USN may add conformal fuel tanks to F/A-18E/F fleet

[Treetop Flyer]

This is a better example of what I was trying to say. A lot more racks on this tank for a strike eagle.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F-15E_CFT.jpg

 

[C420sailor]

How is it that some of you praise the Rhino as way better than JSF, while others say it's underpowered and has mediocre performance?

It's a beast down low, especially in a relatively clean configuration...but a pig up high. And I use the phrase 'up high' loosely. And once you start mounting pylons and hanging shit from them, it only gets worse. She has enough trouble cracking the number as-is, and now they're saying that the CFTs may cause increased wave drag.

She needs more ass.

 

[707guy]

Such small gear for such a large airplane. It just looks funny.

The Air Force likes jets with "girly" gear.

 

[FLYMARINES]

Isn't that the Stars and Bars in low-vis in front of the intake?

Stars and Bars?

I doubt it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_o...#First_national_flag_.28the_Stars_and_Bars.29

 

[Brett327]

I think people are so used to seeing the conformals without knowing it on the 15Es that they don't realize that the bulge outboard of the intakes is not a permanent part of the aircraft.

That very well could be. When I saw the Rhino tanks in St Louis, they looked very different.

 

[Lawman]

They did a good job with the Eagle making them look like they werent an after thought.

Some aircraft... not so lucky...

 

[BigRed389]

Stars and Bars?

I doubt it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_o...#First_national_flag_.28the_Stars_and_Bars.29

Yeah, I'm not sure what the right term for it is...here's a blatantly obvious version of what I'm talking about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:B-17-231503-bassingborne.jpg

Star in circle with 2 white bars...the F-15 pic has a small one outlined in black in front of the port engine intake.

 

[scoolbubba]

Yeah, I'm not sure what the right term for it is...here's a blatantly obvious version of what I'm talking about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:B-17-231503-bassingborne.jpg

Star in circle with 2 white bars...the F-15 pic has a small one outlined in black in front of the port engine intake.

Roundel.

 

[MIDNJAC]

F-15C's have two canopy rails. The F-15E conformal tanks are removable, but they seem to pretty much always be attached. They have a lot of hardpoints for bombs. On that note, I bet the F-15 in that picture isn't an E. It seems set up for missiles, not bombs. The tanks on the C seem to have only one row of racks for AMRAAM's. The E in the earlier picture has more racks on the conformal tanks meant for bombs. Here's a C with tanks. http://www.airliners.net/photo/0766781/M/

Ha I'm an idiot....so they do. Yeah I would agree with this then

 

[SynixMan]

So 3.5k more in taxpayer gas you can dump in the pattern? Smiles, of course...

 

[phrogdriver]

Yeah, I'm not sure what the right term for it is...here's a blatantly obvious version of what I'm talking about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:B-17-231503-bassingborne.jpg

Star in circle with 2 white bars...the F-15 pic has a small one outlined in black in front of the port engine intake.

Yeah, pretty much every plane in the inventory has some version of that. It's about the opposite of the "stars and bars."

 

[Recovering LSO]

So 3.5k more in taxpayer gas you can dump in the pattern? Smiles, of course...

3.5k more lbs to hold while the helo fouls the LA during another HP/CS // smiles of course

 

[Hotdogs]

What extra playtime does 3.5k give you at max E in a E/F? That's another bag and a half for us.

 

[Jim123]

"Star and bar"

"Stars and bars"

The difference can make a world of difference in how the good guys react when you first approach them

 

[Recovering LSO]

What extra playtime does 3.5k give you at max E in a E/F? That's another bag and a half for us.

Play time? Depends on what you're doing. When thought of as number of passes behind the ship at night, blue water, it's as good as mother's milk (provided there's not a lot of "bring back" hanging on the wings).