Seen Over Your House Today

[PR19_Kit]

Superb display by the RAAF's F-18s over Melbourne's Australian Grand Prix qualifying today. Mind you, as it was so early in MY day it was almost yesterday............... I think............

One of them made a low inverted pass with its flaps, wheels and hook down, er, up I mean. Why do they still have beefy hooks when they don't have a carrier to fly off?

[NARSES2]

One of them made a low inverted pass with its flaps, wheels and hook down, er, up I mean. Why do they still have beefy hooks when they don't have a carrier to fly off?

Shhhhhhhh, don't tell them 

[scooter]

One of them made a low inverted pass with its flaps, wheels and hook down, er, up I mean. Why do they still have beefy hooks when they don't have a carrier to fly off?

At least in the USAF, interceptors, and their bases, need to have arresting gear including hooks and wires in the event of a loss of brakes.  If the RAAF (and the RCAF) have the same requirement, it makes sense- from a cost effective point of view.  Just buy the Hornets right off the production line, as is, and not worry about having to retrofit hooks later.

[kitnut617]

One of them made a low inverted pass with its flaps, wheels and hook down, er, up I mean. Why do they still have beefy hooks when they don't have a carrier to fly off?

At least in the USAF, interceptors, and their bases, need to have arresting gear including hooks and wires in the event of a loss of brakes.  If the RAAF (and the RCAF) have the same requirement, it makes sense- from a cost effective point of view.  Just buy the Hornets right off the production line, as is, and not worry about having to retrofit hooks later.

The RCAF CF-188's have the hook too, when there was an airshow at Red Deer (then was called Penhold, but now Red Deer Regional Airport), they used to demonstrate the 'arrested' wire capture with their portable kit.

[PR19_Kit]

Sure, most RAF fast jets had hooks  too, and for the same reason, but not the extra-beefy ones that naval aircraft have. Comparing a Jaguar's hook with a Phantom or Buccaneer's hook is like comparing a suspension bridge with the Forth Bridge.

[pyro-manic]

They were bought as-is, straight off the shelf. Removing the hooks, wing-folds etc. would take time and cost money.

[kerick]

Even an F16 has a hook now days. Considered essential to make arrested landings in case of runway damage of aircraft mechanical problems. A-7s would use the hook when landing on wet runways because of their narrow wheel base.

[rickshaw]

They were bought as-is, straight off the shelf. Removing the hooks, wing-folds etc. would take time and cost money.

And you end up with the non-existent F-18L...

The RAAF bought what was on offer, at the time, from the US and that was a choice between the F-15, the F-16 and the F/A-18.  They wanted the F-15 but it was at that point in it's production cycle considered too expensive per unit and the F-16 was considered too cheap and lacked a BVR missile capability.  So they opted for the F/A-18, which they still fly now.   As they purchased early in it's production it was still more expensive than the other purchasers who purchased late had to pay.   Today, we're faced with a similar problem.  We need to purchase the F/A-35A early in it's production cycle, so we spend more per item.   

[zenrat]

If you look closely at the back of the RAAF F/A 18's the hook part on the end of the arm has been replaced with a bottle opener...

[PR19_Kit]

If you look closely at the back of the RAAF F/A 18's the hook part on the end of the arm has been replaced with a bottle opener...

Hehehe, my mind is boggling at the thought of a flight of F-18s doing a low pass with their hooks down uncapping a runway full of bottles of Fosters at around 600 kts! 

[rickshaw]

It would make the airshows rather more interesting, I think!

I am now in Canberra on the opposite of the continent.  At Sydney airport I was loaded onto a Boeing 717m which IIRC is what the DC-9 got called after Boeing bought Douglas.   I was sat next to the engines.  Not quite as noisy as the 737 I'd flown the rest of the way over on.   Saw some DC-10s, loads of other Boeing and Airbus products.   Also saw a Dash-7.  All most interesting.  Sorry, no photos.   

[PR19_Kit]

Boeing 717, pah! It's an MD95 with a Boeing badge.

It ought to have been quieter than a 737 as it's powered by Rolls-Royce BR715s which are a tad newer than the CFM56s on the 737s.

I'm envious as I've never even SEEN a 717/MD95 myself.

[rickshaw]

Boeing 717, pah! It's an MD95 with a Boeing badge.

It ought to have been quieter than a 737 as it's powered by Rolls-Royce BR715s which are a tad newer than the CFM56s on the 737s.

I'm envious as I've never even SEEN a 717/MD95 myself.

Looks like a DC-9 to me, Kit!   

[PR19_Kit]

Boeing 717, pah! It's an MD95 with a Boeing badge.

It ought to have been quieter than a 737 as it's powered by Rolls-Royce BR715s which are a tad newer than the CFM56s on the 737s.

I'm envious as I've never even SEEN a 717/MD95 myself.

Looks like a DC-9 to me, Kit!   

I can see you're a military man Brian. 

[JayBee]

Definitely does not look like a Boeing 717 !

FYI 717 was the original Boeing model number for what became the KC-135 series.