USAF News and Discussion

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SolarWind

Active Member
www.defensenews.com

A-10 official issues warning over US Air Force’s ‘devastated’ Warthog fleet

The A-10 systems manager said the Air Force has “resourced the A-10 to divest yet flew it like an enduring fleet, rapidly accelerating [the] decline toward today’s hollowing fleet."
www.defensenews.com www.defensenews.com

Is the A-10 hopelessly outdated for modern warfare? Should the A-10 be divested in favor of stealthy high-flying jet fighters and various drone platforms? The war in Ukraine is showing the modern battlefield is a dangerous place for CAS. Perhaps that role should be given to UAVs/drones.
 
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Terran

Terran

Well-Known Member
Yes.
Yes is the answer. We could rehash it all, but at its heart the A10 has had a huge PR campaign. It’s cemented the aircraft as an icon. I am amazed we haven’t had a Topgun style movie of A10 pilots playing volleyball in the desert and slaughtering hundreds of tanks or dog fighting migs or something like that.
The most serious argument I have ever seen to Keep A10s flying basically is to repeat what the USAF does with B52.
taskandpurpose.com

A-10 pilot explains how the Air Force can outfit the beloved ‘Warthog’ to take on China

The notion of integrating stand-off weapons on the A-10 was first hatched a decade ago, but never gained traction until now.
taskandpurpose.com taskandpurpose.com
Basically fly it as a baby B52 where in everything else is irrelevant it’s just a flying hard point for guided munitions. So no Brrrrtt if anything the Brrrrttt would be a hindrance.
 
ngatimozart

ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
Boeing have released a video of the new B-52 engine nacelles for the RR F-130 engines that will be used to re-engine the BUFF This Is What The B-52 Will Look Like With Its New Rolls-Royce Engines. The F-130s are the military variants of the civilian RR BR700 engines that are used to power the Gulfstream GV / G550 / G650, as well as the USAF C-37 and E-11.


1664357627578.png
B-52 Model With RR F-130 Nacelles In Wind Tunnel.

1664357751189.png
Right Wing Nacelles From The Front.

1664357377290.png
Left Wing Nacelles From The Rear.

The BUFF will also be receiving the AN/APG79 AESA radar, the same that is fitted to the F-18E/F. This can be scaled up to fit the BUFF's larger radome. It is one of the new modifications and upgrades that aircraft is due to receive.
 
Sandhi Yudha

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
ngatimozart said:
Boeing have released a video of the new B-52 engine nacelles for the RR F-130 engines that will be used to re-engine the BUFF This Is What The B-52 Will Look Like With Its New Rolls-Royce Engines. The F-130s are the military variants of the civilian RR BR700 engines that are used to power the Gulfstream GV / G550 / G650, as well as the USAF C-37 and E-11.


View attachment 49686
B-52 Model With RR F-130 Nacelles In Wind Tunnel.

View attachment 49687
Right Wing Nacelles From The Front.

View attachment 49685
Left Wing Nacelles From The Rear.

The BUFF will also be receiving the AN/APG79 AESA radar, the same that is fitted to the F-18E/F. This can be scaled up to fit the BUFF's larger radome. It is one of the new modifications and upgrades that aircraft is due to receive.
Click to expand...
I dont understand why the US didn't re-engine the B52 long time ago. After so many decades of operation, the change to quieter and less fuel consuming engines will be undoubtly a huge leap forwards.





Starting from 27 September, the USAF grounded 116 of the older Hercules aircraft, including variants of the C-130H, after cracks in the propeller barrel assembly were discovered in some of the planes that had older propellers. The Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, which have older planes, are most heavily hit by the groundings.

This is quite worrying, because for many airforces the classic C-130H forms the backbone of their transport fleet.

www.defensenews.com

No end in sight on C-130H groundings; other planes fill in on mobility

The Air Force is finding workarounds to keep carrying out mobility missions while many C-130Hs are grounded due to concerns over propeller assembly cracks.
www.defensenews.com www.defensenews.com
 
S

Sierra Mike

Member
Sandhi Yudha said:
I dont understand why the US didn't re-engine the B52 long time ago. After so many decades of operation, the change to quieter and less fuel consuming engines will be undoubtly a huge leap forwards.





Starting from 27 September, the USAF grounded 116 of the older Hercules aircraft, including variants of the C-130H, after cracks in the propeller barrel assembly were discovered in some of the planes that had older propellers. The Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, which have older planes, are most heavily hit by the groundings.

