It’s a pity those designations don’t work for the F35 Facepalm.

Nic

nm

Thanks. I was going to go look for the original article.

Sometimes, it makes sense to look to check if what is stated are facts rather than summarily dismissing them based on the news source.

So Swerve, now that BBC says the same thing, is it more reliable? In fact this carries even more details. Previous year’s Tornado availability was also dismal at 42%.

BBC is Gospel to him.

Nic

Australia collects fiascos with helicopters, so much so that you’ve got to wonder whether it’s not more about the Australian forces than about the helicopters themselves.

But if you want to quote an australian fiasco, the SH-2 is right up there.

Nic

I think China should have copied the F16XL instead of the Lavi.

Could and did: refer to figure 4-18 of natops for max weight for carrier landing:

https://info.publicintelligence.net/F14AAD-1.pdf
The standard configuration was one aim-54 with 2 each of sparrow and sidwinder. One reason was the expense of the Aim-54 and the limited supply. Every missile only has so many captive carry hours and so many cats and traps. The other was stress on air-frame from landing with so much weight in fuel and weapons. In wartime, it could takeoff and land with 4 aim-54, but certainly it was not practiced in peacetime.

The figure you refer to is the total weight allowed, it doesn’t specify anything wrt how many Phoenixes you can land with. If anything the figure after paragraph 4.10 shows that there is also CG weight balance wrt weapon stations. So if anything maybe the F14 could land with 4 Aim 54 weight-wise, but can’t because of CoG issues.

Anyway I don’t remember where I read that only 2 could be brought back. I was quite surprised and a bit disappointed as the Tomcat is one of my favourite planes ever. I wish I could tell you. I had a couple books on the Tomcat but I can’t recall if I read it there or in Air International or one the internets…

I don’t quite know what to make with the page 4-21 under paragraph 4.13.1 Authorized Stores Landing which states the following:

5. AIM−54 carriage/launch is not authorized at any
station.

What’s that supposed to mean?

Nic

Low speed and bring back are two different things. Lately you saw the Raf M taking off with on single CM when the Adl’A did with two…

Add 30 days of strikes, near peer attrition losses and you get a clearer picture. 😉

Yeah and the Tomcat could brick back only 2 Phoenixes which combined are more than 300kg less than a single Scalp.

Nic