Teh Blue Angles are in receipt of their last FA-18A:
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) recently completed its last F/A-18A/B model Blue Angels conversion aircraft. The “Last Blue” was flown back to the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration squadron in Pensacola after its final test flight on April 8.
The aircraft was inducted by FRCSE at Cecil Commerce Center last year in order to undergo the transformation from fighter jet to aerobatic aircraft. FRCSE artisans have the experience, skills, and expertise to ensure the F/A-18 Hornet can perform both tasks with muscle and finesse. As a fighter jet, the aircraft has the responsibility to defend and protect the country during conflict, and during an air show, the ability to perform complete aerobatic stunts and maneuvers that please the multitudes of air show fans around the world. The conversion requires more than 3500 labor-hours of work.
The A-model was a fun jet in pure BFM, a little lighter in the nose than the Charlies, especially those fielded without Enhanced Performance Engines, so I reckon they make pretty good airshow platforms too. Especially after removing the gun and missile launchers.
Next up will be the Lot XV Charlies, is my guess. At least for the soloists.
Why wouldn’t they go with Echo’s?
Or for that matter, if they can wait long enough, F-35′s – in maybe make the solo’s a couple of the VSTOL versions and put on a real show….
SSG Jeff,
Actually a number of folks ask that question. The biggest reason is that these newer aircraft are still being used for their initial intended purposes… to put ordinance on target. Actually the US Navy is running short of Strike fighters and the trend looks to continue into the near future based on budget projections and recommended cuts from the Sec Def office.
Lex is better to explain the aerobatic capabilities of the Legacy Bug -vs- the Rhino, but my understanding is that the “A” and “C” models actually have a better roll rate and when slick and waxed actually perform in all envelopes except maybe in endurance and high alpha-low speed passes as good or better than the “E”. (Lex?)
As for the eventual use of the F-35 introduction into the fleet not-withstanding, as cool as the idea of using the VSTOL version of the Lightning in a demo may be, I would assume the full weight of that particular bird would really reduce some of the other performance characteristics of the F-35 (not entirely sure on that on though) But I do think eventually the F-35 will make a good looking blue.
-JC
Blue Angels with Kaci: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h32oUZP2Yo
FRCSE artisans have the experience, skills, and expertise to ensure the F/A-18 Hornet can perform both tasks with muscle and finesse.
So they installed muscle?
It’s hard to believe 22 years have passed. We got some of those early A models what weren’t yet blue. They were from Cecil Field, a might green on the wings; microbial growth we were told. Nothing some cleaning, grinding and painting couldn’t fix. I got to make four roadshows with the A-4s, then it was off they went. They sure made a beautiful, tight diamond. I imagine they’ll be flying the C’s for awhile.
“…the ability to perform complete aerobatic stunts…”
I know nothing about the FA -18 being an old recip and turbo guy, but one thing really annoys me when I read it and that is the word “stunts” when used to describe precision aeorabatic maneuvers.
Just a burr under my saddle.
So you mean to tell me that you can’t convert a Blue Angel jet back to a Fleet configuration in a couple of hours (per the Blue Angel show script)?
I’m shocked! (Not really… I’m just surprised they still say that!)
I bet they’ll be in Charlies for at least 5 years, then get some worn hard LRIP “E”s and “F”s that the RAG has beaten up…
So thats what I’ve been hearing tearing the clouds up…Cecil is about 8 miles to the west of me. Really missed that jet base, was way cool when they came back from deployment and did a squadron fly-by over downtown Jax.
I recall reading sommers that a Blues paint job was about 200 lbs of blue paint – layer after layer to give the jet that “I could reach my hand in to it” look. The airframes types really do a class job – wish my car painting skills were that good.
you can probably plug in the hardpoints in a few hours, but the gun should take longer.
As to needing C’s next, that’s assuming the budget cuts won’t lead to the Angels being disbanded.
Many countries have cut their display teams to save money, and often because “having military shows is militaristic and that’s bad”.
With Obama’s and Hillary’s hatred of the military, that’s likely to come into play in the US soon.
Well, the Blues went to the A-4 primarily to save gas money.
Who’s to say the next birds won’t be T-45As?
Of course the RAF Red Arrows flew the Folland Gnat trainers for years for this reason–now in Hawk T1As–another trainer.
I prefered the A4 show — closer to the crowd, and the delta wing, once the diamond formed up, looked like a single a/c. The Diamond 360 in the bug, just isn’t as impressive. Not to mention, the line abreast loop isn’t all six a/c. And no formation landing…..
And the dirty roll on t/o was, shall we say, a more marginal maneuver (not that the P-408 engine, on a slick, light F model wasn’t more than enough…)
Off to P’cola Thursday — will have to head by the museum for an update, and a longing glance at the diamond…. Then, grab the PFC, and head off to NOLA for JazzFest!
Have a few in NOLA for me, Scott. Thought we’d be back by now–looks like end of June instead. If you make it back next year we’ll have to hit Mr. Nick’s together at the very least.
I don’t think Nick’s has reopened after the storm. Recce trip, Saturday night, after dinner at Mandina’s. Soft shell crabs are in season. Amandine, anyone?
LOL. You’re right, Scott, I’d totally forgotten. Even as of 21/2 yrs later when I left NO to come back out here to join my family full time in 08 the drive from the CBD up Tulane to Tulane and Carrolleton still looked like a war zone with most of the businesses closed, trash on the sidewalks, etc. Same for the parallel drive from the CBD up Canal all the way to the Cemeteries. It’s slow going all around. A bit better now as of today, but still….
Which is the same reason the T-Birds went to T-38s from F-4s, IIRC. The resulting show was hard to see, especially the higher altitude stuff, like the bomb-burst. I think the larger airframes make for a much better show. IMHO.
Scott – Totally agree. The A-4F Blues were awesome. Course I’m biased, having lived for a few months just off the end of Sherman Field, and thus “enjoying” their passage each Sunday morning at 7AM at 50′ over the house.
I loved the A4-F show the first time I saw the Blues at NAS Norfolk(Chambers Field) in 1975.
I got to see them practice during VisWeps and CQ dets to El Centro and they made a perfect show airplane. The Hornets are OK but something is still missing. I never got to see the Phantoms, so I can’t compare with it’s performance during the show.
I saw the A-4F show as a kid… that was quite a show as I recall…
What’s a Hornet get outta the depot- 5 years? How many ASPAs after that? Years away.
Maybe we’ll see a diamond of F-35′s by then. It’ll be loud..maybe even approach the old Phantom show for ground shaking.
It’ll be a race AF vs. Navy to airshow the thing. The AF could never afford a demonstration team of Raptors. ‘Course by then we may all be one big air-o-force and the crowd will have to be entertained by a flawless formation of drones flown from Nellis!
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