This is quite worrying, because for many airforces the classic C-130H forms the backbone of their transport fleet.

www.defensenews.com

No end in sight on C-130H groundings; other planes fill in on mobility

The Air Force is finding workarounds to keep carrying out mobility missions while many C-130Hs are grounded due to concerns over propeller assembly cracks.
www.defensenews.com www.defensenews.com
Click to expand...
The biggest issue for Boeing & USAF was finding a compatible 8-engine hi-bipass turbofan engine. Due to the extant flight controls and wiring the decision was made, on costs, to retain the x8 engine configuration. The costs of replacing B52 analog flight controls with more efficient, larger but fewer engines was/is prohibative.
 
John Fedup

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Perhaps the “bridge tanker” is dead. The USAF has requested vendors to offer blended wing designs for a future cargo/tanker aircraft. The goal is more capacity and reduced fuel burn (achieved by the blended wing design together with improved engine technologies). A blended wing design also offers improved stealth compared to cylindrical tube/wing designs.

www.airandspaceforces.com

Air Force Plans New Blended Wing Body Cargo/Tanker Aircraft by 2027 | Air & Space Forces Magazine

The Air Force plans to complete testing of a full-scale blended wing body cargo/tanker aircraft by 2027, according to a new climate plan.
www.airandspaceforces.com www.airandspaceforces.com
 
John Fedup

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
John Fedup

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Sandhi Yudha

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
|"Flying tankers without copilots is one idea Air Mobility Command is trying out as it considers the tactics it may need in a possible military conflict with China. The Air Force has stressed that approach would not be the norm."|
So it seems to be an experiment for emergency situations, to see if its possible to replace the copilot with the boom-operator.
Hopefully they will not later change plans, to make this way of operating as standard for cost saving measures.
www.defensenews.com

KC-46 tanker test puts fuel boom operator, not copilot, in cockpit

The idea has raised eyebrows among military watchers who question its motives and safety.
www.defensenews.com www.defensenews.com
 
Terran

Terran

Well-Known Member
76mmGuns said:
www.thedrive.com

This Is The B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber (Updated)

The B-21 isn't just America's next stealth bomber, it's the most advanced aircraft ever built and we're finally allowed to see it.
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com

Frontal view of the B-21 revealed. In "daytime" gray ;)
I wonder why it's smaller than the B2. Reduction in payload and range, no?
Click to expand...
Costs. The B21 is the result of the Long Range Strike Bomber program which came about during the tenure of Secretary Gates. He was insistent that I’d be smaller and cheaper lest a repeat of the B2 program which ended up in the double trouble of a high sticker price combined with a Congress who were happy to cut production. The want is for the USAF to at minimum get 80 aircraft optimally 100 and preferably up to 200 bombers.
 
S

SolarisKenzo

Well-Known Member
Had to stay up till 3 am, but It was worth It...
A smaller, cheaper bomber that can replace B2s and B1s ( B52 Is Forever ) in consistent numbers Is surely a step ahead in nuclear deterrence...
 
John Fedup

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Imagine if this NG unveiling of the Raider was totally fake and the actual Raider is something totally different. Which would be first in the air, a Chinese copy of the the fake or the “real” Raider? At $500B a copy I wouldn’t be doing any public showing.
 
FormerDirtDart

FormerDirtDart

Well-Known Member
John Fedup said:
Perhaps a one to one replacement of KC-10s with MRTTs should be part of the future tanking requirement.

www.popularmechanics.com

The Air Force Is Dumping a Plane So Hot, It's Called 'Big Sexy'

Breaking up with the KC-10 Extender will be painful, but it’s for the best.
www.popularmechanics.com www.popularmechanics.com
Click to expand...
That would be a significant loss of cargo capacity as current MRTTs don't offer main deck cargo capability. Losing over 2/3 available pallet space per aircraft I believe. I know over the years cargo concepts have been displayed/modeled, but they've never been built.
 
S

swerve

Super Moderator
There are A330 & Boeing 767 freighters. What would be the problem with combining the cargo & tanker modifications?
 
FormerDirtDart

FormerDirtDart

Well-Known Member
swerve said:
There are A330 & Boeing 767 freighters. What would be the problem with combining the cargo & tanker modifications?
Click to expand...
Obviously should be able to be accomplished, just never has been.
Even the recent Lockheed Martin/Airbus LMXT aimed at the USAF KC-Y program did not have a main deck cargo capability.
 
FormerDirtDart

FormerDirtDart

Well-Known Member
I would note that we essentially had this same tanker discussion back in Sep 2021.
Starting back around post #731 on this thread ;)
 
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