viper vs hornet

[kevin]

well here's another one. an interesting article, an f18 pilot did an exchange with the af and compared the 2 aircraft. without getting into too many specifics, he praised the hornet's turning ability (they still say the viper has the tightest, fastest turn which he seems to contradict) but said the common complaint with the hornet is it's shoddy power (acceleration characteristics) which pales in comparison to other fighters, particularly the viper. he said something like the hornet "is the fastest to get slow and the slowest to get fast." so my rather obvious question is why didnt or dont they upgrade the engine block (like they did with the viper) to achieve better performance (get a greater than 1 t:w ratio, viper has 1.2:1) or something like that?

 

[wink]

I'm sure it is too complex for me. Cost/benefit, different logistics tail, warranty, maintenance tech training, etc. Here is the one I'd be most concerned about, specific fuel consumption. The little bug has crappy legs. It has been around so long many forget the good ol days when the airwing flew 1+45 cycles and A-6s would routinely double cycle. The airwing had the legs to reach out and touch someone. Since the A-6 went away and little bugs have proliferated, the cycles are significantly shorter as are the mission ranges. More powwer would likely mean less range. We cannot accept any more reductions in the airwing's combat radius. A turning knife fight is not likely for any of our fighters in the forseeable future. Therefore, the additional performance required for that tactical secenario is not worth it.

 

[goldwingdreams]

i c said the blind man

 

[kevin]

makes sense. although i was more referring to why they wouldnt have made the change with the super hornet. but perhaps the same point still applies.

 

[wink]

Super Hornet actually has more gas and longer legs. But it is very expensive and has some problems of its own, mostly serodynamic. The Super Bug will ultimately replace the F-14 in the airwing mix anyway, not the Little Bug. The F/A-18Cs will be replaced by the F-35 (JSF), some years from now.