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MQ-25 Stingray

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
So what's up with side number "505?" Steven Coontz used 505 as his go-to side number many years ago. Now PR photos like the above use 505 all the time. Is it the chicken or the egg?
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
Is the Stingray the only plane that actually looks like its nickname,(Kind of).
AIR_UAV_X-47B_Concept_lg.jpg
southernray3.jpg
Too bad that's not necessarily the MQ-25.
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
So what's up with side number "505?" Steven Coontz used 505 as his go-to side number many years ago. Now PR photos like the above use 505 all the time. Is it the chicken or the egg?
A former Skipper of mine got a change-of-command squadron photo taken next to 505. To memorialize that that he'd commanded a squadron with six Prowlers in it, thus actually having a 505. Long story involving Big Navy's shuffling of jets.

505 is an uncommon modex, and thus usually fictional. Even the Gs usually only have 5 jets assigned, and so have 500 to 504. Most B squadrons stopped at 503. Or that's my post-Intruder explanation, anyway.
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
So what's up with side number "505?" Steven Coontz used 505 as his go-to side number many years ago. Now PR photos like the above use 505 all the time. Is it the chicken or the egg?
Also since the MQ-25 is going to part of the VAW it's modex might be 605-609.
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Also since the MQ-25 is going to part of the VAW it's modex might be 605-609.

It'll be part of ACCLW. Whether it's part of the VAW squadron when embarked or another VRC det or something else entirely hasn't been decided, that I've heard. It would not surprise me if they stood up new squadrons on the VRC model - one each coast, send dets to the boat. VUK, maybe?
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
It'll be part of ACCLW. Whether it's part of the VAW squadron when embarked or another VRC det or something else entirely hasn't been decided, that I've heard. It would not surprise me if they stood up new squadrons on the VRC model - one each coast, send dets to the boat. VUK, maybe?
Fair enough. Have AACLW as the ISIC and then a few AV det kind of like the old whales. VUK; I like it.
 

707guy

"You can't make this shit up..."
So this surprised the hell out of me...

Thought it was odd also - read the Defense News article and these points made sense:

“If Northrop is dropping, it‘s because they’ve looked at the requirements and decided the Navy isn’t looking for the plane they are offering,”

"Phil Finnegan, a Teal Group analyst that focuses on UAVs, said Northrop’s decision makes sense given the Navy’s transition from a high-end combat aircraft to a low-cost tanker. “That shifted the advantage to a company like Boeing, which has focused on cost throughout the competition. Boeing is expected to use parts that are used by the F/A-18 in a bid to keep costs down. It also has considerable experience with tankers since it builds the Air Force tanker,” he said."
 
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