headlines/2016/7/26/boeing-awarded-contract-for-blue-angels-transition-to-super-hornet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Wasn't there news not so long ago about the Navy/Marines not having enough serviceable Hornets to cover their commitments due to cut backs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latinbear Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Wasn't there news not so long ago about the Navy/Marines not having enough serviceable Hornets to cover their commitments due to cut backs. I think you're right. I read recently that some F18c's (30 airframes?) are being pulled out of AMARC for refurbishing before being issued to the USMC while more Super Hornets are being purchased as a stop gap because of the delays in the F35 programme. Must be quite nice though if you're an Angels pilot to get your hands on a shiny new Super Hornet and I guess there's prestige involved too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I think you're right. I read recently that some F18c's (30 airframes?) are being pulled out of AMARC for refurbishing before being issued to the USMC while more Super Hornets are being purchased as a stop gap because of the delays in the F35 programme. Must be quite nice though if you're an Angels pilot to get your hands on a shiny new Super Hornet and I guess there's prestige involved too. According to what I have read elsewhere the aircraft will be from current in service stocks and modified for Blue Angels use. But I am sure an old E model Hornet is a lot better than an older A or C model Hornet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 An old E is better than an old C as a combat aircraft, but for demonstration purpose I'd probably take a C over an E. The Super is heavier without having the extra power needed. Said that, the purpose of a demonstration team is to show the flag for the Service it belongs to, the Super Hornet is more modern than the legacy one and for this reason alone it makes perfectly sense that the US Navy selects this variant for the Blue Angels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Agreed, but safety considerations should lead to the plane better suited being chosen/kept - the T-Birds did this (had to do) in the 70s, although the Angels kept the Phantom, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latinbear Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Agreed, but safety considerations should lead to the plane better suited being chosen/kept - the T-Birds did this (had to do) in the 70s, although the Angels kept the Phantom, of course. Oh how I would love to see a Phantom demo team! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Oh how I would love to see a Phantom demo team! One of the benefits of old age is recalling the halcyon days when we could go to airshows and watch RAF aerobatic teams in Hunters and Lightnings - Aye, Lightnings The sun shone all the time too 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Oh how I would love to see a Phantom demo team! I was fortunate to be born long ago so that I was able to see both the Blues and the Birds in their shiny Phantoms. LOTS of noise, and LOTS of smoke. I think the planform of the F-4 just looked better in the diamond formation than either the F-18 or F-16. Cheers, Bill PS. It's about time the Blues got the Super Hornet. Now if only the Birds could get Raptors...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhaselden Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Now if only the Birds could get Raptors...! But that would use up the entire fleet, wouldn't it? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Agreed, but safety considerations should lead to the plane better suited being chosen/kept - the T-Birds did this (had to do) in the 70s, although the Angels kept the Phantom, of course. The Blue Angels retained the Phantom for only one year further, as in 1973 it was decided to convert the team on the A-4F Skyhawk, debuting on this type in 1974. I'd have loved to see a full team demo with the Phantom, but I have to say that while this has a great presence, in terms of aerobatics the Hornet can do things that a Phantom will never do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Oh how I would love to see a Phantom demo team! They couldn't keep a tight formation in the F-4 though. Only saw the Angels do it, and very ragged after the first pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Wasn't there news not so long ago about the Navy/Marines not having enough serviceable Hornets to cover their commitments due to cut backs.Yes, and not being helped by another crash this week. Thats now 3 this summer. Two of them sadly fatal. http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2016/08/02/hornet-crashes-during-training-flight-nevada/87965692/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrierpilot Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 The work by Boeing for the Blue Angels F/A-18E Super Bugs started on the 1st August and the Team should be getting the first of the "new" jets about Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew D Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 Here's a mental picture: The Thunderbirds flying their newly refurbished, brightly-painted C-5's in tight formation into the break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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