Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.

[Suhiir]

I mentioned it because they ARE in the OOB, and shouldn't be.

I know the patch was released in March when the possibility of equiping some squadrons with them was being considered.

Since then NAVAIR has spoken, and as Pat said, they have the final say on what flies and what doesn't in the USN/USMC.

##########

First time I saw a Harrier was about '77-'78 when I watched a truck pull out of the tree line into a small clearing and lay a few sheets of runway matting out.
Then a Harrier passed overhead, came to a hover, and landed.
A fuel truck came out of the tree line and refueled it.
After another truck rolled out and loaded it with ordenance.
Then it took off, straight up.
Finally truck #1 picked up the runway matting.

Whole process start to finish was maybe 15 minutes.

It's REALLY hard to bomb or shell an airfield that only exists for 15 minutes at a time.

[Suhiir]

I always thought it was a shame they never developed a carrier-capable version of the A-10. Stick one of the many insane Navy/Marine ground support pilots in one and they'd probably terrify the bad guys almost as much as they do their non-ground-support brethren.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Well Saturday 6/29/2013 marked another end of an era, the Luftwaffe has formally retired their F-4F PHANTOM. I have posted in the translated version below, however, in deference to our German speaking friends (And others.) I have posted the ref as is in German.


Open Day in Wittmundhafen

Witt mouth, 29.06.2013.
According 279,000 flight hours in four decades lifted today, Saturday the 29th June, the F-4F Phantom for the last time from the airport of Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen" from. Almost 130,000 guests from around the world braved the bad weather and had traveled to the open day to Wittmund to pay tribute to a legend among the fighters. The Phantom was originally planned as a transitional solution.
"In the next five to ten years, the Phantom will serve us well! It was said, than in the early years Neunzehnhundersiebziger the decision to procure the McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II was like. Later there was talk of a transitional solution of twelve to 15 years " , explains Colonel retired Gerhard Ballhausen, Chairman of the Community Richthofen tradition. What 31 August 1973 began with the landing of the first two Phantom jets, today ended with the open day at the NATO - Airport Wittmundhafen. However, about three years later than initially planned.

From near and far

The adoption of the "forever young" fighter jets attracted nearly 130,000 visitors to Witt mouth. Many of them took long journeys to be able to attend the recent launch of the phantom can. The partially even traveled from Asia, Australia and the Americas fans of aviation, had been the day before to shoot the opportunity within a spotter Days, their personal souvenir photo with one of the ten remaining in Wittmundhafen F-4F Phantom jets. On this Saturday, the airfield opened then for everyone.

Without a rope and double bottom

"In over 2,500 flight hours, I was able to gather, I did not even have a serious problem" , Lieutenant General Charles Muellner showed highly satisfied with the "air defense Diesel" as the phantom was jokingly called. As a former Phantom pilot and Chief of Air Force, the honor due to him to deliver the opening speech of the open day. In it he described his personal experiences from the cockpit. "Mutual trust was especially important. Trust between humans and machines. Confidence in the technology as well as for air traffic control on the ground. Especially within the crew. No rope or double bottom but working as a team have created safety. The phantom was at any time a reliable member of this team. Of the Air Force team. "

Phantom Farewell - F-4F Phantom met Euro Fighter

A special highlight was the crowd in the afternoon. When flying program "Phantom Farewell" met past and future of Wittmunder flight operations in direct comparison to one another. In the morning already flying program under the motto "50 Years of Aviation" for good entertainment had caused among the spectators. However, as the F-4F Phantom Anniversary machine rolled to the runway, everyone knew that a historic moment was imminent. "Many of these people have spent decades in the cockpit of this aircraft or have screwed around countless hours on it. For them, this is now more than just a departure from an airplane " , said Colonel Gerhard Roubal, wing commander of JG 71 "R", the many media representatives during a press conference the day before. He was right. Among the spectators could see, among many cameras flashing some tears on the faces of many of the former squadron.
The last phantom off on schedule by 14 clock. Withdraw the honor as the last phantom crew of Wittmundhafen deserved the pilot Lieutenant Colonel Alex Berk and of course himself the wing commander. They started in the special anniversary Phantom painted with the tactical number 37 +01. This was the first Phantom, on 31 August was landed in 1973 in Witt mouth and is obtained by the anniversary flight, a place as a monument to 40 years F-4F Phantom Witt mouth.
On the half hour flight program was attended by a total of four phantom jets, two Euro Fighter. Since April this year, the new multi-role showcase the Air Force has already landed in Witt mouth. By the year 2018 a total of 18 of these new high-tech jets here find their new home and step into the big shoes of the legendary McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II.

