Thread: The "F" and "A" In "F/A-18"

Quote: Originally Posted by UAL T38 Phlyer NWA: Thanks...I always thought Cat III limited the 'g'; now I know it's an alpha-limiter. Our stores configuration will limit our G and obviously our G limits will change as we either get rid of ordnance or even burn down the fuel. Our limiter can be overridden - but it can be easily surpassed if the Gs are snatched on and there is the paddle switch to override it - but I don't...

Quote: Originally Posted by AZFlyer What a shame that that didn't catch on. I wonder if there is a way to make a semblance of the hornet out of the shocker hand gesture for the patch. ....Perfect. The patch is of a Growler from above with 2 missiles under one wing and 1 under the other.

NWA: Thanks...I always thought Cat III limited the 'g'; now I know it's an alpha-limiter.

Quote: Originally Posted by Rhinoflyer A few years ago, when the Growler was not yet online, there was a push by some enterprising young JOs to call it the "Shocker". I think they still have the patch, "Shocker, you'll never see it coming." What a shame that that didn't catch on. I wonder if there is a way to make a semblance of the hornet out of the shocker hand gesture for the patch. ....Perfect.

Quote: Originally Posted by Hacker15e Well, actually...no. The contest submission was "Fighting Falcon" from the beginning....4 years before the airplane was "officially" christened, the name was decided on. http://www.f-16.net/modules/Gallery2...serialNumber=2 Had I not seen your 'greatest hits' video, I'd have made fun of you for looking this up.

Quote: Originally Posted by AZFlyer IMO, Growler is a little cooler than Rhino. Seriously? Isn't "growler" common slang for taking a dump where you're at? It is in the military--at least among everyone I know. I can't help but snicker every time I hear someone refer to it that way.

Quote: Originally Posted by UAL T38 Phlyer NO ONE calls the F-16 a "Fighting Falcon"....except the official Air Force namers! Funny story: the Generals wanted to name it "Falcon," after their perenially-losing Academy Football team. And for a short time, it was "Falcon." But the French company Dassault found out, and threatened to sue..as they have a family of business jets called the...

Quote: Originally Posted by UAL T38 Phlyer NO ONE calls the F-16 a "Fighting Falcon"....except the official Air Force namers! And no one calls an A-10 a "Thunderbolt II".

Quote: Originally Posted by AZFlyer What I've always wondered is why it even needs a switch for that. You want to be an attack jet? Point it towards the ground and drop the bomb. You want to be a fighter jet? Point it towards another plane and release a missile! I must be missing something. Has to do with software modes. Lots of 'trons and way more complicated than you seem to think. Actually I think in the early days they had to...

Quote: Originally Posted by UAL T38 Phlyer No avionics/software changes, although in newer jets, (example, F-16) the weapons load is reflected in the flight computer to limit the g-load of the aircraft (ie, the carriage-limit of a particular weapon may be lower than the airframe limit). I've heard this often, but it is not true. We have a switch that limits our max angle of attack for "Cat 3" configurations (normally a...