That’s true, there were huge aluminum plants that were made possible by the electricity generated by the Grand Coulee dam…

But whoever wrote (or believes) that is missing one huge point….and is possibly a complete idiot without a firm grasp of the aviation history
The only major aircraft maker in the northwest is Boeing. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. 🙂
And it started in 1916…long before the dams were built…and long before aircraft were made of aluminum.

March 1, 1936, Hoover Dam is opened – just east of Las Vegas, Nevada. By September 1939 the dam’s power plant became the largest hydroelectricity facility in the world. Note that when Grand Coulee opened in 1942 only half of its generators could run year-round – it was not until decades later that it was expanded to the current size (similarly, Hoover Dam’s generation capacity was regularly increased until 1961, then in 1986-93 it was again increased – by 55%).

Hoover Dam’s powerhouse was run under the original authorization by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southern California Edison, and most of that power was fed to Southern California during WW2.

USN wanted to replace A-6 with a survivable (=stealthy, capable of defeating detection by S300PMU) jet which could carry 2 x 2000 lb PGMs, BVR self defense missiles and possess an unrefueled combat radius in excess of 1000 miles (far enough from shore to allow the CSG to get lost in the big blue ocean).

USAF wanted a jet to replace F-111 and F-15E with a stealthy jet (same threat) which could carry 2 x 2000 lb PGMs and possess an unrefueled combat radius of 1500 miles.

Both had to be big jets to carry enough fuel to meet combat radius and internal weapons (substantially bigger than JSF). The USN jet’s launch weight would be about 70K lbs and the USAF jet’s weight would be 80+ K lbs.

Completely wrong!

The programs SpudmanWP refers to were actually created after the failure/cancellation of the A-12 and the cancellation of the NATF – and were separate from ASTOVL/CALF/MRF/JAST.

Those latter programs, which were merged into JSF, which produced the F-35, were always about a F-16 & A-10 replacement for the USAF, a F/A-18A/B/C/D replacement for the USN, and a F/A-18A/B/C/D & AV-8B replacement for the USMC!

This site has a good set of articles on each of the pre-JSF programs, which should allow you to actually know something about the origin of the F-35. http://www.jsf.mil/history/index.htm

In brief, there were three separate but parallel programs in the early 1990s – the Advanced Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing (ASTOVL)*, a DARPA** program for replacement of the AV-8B running from 1983>1994, the Multi-Role Fighter (MRF), a DARPA program for replacement of the F-16 running from 1990>1993, and the Common Affordable Lightweight Fighter (CALF), also run by DARPA from 1993>1994.

At the same time the USAF and USN were running the Joint Advanced Strike Technology (JAST) Program from 1993>1994.

By the end of 1994, the JAST program had absorbed the CALF program. CALF, then renamed ALF, became the primary focus of JAST. Congress subsequently mandated the merger of JAST with the ASTOVL program in 1994. As JAST was already considering STOVL variants, this merger was accommodated with comparatively little disruption. The JAST Program initially explored a wide range of potential strike warfare concepts using six-month, Concept Exploration (CE) study contracts awarded in May 1994. The findings of the CE studies showed that a “tri-service family” of aircraft was the most affordable solution to the collective joint-service needs. The tri-service family would entail a single basic airframe design with three distinct variants: Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) for the U.S. Air Force to complement the F-22 Raptor and replace the aging F-16 Fighting Falcon and the A-10 Thunderbolt; Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL) for the U.S. Marine Corps to replace both the AV-8B Harrier and the F/A-18 C/D Hornet; and a Carrier (CV) variant for the U.S. Navy to replace the F/A-18 C/D Hornet and complement the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet.

When the selection of Lockheed Martin and Boeing for the concept demonstration phase was made in early 1997, the name was changed to Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), with a mandate to develop flying demonstrators for possible production. The X-35 was selected for further development into an operational aircraft to meet the requirements of the JSF program.

* This spawned the STOVL Strike Fighter (SSF), a development program run by the Lockheed Skunk Works from 1987>1994.

** Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Note that the “road to the F-35” began back in the 1980s – at a time when the F-15E was chosen to replace the F-111***, the navalized variant of the F-22 (NATF) was supposed to replace the F-14, and the A-12 (ATA) was supposed to replace the A-6.

When NATF & ATA were cancelled, the A-X (A-6 replacement) & A/F-X (F-14 replacement) programs were started. When they were also cancelled, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet**** was developed to replace the F-14 and A-6 (although the F-14D temporarily replaced the A-6 until F/A-18Fs became common).

