Comments on: Aluminum overcast

By: Larry P. Card

Larry P. Card — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 08:38:33 +0000

Names for Hornets; lawn darts, AIM-18 (looky there, the KA-6 has air to air missles! Only slightly more range than the AIM-54.) CWIZ, Sea Sparrow, Sea Hornet (all close in weapons for a carrier). Of course then I started working on them and gained a whole new appreciation for them. Tomcats were labor intensive and broken more times than not, but they were the first ones I worked on and I have a fondness for them. That and my first squadron was VF-31, it’s fitting that the Tomcatters flew them off the boat for the last time.
As for the superior and troublesome Tomcat radar, CAPT Leenhouts used to say “radar is for p**ssies”.

By: instapinch.com » Blog Archive » Tomcat Sunset, Sept 2006

instapinch.com » Blog Archive » Tomcat Sunset, Sept 2006 — Sat, 27 May 2006 14:46:50 +0000

[...] Notwithstanding those “plastic jet drivers” who won’t find it hard to say goodbye to this beasty aerospace war machine (damn bugs!) the Tomcat community, Naval Air Station Oceana and the Virginia Beach area in general is gearing up for 4 days in September of a farewell worthy of the sainted Turkey. [...]

By: Neptunus Lex » Phormer Phantom phlyer pharewell

Neptunus Lex » Phormer Phantom phlyer pharewell — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 23:08:55 +0000

[...] Well, with all these goings on about the imminent retirement of the aluminum overcast (not to mention the UK Sea Harrier) you’d think that the current generation of fighter pilots had invented this whole “farewell to all that” meme. [...]

By: Charles

Charles — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 02:56:57 +0000

I just wonder when the F-14 guys will start to pull the same sort of thing the F-8 guys did. IE “The Last
‘Cat reunion” and have it last until the last F-14 pilot is doing his “There I was with Cool Hand….”

It is a shame to see another pure Grumman product leave the decks of USN carriers, it will be too soon before we see the last Grumman product leave the flight deck and flight line.

As before: Here is a Miller to the new breed from the old breed. You have the watch!

By: skippy-san

skippy-san — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 01:20:18 +0000

B2 you probably have better access to people who can give you better info. My radar is crutch statement is a feeble attempt at a joke, its one I used to use debriefing Mission Commanders in training.

Point being is that one of the strengths of Naval Aviation is our ability to innovate. From what I have heard from folks actually doing the job is that they are doing their best to support and get support to the troops on the ground in spite of hardware shorcomings. And doing a pretty good job of it as I have heard.

I think that is the biggest strength about Naval Aviation.

By: badbob

badbob — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 22:21:30 +0000

Skippy,

I’m just talking hardware. Of course any Navy E-2 mole is smarter and better looking than any USAF mole in JSTARS or AWACs (go Navy) but the aircraft capabilities aren’t the same.

We wouldn’t want to confuse the folks who read this blog that the Hawkeye or even AWACS had ISR capabilities for the troops on the ground.

re ABCCC: I’m sure the E-2 has enough radios to do the mission you talked about but there isn’t a lot of room in an E-2 to carry decision-making Generals and their staffs like the AF variant. C’mon, fess up.

What I’m getting at here is that you are sort of misrepresenting the Hawkeye’s capabilities..Radar isn’t a crutch when you need SAR/MTI to do a mission and well, if you don’t have EO/IR, you can’t see at night.

Meanwhile, counting airplanes to/from the ISR area and snoozing. Maybe someday the E-2D (as in Delta) will be capable of true ISR but I was hoping you could tell me…