F/A-18E,F,G, Advanced Super Hornet - Block III+ - F/A-18XT

I read an article that said the issue was at the beginning of the cat stroke, not the end. It also said that two pilots have been injured by it. So while the media may be sensationalizing it, it is a real issue. That said, it only occurs with a very lightly loaded airplane, and the they don't shoot light airplanes very often outside of CQs.

EMALS has this problem w/ all jets, in fact there was an article about EMALS causing violent kick forwards at the start damaging Aircraft Launch Bars as well.

They;ve since adjusted power levels at start so it's not 0 to 100% immediately.

Still, if their head is against the headrest like it's supposed to be on launch, there wont be a violent kick causing head injury.

Current Block II SuperHornets (Growlers First) are now to be upgraded to the EPE's.

Current Block II SuperHornets (Growlers First) are now to be upgraded to the EPE's.

Yes, the EPE, more Power, Lower Fuel Burn, Greater Resistance to FoD.

Will confirm when I get a chance, I know the EPE was A lot further along in testing than the EDE

TBH I do not think the US navy will be best served like this. They should use the funds to get a dedicated 6th gen replacement out of the door ASAP and stop procrastinating them for more 4th gen ones, or even the F-35 which the navy never wanted.

Both Superbug+F35 represent lessons learned that need to be corrected by more efficient designs. The sooner this is done the better, for them.

The Super Duper Hornet!!!

But seriously, the F-35 isn't as expensive as people make it out to be.. The cost accounts for all expenses (research, development, testing, initial purchase, maint., fuel, upgrades) for 2400 F-35s for their entire lifespan. (out to 2070 or something, which is a very long lifespan for a Strike fighter)

And they've been cutting hairs to bring down the production price of these aircraft..

This guy has made some informative videos on the F-35, though I cant say the voice is good (its not)

IMO, the Super Duper Hornet isn't a long term answer for our near peer adversaries.. Its a good aircraft out to 2030.. Beyond that point its only useful in situations against under developed militaries or after modern threat system are eliminated from the target area.

Time will tell..

the SuperBug's issue is the money they cut from the budget does not allow replacement parts to be ordered.

U.S. Navy is Purchasing CFT's for Block II Super Hornets,

As well as funding Upgrade Program for Block II -> Block III

The Additional 80 Airframes to be Purchased by the Navy will likely be Block III Super Hornets, with all Block I/II Airframes getting upgraded to Block III Standard via SLMP

At the bottom of the article lol.

"even upgraded versions of the fourth-generation fighters simply can't compete against the newer aircraft's stealth superiority"

Waste of money if you ask me. Navy should build there own new plane.

what article? i posted because it popped up as an news flash tweet.

Super Hornets (Growlers), were competitive vs F-35s in head to head scenarios.

WVR only right? :D

At the bottom of the article lol.

 

"even upgraded versions of the fourth-generation fighters simply can't compete against the newer aircraft's stealth superiority"

 

Waste of money if you ask me. Navy should build there own new plane.

No Super Duper Hornets are not as good as F-35's but how many of the US rivals have stealth fighters, or will have them in the near future. China & Russia will have a small fleet of 5th generation over the next 15 years, with both of these nations still relying on their own upgraded 4th generation aircraft for the next few decades. The Super Hornets are outstanding Strike Fighters, and they perform the role very well for nearly the last 2 decades and will most likely be performing the same role for the foreseeable future. They will play a large role for decades the Super Hornets, alongside the F-35.

Even if the Navy was to build a new plane, what would it be? A two engine F-35? Take them billions of dollars and most likely 15 years to have it in service too...

The Super Hornet is a very capable fighter. It's extremely well-rounded, and it offers capabilities that the F-35C is not meant to deliver. 5th generation is a new way of approaching the strike fighter concept, and it is different from the current employment of strike fighter airplanes. A 5th gen jet is operated as a networked sensor node and a shot caller that can also strike targets and defend itself.

In the words of an F-35C pilot I spoke with recently, "you can't put 12 AMRAAMs on an F-35. They're two different jets with two different roles." His later implication is that you just don't want to. This is akin to the development of the multi-role strike fighter itself: a shift in concept that requires re-examining the value and best employment of the platform as a weapon system, rather than trying to fit it into old roles.

4/4.5 and 5th generation are not exclusively mutual, and I believe the current strategic view is that they ought to be operated in a symbiotic manner. The Navy sees the F-35 and F/A-18E/F operating in tandem for the foreseeable future. There may be a time where the entire force distribution would better benefit from 5th-gen strike fighters only, but it's not right now. So, is the Super Hornet "not as good" as the F-35? Is that the right question to ask?

Edit: bonus Super Hornet love: a Super Hornet driver in the same room said he'd met 4 Raptors WVR and killed all of them. (Though had the fight been BVR, he reckoned he would have lost.)

F-35 can carry a bunch of AMRAAMS in Bull/Beast Mode.

Everyone knows that, but you're making my point: people are too quick to insist that the F-35 can fit roles it isn't going to be used for right now. It's ineffectual discussion. There's a reason the Navy isn't interested in doing that, and a reason to have a force mix.

The Block II to Block III Upgrade Program has also been approved.

So CFTs, Cockpit Upgrades, Data Link/Network Upgrades, A bunch of other nice things coming to the Hornet.

The Block II to Block III Upgrade Program has also been approved.

 

So CFTs, Cockpit Upgrades, Data Link/Network Upgrades, A bunch of other nice things coming to the Hornet.

Will Block III still have the canted wing pylons?

Will Block III still have the canted wing pylons?

Yes, Canted Wing Pylons are not going anywhere.

Poor F-35. I remember when, ironically, F/A-18 Hornet was going through the same. When people called it a bad airplane design and that F/A-14 is just better at everything and Tomcat pilots protesting etc.

 

It is funny to see it inverted on its head because I've not seen any pilot complain about the F-35 but all the politicians and civies seem to be quite mad saying the plane is a poor fighter and bomber

F/A-14 doesn't exist lol

Ow, no engine upgrades though?

What's this F/A-14? never heard of it.

What's this F/A-14? never heard of it.

Internet created it... :D

Yes, Canted Wing Pylons are not going anywhere.

Someone from the U.S Navy told me they would have to redesign the Super Hornet wings in order to remove the canted pylons and replace them with standard pylons that are not going to cause the drag problems that the SHs have.

Someone from the U.S Navy told me they would have to redesign the Super Hornet wings in order to remove the canted pylons and replace them with standard pylons that are not going to cause the drag problems that the SHs have.

There is no redesign. The engineering is done since it's the same from EMD when we originally toed them out. Could be done during depot rework. But will they ever be made straight?

No.

Why? USN would have to re-validate every store that hangs off the pylons. i.e: flying qualities, loads, jettison testing, cats and traps, fuel burn validation etc. That is crazy big money and time to fix a not so big performance hit. Yes it is a performance hit, and ugly as sin, but not the end of the world.

There is no redesign. Who said there is one? :) in fact they aren't doing that any time soon. I am talking about an upgrade, in case someone was interested in removing those pylons.