*** In March 1981, the USAF announced the Enhanced Tactical Fighter (ETF) program to procure a replacement for the F-111. The program was later renamed the Dual-Role Fighter (DRF) competition. General Dynamics submitted the F-16XL, while McDonnell Douglas submitted the F-15E. On 24 February 1984, the USAF chose the F-15E.
F-15E first flight 3/1987, entered service 4/1988.
F-111 retired from USAF 7/1996 when F-15Es had replaced them in the strike squadrons.

**** Ordered 1992, first flight 11/1995, entered service 2/2000.
A-6 retired from USN 2/1997 (USMC 4/1993 & replaced by F/A-18Ds).
F-14 retired from USN 9/2006.

Is that one for real? I wasn’t aware that the IDF/AF flew F-84F Thunderstreaks.
Larry

Yes, they did – through the same method that saw 36 Mystere IVAs “transferred” from the French Air Force and operational “with Israeli pilots and ground crew (most of whom spoke primarily French)” in just a couple of weeks (the IAF already had one squadron of Mystere IVAs, and had ordered more – but did not have the pilots and ground support ready for the additional aircraft, so French Air Force manned and flew the 2 new squadrons while wearing IAF uniforms).

While the Mysteres could be (and were) permanently transferred to the IAF, the F-84Fs were subject to US transfer restrictions, and had to return to the French Air Force after the Suez Crisis/Sinai Campaign was over.

EC.1/1 Corse (and several aircraft of the EC.1/3 Navarre) /200 Sqn, F-84F Thunderstreak (18 French fighters)

EC.3/2/199 Sqn Mystére IVA, (18 French fighters)

EC.1/2 Cigones/201 Sqn Mystére IVA (18 French fighters)

101 Sqn Mystére IVA (16 operational)

with HMS Seven about to leave UK waters for the first time on operations and head for the Caribbean for an Atlantic Patrol North mission over the winter, taking over from HMS Argyll. is this a sign of how few ship the Navy have or is it a testing of the water

This is a return to an earlier form of disciplinary deployment that has been allowed to lapse in recent decades. Essentially those showing inadequate performance or poor discipline are threatened with, and then condemned to, a winter northlant deployment in an 80m patrol hull!. Be interesting to check Navy News and see how many swap drafts there were for this deployment!.

Really? I guessed you missed that this deployment is to be in the Caribbean!

You know – Bermuda, Jamaica, Tortuga, et all.

What a perfectly horrid place to spend a winter. Such harsh punishment.

Bilkent University had developed the first Turkish experimental GaN transistor in 2007 and was working on commercialization and mass production of the GaN transistors. (http://www.nanotam.bilkent.edu.tr/eng/main.html)

The first gallium nitride metal semiconductor field-effect transistors (GaN MESFET) were experimentally demonstrated in 1993.

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1993ApPhL..62.1786A

Interesting article today in the news……..

ca.news.yahoo.com/u-navy-says-looking-possible-further-orders-boeing-025811469–finan

US Navy looking for perhaps a further 22 F/A 18 G’s!…..

and ALL “UNDER PRESSURE” by Lockheed to buy more F35’s……..

Guess the Navy knows that their F/A 18’s E,F and G’s are golden and are staying put………bad news for the F35 though, I;m sure they would like to see all planes gone EXCEPT for the F35………seems like at least someone has their heads on right….

Guess the F/A 18 E, F and G’s are a good bet anyway……..

Can we get things right, and not distort the truth?

The U.S. Navy is looking at possible additional orders of Boeing Co’s EA-18G electronic attack planes, or Growlers, as it shapes its fiscal 2016 budget request, the Navy’s top uniformed officer said Saturday.

The USN is looking for 22 EA-18Gs ONLY!
NO F/A-18Es (single-seat fighter/attack), NO F/A-18Fs (2-seat attack/fighter) – ONLY the electronic warfare EA-18G!

The EA-18G has now replaced the EA-6B Prowler (the last USN operational EA-6B squadron just returned from its last deployment).
Yes, the USMC still has 4 EA-6B squadrons, and will operate them until all F/A-18A/C/Ds and AV-6Bs are replaced with F-35Bs.

The USN deployed 4 EA-6Bs aboard its carriers in the 1980s & 90s, but increased that to 5 recently.
They currently deploy 5 EA-18Gs, and the Navy wants to have 7 aboard each carrier as it deploys.*

Since there is no EW version of the F-35, more “Growlers” would NOT drop the numbers of Lightning IIs the USN purchases.

From earlier this year:
http://news.usni.org/2014/03/26/navy-wants-growlers-fight-deadlier-high-end-air-war

The service is asking for 22 additional EA-18G Growlers in the service’s yet-to-be released unfunded requirements list to increase the size of the current EA-18G squadrons to seven aircraft apiece up from the current complement of five jets, Rear Adm. Mike Manazir, the Navy’s director of air warfare, told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.

