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Stupid questions about the Rhino (Super Hornet)

SteveG75

Retired and starting that second career
None
SteveG- I laughed out loud at your tanker answer. I looked on google images for a picture of a four-ship refueling daisy chain I've seen somewhere but no joy.

Jim, I don't think this pic is real but it sure is funny.
multiple-tank-2.jpg
 

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
There's one of four 1950's era jets (one of them an A-4 I think) hanging up in the NASWF academic building. I'll try to get a shot tomorrow.

The Army experimented first with notion of refueling in flight

air_refueling.jpg


The first successful aerial refueling took place on June 27, 1923, when a DH-4B carrying Lts. Virgil Hine and Frank W. Seifert passed gasoline through a hose to another DH-4B flying beneath it carrying Lts. Lowell H. Smith and John P. Richter.

The next day another refueling flight was made in an attempt to break the world record set by Macready and Kelly in the T-2 on Oct. 5, 1922. Unfortunately, a gasoline valve in the receiver airplane became plugged, and Smith had to make a forced landing in some mud flats near North Island after almost a full day in the air. The airplane flipped onto its back on landing, and its propeller was cracked.

Two months later on Aug. 27-28, Smith and Richter made an endurance flight which lasted 37 hours, 15 minutes, with 16 refueling contacts. During this flight, they set 16 new world records for distance, speed and duration. On Oct. 25, 1923, Smith and Richter flew nonstop from the Canadian to the Mexican border, a distance of 1,250 miles, by being refueled three times while in the air. The theory of extending the range of an airplane by mid-air refueling became a demonstrated fact. The rest is history taking us to routine aerial refueling daily.

Although not a routine practrice in WWII, immense distances from captured island bases to Japan resulted in Navy, RAF and Army Air Force experiments to extend ranges of bombers. The need bacame OBE as Marines captured Iwo Jima and Okinawa and long range B-29 operations commenced.

ab5.jpg


The Cold War and intercontinental bombing missions resulted in aerial refueling being a standard operational practice for tactical aircraft as well as the strategic bombing fleet. The Air Force settled on the boom method of transfer transitioning from probe and drogue method first introduced and in use by US Navy and other air forces in the world.

The F-105 was the TAC transition aircraft having the ability to use a Navy-style probe or the SAC receptacle to refuel.

f105_20.jpg


By the advent of hostilities on Vietnam, it was a mainstream practice and a necessity for fighter bombers heading to North Vietnam and helicopters engaged in RESCAP missions allowing to reach deep inside North Vietnam to rescue downed pilots.

hh53refuel01.jpg


Even the Army experimented with refueling during Vietnam

ov1_refueling.jpg





Air Force graciously providing fuel to Navy customers during Desert Storm

gulf_fig3_3.jpg


HJ photo
 

Carlos Caliente

Member
None
Aw come on heyjoe, where's the Hoover?
To answer the thread question,
searching and reading up on a platform that interests you is fine,
but you should concentrate on step one. If you'd be happy flying a pinto with wings for beer money you'll be happy in whatever community you end up in. Best of luck, don't suck.
 

BigIron

Remotely piloted
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
For you Rhino enthusiasts....

Pic of 5 wet single seat VFA-31 Rhino. Enjoy!
 

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Goober

Professional Javelin Catcher
None
Rhino length: 60 ft 1¼ in (18.31 m)
Hummer length: 57 ft 7 in (17.56 m)

Real pic, just stitched together from two shots for the panorama. BTW, Israeli E-2s always had IFR.
 

MasterBates

Well-Known Member
I've never looked up how long a Rhino is, they just seem smaller when I saw them on deck vs the Hummers/CODs. I stand corrected. I thought they were shorter in length than the E-2s by a good bit.
 

niktam

New Member
The USN also had an E-2C outfitted for IFR, but it got its port modded off and went back to regular missions.

IMO it just seems like a really bad idea!
 

Junkball

"I believe in ammunition"
pilot
Since this has seemingly turned into the tanker thread, the most AAR/mission has to be the Vulcan's Black Buck raids on the Falklands. I read in Admiral Woodward's memoirs One Hundred Days that it took 11 Victor tankers to support each sortie over the Islands. Not surprisingly, he railed against the RAF's inefficiency for such a pinprick.
 

SteveG75

Retired and starting that second career
None
This picture is going to cause me to have to drink myself to sleep now....

Mostly because it's showing that they are making the E-2 SMALLER (its a photoshop job, the scale between the SupaBug and Hummer ain't right)

Rhino length: 60 ft 1¼ in (18.31 m)
Hummer length: 57 ft 7 in (17.56 m)

Real pic, just stitched together from two shots for the panorama. BTW, Israeli E-2s always had IFR.

Nope, real photo. Pax River has been doing IFR development with the E-2C since 2004. Get ready for those really long missions.....
http://www.dcmilitary.com/stories/061109/tester_28168.shtml
7958_512.jpg
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
IMO it just seems like a really bad idea!

Say that after you've dumped down to max trap and then the deck gets clobbered. Besides, for the OEF/OIF hops we're doing nowadays, being able to top off on station would make a huge difference. Long as they put the shitter back in the AEC, I'm cool with it.
 

AJTranny

Over to the dark side I go...
pilot
None
Just a question for the E-2 bubbas, how many passes could you get out of max trap assuming blue water ops?
 

BourneID

Member
pilot
I've always wanted to fly something fast and fixed-wing. However, now...I'll fly a Ford Pinto with wings, if it means I can class up faster.

Keep an open mind...bust your ass and you'll love whatever you get.


Blah Blah Blah however the bold and red part of your statement bothers me. Enjoy this time off you have on waiting for classes, because in 2 years you won't get all this free time off. You new guys just don't realize how great it is.
 
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