UncreativeName🌻

@Mach3Plus So in essence the NASA Hornets?

@Uncreat37578981 When it's use as a prefix it means Special Test (Permanent) status or military aircraft permanently configured for testing.

Some people commented about the replacement of the two EA-18G Growlers with two FA-18F Super Hornets from the boneyard or the production line. First the production line is ending, the last airframe is being assembled. Pulling a standard FA-18F Super Hornet out of the boneyard and trying to modify it into a Growler face several structural roadblocks. The internal rewiring and structural airframe changes are too extensive to do as a retrofit. Boeing has stated this is cost-prohibitive and structurally impractical. The EA-Growler has over 90% shared design with the FA-18F Super Hornet; however, Boeing made tremendous changes to its structure and aerodynamics during its conversion from the multirole fighter to an electronic warfare aircraft. For example, Boeing removed the General Dynamics M61A2 Vulcan 20mm cannon from the nose of the airframe to create an internal processing bay. The airframe was also modified in that the wingtip Sidewinder missile rails were replaced with permanently mounted Northrop Grumman AN/ALQ-218 tactical jamming receiver pods. The addition of heavy electronic warfare pods changed the weight distribution of the airframe, which resulted in a flight characteristic referred to as Limit Cycle Oscillation, which is a severe shaking of the wings or fluttering of the structure. To counteract this unique aerodynamic load, engineers added wing fences, stall strips and reshaped the fairings to eliminate wing shake. The last phase of the redesign included molding canoe-shaped antenna fairings onto the fuselage and placing a satellite communications dome behind the canopy. Last but not least, the aircraft were from the Fleet Replacement Squadron, Electronic Attack Squadron 129 VAQ-129 (Vikings). The frontline deployable squadrons did not lose any assets, so I’m guessing the training pipeline at VAQ-129 will probably absorb the internal aircraft loss directly from its large pool of 55 Growlers.

@xrp_bob_lee @k_on_warlord Oh, naggers, right

@k_on_warlord This still doesn’t beat the Southpark Episode with Randy on Wheel of Fortune having to solve “N_GGERS” with the clue of “people who annoy you” 🏆

We used to produce gems like this

My neighbor told me Iranians keep shooting down his Reapers so I asked how many Reapers he has and he said he just goes to the shelter and gets a new Reaper afterwards… so I said it sounds like he’s just feeding Reapers to Iranians. And then his daughter started crying.

Civilian reactions vs actual fighter pilot reactions to the E/A-18G demo crash:

@Movies_analyst I think we’d all blank in that situation

In Top Gun (1986), Tom Cruise completely blanked while looking at Kelly McGillis during this scene, so instead of stopping the take or asking for another shot, he suddenly kissed her — director Tony Scott loved the improvised moment and kept it in the film.

I like big cans. I won’t apologize for who I am.

@UserNameR0B @TomcatJunkie @grok NEVER diss my Bronco like that again

@TomcatJunkie @grok What in the “We have Pucará at home”…?

Playing around with using AI to optimize photos again. Decide to try a photo that I considered unusable. Check this out. 1. Original 2. ChatGPT 3. Grok…. That’s just embarrassing @grok

In 1980, under command of CAPT Matthew Yelland, Nimitz encountered an electrical storm after leaving Pearl Harbor and lost all contact with the rest of the fleet. What happened during that period is still highly classified.

@Laforiee @DaOfficialVigil

i love airplanes but i would never ever make a crappy failed export fighter which lost 2/3rds of all prototypes to crashes my entire personality ^w^

@BenchwarmerBran Ahem, Jake Bobo?

If the guy that just got a 3 year/$51M extension doesn’t out-target 32-year-old glorified tight end Cooper Kupp this year the Seahawks have a problem

scary rumours circulating rn

@fulbrightdotdll @Rimmy_Downunder

TURN ON THE TELEVISION IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT CHANNEL JUST TURN ON THE TELEVISION

@IronMorgue @1Aksp @breadunderscore “Why have we called fire support at 225199?”

@1Aksp @breadunderscore One I’d my favorites was hearing Cyanide ask why a fire mission was called on ZF’s exact coordinates XD

I gotta hand it to SovietWomble, his ARMA AntiStasi series is very true to life

@kevinmillerauth @CynicalPublius Dusty didn’t want to be called a hero because he made it back but he helped sink 3 ships (scored a hit on Mikuma on the 6th) and stuck around the navy to train the following SBD pilots then helped with carrier acquisition for decades after. I’d say he is but I respect humility

@Uncreat37578981 @CynicalPublius Don’t call Dusty a hero, but McClusky and Best (taking his wingmen to Akagi), Leslie, Thach, the VT skippers and others - they led. They were determined and resolute, knowing what they were flying their formations in to. Cases can be made.

I was just re-watching "Midway" (the new Woody Harrelson version, not the old Charlton Heston version). Dick Best sank two Japanese aircraft carriers at Midway. How was he not awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor?

@kevinmillerauth @CynicalPublius Will you discuss Dusty Kleiss?

@CynicalPublius CP, I’m working on it; going to address a group in DC next month and make the case for him, McClusky, and others. Their actions are worthy of the award. (Most pilots received the Navy Cross.) One MoH was awarded at Midway; USMC Capt. Richard Fleming who lost his life on 5 June.

@TomcatJunkie What would the squadron logo be? Did they ever have any jets painted in their scheme?

VF-1285 Fighting Fubijars. Because it would be fun telling everyone what “Fubijar” means.