“We have determined in our campaign analysis that when you increase from five towards eight aircraft, that actually gives us a knee in the curve to reduce the time of the [air] campaign and increase the effectiveness of the electromagnetic maneuver warfare,” he said.

The unfunded request would expand from a planned force of 138 to 160.

…..

Additionally, the new pods will be able to perform airborne cyber attacks.

“NGJ will be capable of generating ‘digital payloads’ that could be used against cyber targets,” Bailey wrote.

…..

Meanwhile, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is also an extremely capable electronic attack platform — but only over a limited part of the spectrum, Manazir said.

The F-35 uses its Northrop Grumman APG-81 for its electronic attack capability and therefore is limited to jamming enemy emitters within its own frequency band.

“The EA [electronic attack] capabilities of the F-35 are designed to support its own strike package in a specific portion of the EM [electromagnetic] spectrum. The EA-18G by design has a much broader and wider application of EA capabilities,” wrote Capt. Scott Conn, who heads the strike branch under Manazir’s office, in a statement to USNI News.

“The EA-18G is utilized as a theater level asset, attacking the full spectrum of threat kill chains from communication systems, surveillance, acquisition, and fire control radars,” Conn wrote.
“The EA capabilities of the F-35 complement the EA-18G, and the synergy between the two are very effective against advanced IADs [integrated air defenses] threats.”

Manazir testified that the EA-18G would be used to support the F-35B and C in their penetrating strike role in an anti-access/area denial environment (A2/AD).

* Similarly, while the USN used to and still does deploy 4 E-2C Hawkeye AEW&C aircraft per carrier, they want to deploy 5 E-2Ds as they replace the earlier Hawkeyes.

Actually somw would say it starred over 2 years before……

And they would be wrong.

If this thread is speaking of the Americans and the Japanese, it started on 12 December 1937 or 7 December 1941 – no other dates.

The attack on USS Panay in the Yangtze River outside Nanking by Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft started the process that came to fruition at Pearl Harbor, and which reached its conclusion at Nagasaki.

Note, the above photo matches neither the detonation point of the Hiroshima bomb (Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park) nor that of the Nagasaki bomb (Hypocentre Park).

Could the OP be speaking of other locations/events?

What would have been procured for air defence ?

There is always this – suitably Spey’ed, of course.

McDonnell F-4(FV)S Phantom II
The F-4(FV)S was a 1966 McDonnell proposal for a variable-geometry version of the Phantom. It was viewed as possible replacement for the failed General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B fleet defense fighter, and as a less expensive alternative to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.

There were two versions envisaged–the F-4J(FV)S based on the F-4J and intended for the US Navy, and the F-4M(FV)S based on the F-4M and intended for the Royal Air Force.

The F-4J(FV)S offered a 57 percent parts commonality with the stock F-4J. Since the existing inner wing of the F-4J was too thin to accept pivots, an entirely new high-mounted wing was adopted. The inner wing glove contained the pivots and was fixed. The outer wing panels could be varied in sweep between 19 degrees and 70 degrees. The trailing edges of the variable outer wing panel contained full-span spoilers and flaps. The horizontal stabilizer was redesigned and replaced with one that had no anhedral. The new high-mounted wing required that the undercarriage be redesigned and located in the lower fuselage. Internal fuel capacity was increased from the F-4Js 2000 US gallons to 2601 US gallons. The F-4J(FV)S was to have been fitted with an AN/AWG-10 system modified to provide multi-shot capability. The primary armament was to have been four AIM-7F Sparrow air-to-air missiles.

It was anticipated that the F-4J(FV)S would have a 11 knots slower approach speed than that of the standard F-4J, and that it would have a significantly improved performance, with a higher ceiling, better acceleration times, and a shorter turning radius.

At the same time, the McDonnell company offered the F-4M(FV)S to the Royal Air Force. It bore much the same relationship to the RAF’s F-4M as did the F-4J(FV)S to the US Navy’s F-4J. It was to be powered by a pair of 20,154 lb.s.t. Rolls-Royce RB-168-27R turbofans. It was anticipated that production aircraft would be available by the end of 1971.

A further improved version, the F-4(FV)S was also proposed to both the US Navy and the RAF. It was to be powered by the General Electric G31/10S092B, with a first flight envisaged in March of 1971. McDonnell proposed 200 F-4M(FV)S aircraft, followed by 400 F-4(FV)S aircraft.

Neither the US Navy nor the Royal Air Force showed sufficient interest in the variable-geometry Phantom to order a prototype. In particular, the US Navy found that the capabilities of the variable-geometry Phantom were no match for those of the Grumman G-303 fighter, which was to eventually emerge as the F-14 Tomcat.

approach speed:
F-4B – 157 knots;
F-4J – 144 knots;
F-4J(FV)S – 133 knots
FG.mk 1 – 138 knots;