USN F-18 Block III

[Griz882]

Moderator's Corner: For best results when using AWs, avoid the words lick and poop in the same sentence.

We recently had a local news story about the 100th anniversary of Wang Theater in Boston. The woman doing the story was asked by the anchor…”What’s the big draw there? What brings people in?” Her response was perfect…”The size of the Wang is the real draw.”

Even the Mrs giggled at that noting, “She’s not wrong.”

 

[AircraftGeek513]

Does the Block III have it's own separate NATOPS?

 

[Brett327]

Does the Block III have it's own separate NATOPS?

No, updates to the existing one. There's a single NATOPS for E/F and G.

 

[AircraftGeek513]

No, updates to the existing one. There's a single NATOPS for E/F and G.

Interesting.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Interesting.

From the perspective of what NATOPS cares about (ie primarily hardware and procedures), it is not very different at all.

 

[Faded Float Coat]

From the perspective of what NATOPS cares about (ie primarily hardware and procedures), it is not very different at all.

No new considerations in the big book for LAD?

 

[MIDNJAC]

No new considerations in the big book for LAD?

Not much. There are some slight differences, but the notes/warnings/cautions/advisories are all the same. Some stuff specific to LAD recovery if i recall correctly, is about it.

 

[Brett327]

Not much. There are some slight differences, but the notes/warnings/cautions/advisories are all the same. Some stuff specific to LAD recovery if i recall correctly, is about it.

I sat in (but did not fly) one of the Blk III Rhinos at NAWDC. Biggest diffs besides the LAD was the new HUD. LAD was essentially set up to emulate the legacy display formats. The f-35-like displays come with future H-builds. Baby steps & little victories.

 

[MIDNJAC]

I sat in (but did not fly) one of the Blk III Rhinos at NAWDC. Biggest diffs besides the LAD was the new HUD. LAD was essentially set up to emulate the legacy display formats. The f-35-like displays come with future H-builds. Baby steps & little victories.

Yeah, the low profile HUD is an improvement i think. Interestingly enough (or maybe not interesting), H-builds are now going to the boneyard. CID ( first being “CID20”) is the next new thing, and should bring basically what we would have previously thought of as asynchronous updates to software (think + and * mini builds), quite rapidly. You probably know this, but it is the new hotness if you dont. TBD if it is actually a viable system. That will be more on NAVAIR than it is on us (OEM), if it doesn’t work, I’d think. Old processes die hard. Cautionary tale is to be told with some recent H builds(or really build), so that isn’t really just NAVAIR to be fair.

 

[HuggyU2]

Just tell us the 5 things you did last week at work, and everything will be fine.......I promise

This is NOT funny.
I went to Beale today on a day off to do this.

But... my 5 bullets?
Works of art.
Even you Navy-types might promote me to Admiral.

OK, Captain. I guess I can't outrank Brett.

 

[Brett327]

Well, they did such a good job with H14/H14+/H14* and "oh the OT on GCM didn't do so hot, but have at it fleet and hope H16 doesn't fry both your MCs", that I'm sure all these mini-builds will be awesome. Don't get me wrong, I love the concept of frequent, agile, incremental software upgrades, but it didn't seem like they had quite figured that out last time I looked.

 

[AircraftGeek513]

So I'm guessing it's the same for F-5s that have received the ARTEMIS upgrade?

 

[Faded Float Coat]

Yeah, the low profile HUD is an improvement i think. Interestingly enough (or maybe not interesting), H-builds are now going to the boneyard. CID , first being CID20

CD25 will follow H18

 

[MIDNJAC]

CD25 will follow H18

Sorry, mistype of mine, you are correct

 

[MIDNJAC]

Well, they did such a good job with H14/H14+/H14* and "oh the OT on GCM didn't do so hot, but have at it fleet and hope H16 doesn't fry both your MCs", that I'm sure all these mini-builds will be awesome. Don't get me wrong, I love the concept of frequent, agile, incremental software upgrades, but it didn't seem like they had quite figured that out last time I looked.

You’re not wrong