USN Showdown between Super Hornet and F-35

[MIDNJAC]

Yes. As recently as 2011, I was personally lugging ancient 8mm tape players with integrated playback synch controls (1 tape per aircraft display) and honest-to-God CRT TV screens on and off the boat. Big, heavy, ungainly things we called “Star Wars Machines”. Goddamn I hated those.

HOL jets use solid state recording devices that can be played back on a mission planning laptop. Much better. But (unless this has changed in the last 3 years) we still say “stop tape” and “play tape” when bringing up points during a debrief.

Makes the USAF’s heads explode during joint exercises.

I honestly miss the simplicity of the 8mm tapes sometimes. Which is an insane statement, but the solid state, particularly the newest version, can be glitchy. On the TEAC machines, you could just easily frame by frame, and on the standup cabs you could use the little rolly wheel to scroll (a physical wheel/knob). SSD val on USSRs was often my idea of a nightmare.

That being said, for those who don't know, the canopy rail cameras were the worst part of it. That's where they were located on the very old (A and B's) Hornets, and you actually had to adjust the camera lens settings between day and night. And those cameras were right next to your arms.....would leave you with big bruises if you moved around a lot maneuvering. The C/D "night attack" and beyond introduced the over the shoulder cams which were much less intrusive.

 

[MIDNJAC]

15EX has the same displays as a Block 3 Rhino. Large Area Display (LAD) and Low Profile HUD (LPHUD).
View attachment 38927

Sorry, was more referring to the software/display symbology format. I have seen the overall layout. I'd be curious to know if they have retained the legacy Eagle radar display, for example. Which is this archaic looking b scope that makes my eyes bleed while I forget that I once had one myself.

 

[Random8145]

I honestly miss the simplicity of the 8mm tapes sometimes. Which is an insane statement, but the solid state, particularly the newest version, can be glitchy. On the TEAC machines, you could just easily frame by frame, and on the standup cabs you could use the little rolly wheel to scroll (a physical wheel/knob). SSD val on USSRs was often my idea of a nightmare.

Not really insane, old tech can have its benefits in certain ways.

 

[Random8145]

Yes. As recently as 2011, I was personally lugging ancient 8mm tape players with integrated playback synch controls (1 tape per aircraft display) and honest-to-God CRT TV screens on and off the boat. Big, heavy, ungainly things we called “Star Wars Machines”. Goddamn I hated those.

HOL jets use solid state recording devices that can be played back on a mission planning laptop. Much better. But (unless this has changed in the last 3 years) we still say “stop tape” and “play tape” when bringing up points during a debrief.

Makes the USAF’s heads explode during joint exercises.

Lots of people still use the word "tape" when they technically mean "record."

 

[WhiskeySierra6]

Sorry, was more referring to the software/display symbology format. I have seen the overall layout. I'd be curious to know if they have retained the legacy Eagle radar display, for example. Which is this archaic looking b scope that makes my eyes bleed while I forget that I once had one myself.

I don't have any first hand experience but AFAIK since they have a true AESA now (and not the bolt on upgrade that the Cs and Es got) the displays follow the SA page format that most other AESA players have.

 

[sevenhelmet]

Lots of people still use the word "tape" when they technically mean "record."

LOL. Wut? You mean those big round things my parents used to listen to music with? What century are you from, brah?

 

[TacticalTater]

LOL. Wut? You mean those big round things my parents used to listen to music with? What century are you from, brah?

At least he didn't say reel to reel

 

[Griz882]

At least he didn't say reel to reel

I record my flights on the Victrola.

 

[ChuckMK23]

For us not pointy nose jet guys, please add just a little more context so we can follow along.

I remember being shown the front office of a legacy Hornet back in the day and it was pointed out to me that there were two cameras in the cockpit, each pointed and focused on the MFD on that side of the Instrument panel.

Is that what you guys are referring to? These cameras were recording the image of the display over time to 8mm video tape? This is actually fascinating to hear this was state of the art.

One of the big learnings for Naval Aviation out of Desert Storm, besides our institutional inability to be a team player in a coordinated multi service air campaign (e.g. paper ATO), was the lack of command or press debriefing of Navy Air action via broadcast ready media. (In contrast to AF).

 

[Brett327]

One of the big learnings for Naval Aviation out of Desert Storm, besides our institutional inability to be a team player in a coordinated multi service air campaign (e.g. paper ATO), was the lack of command or press debriefing of Navy Air action via broadcast ready media. (In contrast to AF).

I'm almost afraid to ask, but... as a guy with ZERO actual experience in any of the above, what the actual fuck are you talking about? I mean, do you think the USAF just popped their aircraft tapes directly into Bernie Shaw's Beta-Max decks at CNN?

 

[FLGUY]

One of the big learnings for Naval Aviation out of Desert Storm, besides our institutional inability to be a team player in a coordinated multi service air campaign (e.g. paper ATO), was the lack of command or press debriefing of Navy Air action via broadcast ready media. (In contrast to AF).

Let this be an example of what happens when you trade in your wings of gold for wings of lead

Once again, I kiddddd kiddddd

 

[ChuckMK23]

I'm almost afraid to ask, but... as a guy with ZERO actual experience in any of the above, what the actual fuck are you talking about? I mean, do you think the USAF just popped their aircraft tapes directly into Bernie Shaw's Beta-Max decks at CNN?

@Brett327 I won't let your youth and inexperience rattle me here - as someone who actually went to war in this campaign - I flew dozens of missions ferrying paper copies of the ATO across three CVBG's. The shortcomings of Naval Aviation during Desert Storm were well documented.

I also personally flew ABC News crews across CVBG's and they frequently remarked about the lack of access they got from the US Navy.

This was my our war, not yours, I was fucking there. You were in High School.
(edit - I stand corrected)

My friend Pat Connor of VA-36 was killed in action. I went to his memorial. Great guy. Again, died because Navy VA (A-6E) tactics failed to embrace the combat realties of that war. A needless death. Great guy.

You can be a real asshole sometimes. Seriously.

 

[Brett327]

You were in High School.

Ask me about my Kuwait Liberation Medal, Chuck.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Ask me about my Kuwait Liberation Medal, Chuck.

Well we can compare - because I have one too. Touche.

Thank you.

 

[Brett327]

I accept your apology, Chuck, but I do not accept the absolute drivel that you continue to spout. Paper ATOs, yes. What of it? Do you know the background about why that was necessary? Do you know how an ATO was generated or transmitted in 1991 as compared to today?

What key naval air actions went uncovered by the press, and why was that relevant to anything at all during hostilities? I know that you, bizarrely, maintain an enormous chip on your shoulder about Navy CSAR getting somehow dissed by everyone in "the military" and "the media," for not getting credit for whatever they did, so I suspect this is at the root of your attempt to (checks notes...) critique the cockpit recording capabilities of F/A-18s, which some 25 year old inbed working for the Associated Press expressed generic angst over while you were moving PAX and mail around the Gulf in your 20 year old helo.

Sound familiar?