The Great Growler Gallery

Why don't we have more C's to go around? They stopped building them a while ago, simple as that.

AW&ST's annual inventory issue says the Navy has over 250 F-18C&Ds (guess the Navy uses Ds in the RAGs), which begs the question of how many E/F models will trickle down to squadrons currently flying C models before the F-35C drives up. I guess that was the larger point of the question: we have a bunch of C models now & why can't some of them be allocated to the reserves?

From talking to the VFA guys and seeing them at work-ups and exercises I don't think we have had 'more than enough' C's and D's to go around. They always seemed to be short a few aircraft excpet when they deployed, like everyone else in the Navy. When you consider the number of aircraft in the RAG, in depot and deployed I am thinking that we don't have as many as it would seem on paper. The same story with pretty much every aircraft I have ever flown in the Navy.

As for the Reserves not having C's, I think VFC-12 has them and that only leaves VFA-204. Frankly, they don't need them as much as the active side and do fine without. The reserve guys said the A+'s were fine and they seemed to do well with them.

I guess the lesson is that if you want new stuff join the USAFR or ANG.

Yeah, that is what I was trying to say. They got them from VFC-12 who got their C's in return. The A+'s had a lot more traps left in them.

To the OP: given the rough 50/50 split of opinions in response, I think you can conclude that either way you win, and either way you're slingin' trons and living in Whidbey.

My own opinion, FWIW, is that aircraft with slim NATOPS are not to be trusted. It just means they don't yet know all the ways the jet can kill you.

I just a copy of the MH-60S NATOPS from four years ago. I'd say it's grown by 30-50%, but I think Ch. 12 has become smaller and the limits and major systems haven't really changed.

The plan for the exped growler buy is 30 additional aircraft with 7 going to each squadron and the extra's accounting for attrition, FRS jets, and depot birds. From what we've been told it sounds very close to happening.

All the rumors that we've been hearing lately that people swear will never happen, have been happening. Like 134 joining Airwing 17!

As for the OP, go Growlers! I wouldn't even give it a second guess.

What plan? Is there anything firm or is it just ideas being fermented in Whidbey? I would seriously doubt it until I see something in writing, like the defense budget. Until then it is just ideas and nothing more. Buying 30 more aircraft is just a little bit more of a leap than a squadron going back to the boat.

Talking with some of the dudes I know going through the syllabus... CAT-I or transitions... they're saying that the syllabus is running relatively well... maybe some gripes about the order of events and time spent on one thing vice another, which in my ind is minor. Kinks like that are to be expected in any type of new syllabus, and will get worked out as the syllabus matures.

This is probably a subject for a new thread, but with 1 (one) VFA squadron in the entire NavAirRes, one wonders why we even bother. I guess this reflects back on the way the make-up (at least of the officer corps) of the Navy has so fundamentally changed over the past 20 years. When I served (yes, steam gauges everywhere) from the mid-60's to late 80's, only Boat School & NROTC scholarship guys were commissioned (O-1s) as regular Navy officers. Everyone else was a reservist & the commitments were for 3.5 - 5 yrs after winging. Most people were reservists & there was a large NavAirRes and you could reasonably expect to fly there after your active-duty days if you wanted to serve. Now, it seems that most every officer on active duty is an 1110/1310/1320 & there is almost no NavAirRes to go to if you do get out. Maybe this is the best way to run the Navy in today's political & budget world, but I wouldn't want it if I had to go round again. JMHO, FWIW.

Well, I think back then the mindset was still that we needed a large Reserve cadre for when the Big One went off with the Rooskies. Now, I guess it's more a few specialized units (can't afford specialization in the Regulars) and a small group of bodies for augmenting Regular squadrons.

Just no mo' money for ResRon flying clubs. More's the pity.

Roger, I was trying to clear up what the numbers are that are being thrown around if it does happen.

Just no mo' money for ResRon flying clubs. More's the pity.

Well, that truly sucks. Maybe I should hope Putin gets another term as President & continues to take Russia back to the days of the Bad 'Ol Kremlin.

Jorts- The RAG had actually worked out a ton of the kinks since we've started the transition. Things are running fairly smoothly right now. Two of the flights during the fighter weps phase actually focus on G defensive manuevers. We are finishing up the AEA syllabus and they have done a great job during this phase of bringing everything together...creating scenarios where you execute an EA mission and are then forced to transition to an Air-to-Air mindset. Considering that there really isn't a fully functioning G weapons school yet, the 129 phase heads are basically acting as the end-all-be-all for G tactics and are making changes as they get positive and negative feedback.

Big Navy and CVWP want the G in the fight ASAP, so the exped thing (at least for 132) is going to happen.

If I were coming out of the training command right now I would have to place Gs at the top of my list. I think the community will be able to keep its relatively laid back atmosphere while flying the best machine the Navy has to offer. I had a blast flying the Prowler, but now I get my hands on the weapon system

If people with first hand experience flying both TMS and making the transition continue to offer up insight and answers based on something more than rumor and conjecture, what will this thread devolve into?

So I have heard rumors (from the student RR all the way up to our old commodore) that the G FRS will be looking for a few more single anchor heads sometime in the near future......anyone in the know care to expand on this?

What's the pace for squadrons transitioning? I know -132 is operational and -141 is in the process. Are they going to keep it around 2 per year?

EA-18G Wings

I noticed that the EA-18G Growler has strips on the wing, while the F/A-18E/F models do not. Anybody know why? I didn't think there was a big different between the airframes. Just curious why Boeing added the wing fence.

I know the basic aerodynamics of a wing fence and swept wing, but if the EA-18G has it, why don't the F/A-18E/F models have it?

That's exactly what I'm talking about, just inside of where the wing folds.

Russian aircraft are pretty big into this
see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wing_fence_sukhoi-22m-4.jpg

While for example the Citation X wing is very well designed and does not require any wing fences, even though it has a very high sweep back angle.