Swiss F/A-18C Demo
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Impressive performance made even better without the typical punk/tecno music playing so loud you can't hear the aircraft. I didn't get the chance to watch the entire video, but the camera placement was impressive, looking down at the aircraft through alot of the flight.
4WD
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If it's like the CF's Canada have - the land based jets are lighter than Navy flat top perched jets
Originally Posted by 4WD
If it's like the CF's Canada have - the land based jets are lighter than Navy flat top perched jets
Sure about that? I'm looking up the specs, and the CF-18s have about same empty weight as the FA-18C. Of course the Super Hornets are larger and heavier.
I actually got a chance to talk to a couple of Canadian AF pilots at an airshow in California. One sounded like a stereotypical Canadian, while the other was obvious French-Canadian. I asked why they still had the carrier gear for the catapult. He said they've tried taking it off, but it just messed with the balance. Everything was balanced and it would apparently shudder a lot when they tried removing it. As far as I know, every foreign customer has basically kept all of the carrier based gear.
If it's like the CF's Canada have - the land based jets are lighter than Navy flat top perched jets
Sure about that? I'm looking up the specs, and the CF-18s have about same empty weight as the FA-18C. Of course the Super Hornets are larger and heavier.
I actually got a chance to talk to a couple of Canadian AF pilots at an airshow in California. One sounded like a stereotypical Canadian, while the other was obvious French-Canadian. I asked why they still had the carrier gear for the catapult. He said they've tried taking it off, but it just messed with the balance. Everything was balanced and it would apparently shudder a lot when they tried removing it. As far as I know, every foreign customer has basically kept all of the carrier based gear.
There is absolutely no mechanical difference between the USN and the CAF/Swiss F/A-18C. Same airplane. Same assembly line.
Since production, the USN airplanes have received flight control software upgrades, weapon system software and computer upgrades and radar upgrades.
But mechanically, they are all the same.
Since production, the USN airplanes have received flight control software upgrades, weapon system software and computer upgrades and radar upgrades.
But mechanically, they are all the same.
Reason the foreign land-based F-18s are carrier fighters has something to do with the production agreement between Northrop and McDonnell-Douglas. When Northrop wasn't chosen in the Lightweight Fighter Competition (YF-16 vs. YF-17), they passed the plans to McD for them to modify the aircraft to a carrier based version of the F-17, renamed the F-18 (the Navy wouldn't buy carrier fighters from Northrop). Under the agreement between Northrop and McD, McD would be the prime contractor for carrier versions of the F-18, and Northrop would be the prime for the land-based versions. In a stroke of marketing genius, McD sold carrier versions to countries without carriers. Probably an easy sell because other countries wanted versions of the jet operationally flown by the U.S., and the Air Force, Navy, or Marines weren't buying Northrop versions. Northrop got frozen out of producing the fighter they developed, other than manufacturing major sub-components.
I don't think I have ever seen a modern, western, FBW plane flown like this. Limiters off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR-c1QeEyQE
Kinda makes 'Swiss cheese' out of the Swiss.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR-c1QeEyQE
Kinda makes 'Swiss cheese' out of the Swiss.....
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