Indoor Party and Serenade for completion

At the end of the day of the open door rises today evening the large hall party on the grounds of the airport. For this purpose, up to 10,000 guests are expected. Tomorrow, Sunday is a serenade on the square in Wittmundhafen the conclusion of the "Phantom Farewell" weekend.

http://www.luftwaffe.de/portal/a/luf...k5joCAIqJiRs!/

Will need to definetly now based on new information, make the following changes to the German OOB...
CHANGE/GERMANY/MBB F-4F/UNITS 291 & 294/START DATE to SEP 1973 vice JAN 1972.// also
CHANGE/GERMANY/MBB F-4F/UNITS 292 & 293/END DATE to JUL 2013 vice DEC 2014.//

We discussed this about two years ago or less and some of the info then even supported a date out to 2015 for the retirement of these jets. We decided to leave those end dates alone pending a final resolution and now we have it. That's why it's so necessary to keep checking back "on the news of the day", it's on my list.
http://www.touchdown-aviation.com/ty...phantom-ii.php

I used the Luftwaffe start date (31 AUG 1973.) +1 from the article vice the immediate above civilian ref. date of JAN 1974.

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

German OOB now adjusted but they last flew 29th June so 6/2013 in game includes all of June so the end date is 6/13


Don

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Don,
Understand (Better now.) your end date. Appreciate the early action, it'll save a little work at my end. I think this is a good time to go "dark" and get to work (, Hey I heard that!!) on this stuff. Thanks again!

Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I'll be quick here as I have an early start and will be on the road in the morning. As noted in the previous posts above the Luftwaffe
F-4F issue (Dates) have been resolved. Steve in an unrelated manner sent me the below pics as a coincidence to the topic above. However I was asked to hold them until after they were published in Germany for one of the avaition publications he's an editor for when not acting as a LtCol. in the Luftwaffe active Reserve (What a rough life! ) flying the EUROFIGHTER.
For background a portion of the email he sent on 7/7/13 then enjoy the pics...
"Last week the Luftwaffe put their last F-4F Phantoms out of service, and I had the opportunity in the end of May to make a photo flight to catch the specially painted bird (pic attached). Then I was on my annual reserve exercise in the last two weeks of June, this time in the far south with JG 74 at Neuburg at the Danube. And because our flight test facility at Manching was in the neighbourhood, I had the opportunity to make a photo flight to get pics of their last bird also (pic attached, too). Flight test will operate its remaining two F-4Fs three weeks longer. All the Phantom pics had to be sorted out fast so that the aviation publications I also work for has them in time."

Pics in order of the email portion...


Again enjoy I'm off for some much needed R&R.

Regards,
Pat

[sabresandy]

Oh, I've been meaning to ask for a while now, but keep forgetting to do so. Are we going to integrate the US Small Diameter Bomb series? The GBU-39 has been in service for a while now. It'd mean a terrifying number of standoff shots per aircraft.

[DRG]

Depending on the source it's either been used, just tested or only next year ready for full production. I know the F-22 can carry 8 plus two AMRAAMs but that's all so if anyone ( Pat ? ) wants to dig into this further maybe we can get it in this next release....maybe

From a game perspective we need to know how that weapon would be any different than a Maverick or a Paveway although it would allow more carried per aircraft. The F-22 in the game that carries 2 1000lb JDAM's could carry 8 GBU-39's.

What I need to know is how it would compare to a maverick or paveway type weapon for the various fields that need to be entered to create a weapon

Also....... Boeing says the weapon has been in use on the F-15E since 2006. We allow the F-15E to carry eight 500 pound paveways so what I need to know is......... is that correct ( according to the website below...... no way ) and if yes then how many GBU-39's will it carry ? It may be that in game terms there is no need to add this as, you may have noticed, the number of slots available for new things is not infinite


Don

[DRG]

Here's a little project for someone ( anyone...... not just Pat )

This

http://www.f-15e.info/joomla/weapons...etric-standoff

offers me clear, concise information on various bomb load configurations for an F-15. Does anyone ( anyone... not just Pat ) know of a website that would give equally detailed information about..... oh IDK...... as a dream every other combat aircraft used in the world ?

Don

[Suhiir]

I wish.
best I could come up with was stuff like :

The F-4 could get off the ground carrying 24 x 500 lb bombs, but the fuel required ment that if the target wasn't at the end of the runway it couldn't reach it and return to base.