MILAVIA Forum

Military Aviation => Air Forces => Topic started by: AVIATOR on August 16, 2009, 06:52:40 AM

Title: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: AVIATOR on August 16, 2009, 06:52:40 AM
Here is a photo of the A-7 Corsair and here is a shot of a few more at Tucson Air Force Base.

(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn101/Pictures77_2008/Corsair_II_.jpg)

(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn101/Pictures77_2008/A-7s.jpg)
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: Gripen on August 16, 2009, 08:39:10 AM
ill give a dollar to the first person who counts how many of them there are  :P
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: F-111 C/C on August 16, 2009, 04:48:00 PM
That's a picture of the 'boneyard' at Davis-Monthan AFB where all USAF planes are retired. That picture depicts about 1/10th of the area.
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: Viggen on August 16, 2009, 05:04:14 PM
ill give a dollar to the first person who counts how many of them there are  :P

504! You owe me a dollar.  ;D
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: Gripen on August 16, 2009, 10:53:51 PM
Viggen you clearly have to much time on your hands!
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: AVIATOR on August 17, 2009, 02:15:42 AM
That's a picture of the 'boneyard' at Davis-Monthan AFB where all USAF planes are retired. That picture depicts about 1/10th of the area.

Yes Aard and I was just showing the A-7 yard.
Here is the B-52 yard.


(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn101/Pictures77_2008/B-52yard.jpg)
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: Gripen on August 17, 2009, 05:50:53 AM
Do you reckon theyd sell you one?

I need to pay some people a visit...  ;)
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: AVIATOR on August 17, 2009, 06:15:43 AM
You know what passed my mind Gripe was the amount of planes available for aviation museums over there.
Virtually anything there, take your pick.
I wonder if they will let museums have them on request?
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: Gripen on August 17, 2009, 07:12:28 AM
I dunno

I really need to ring someones door bell with 1000 pound bomb tho.

Like

*ding*
Hel-*BOOM*

Me =  :D :D :D :D :D ;D
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: F-111 C/C on August 17, 2009, 03:35:21 PM
The majority of those planes there landed 'Code 1' (no defects) and can be returned to active status within 72 hours as wartime spares if things got bad enough and attrition was high on front line aircraft. Most of the fighters are wrapped in white heat shrunken plastic wrap and are in operational condition.
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: Gripen on August 18, 2009, 12:20:22 AM
The majority of those planes there landed 'Code 1' (no defects) and can be returned to active status within 72 hours as wartime spares if things got bad enough and attrition was high on front line aircraft. Most of the fighters are wrapped in white heat shrunken plastic wrap and are in operational condition.

All the more reason they should give us one or two each.

Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: AVIATOR on August 22, 2009, 01:51:46 AM
309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group

Here is an aerial photo of the facility taken in 1992. Pity it wasn't in colour. It'd be pretty neat to know what all those planes are, but one further piece of information is that today it takes care of more than 4,400 aircraft, including 700 F-4 Phantom IIs, whose total original purchase price is estimated at $27 billion.

(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn101/Pictures77_2008/aerialview1992.jpg)
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: Webmaster on August 23, 2009, 03:15:13 AM
Current Inventory: http://www.amarcexperience.com/AMARCDBAircraftTypesSummary.asp
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: F-111 C/C on August 23, 2009, 06:47:12 AM
Strange to see 2 Tornados there ??? ???
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: AVIATOR on August 23, 2009, 09:33:07 AM
Great addition to the post Niels and very interesting.

I was wondering just what a Grumman Mohawk was. Here it is.

The Grumman OV-1 Mohawk
is an armed military observation and attack aircraft, designed for battlefield surveillance and light strike capabilities. It is of twin turboprop configuration, and carried two crew members with side by side seating. The Mohawk was intended to operate from short, unimproved runways in support of Army manoeuvrer forces.

General characteristics

    * Crew: Two: pilot, observer
    * Length: 41 ft 0 in (12.50 m)
    * Wingspan: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
    * Height: 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
    * Wing area: 360 ft² (33.4 m²)
    * Empty weight: 11,760 lb (5,330 kg)
    * Max takeoff weight: 18,110 lb (8,215 kg)
    * Powerplant: 2× Lycoming T53-L-701[1] turboprops, 1,400 shp (1,044 kW) each

Performance

    * Never exceed speed: 370 knots (425 mph)
    * Maximum speed: 305 mph (490 km/h)
    * Range: 945 mi (1,520 km)
    * Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
    * Rate of climb: 3,450 ft/min (17.5 m/s)

(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn101/Pictures77_2008/Mohawk.jpg)
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: Webmaster on August 23, 2009, 04:28:50 PM
Strange to see 2 Tornados there ??? ???

Not really, the Luftwaffe operates Tornados from Holloman AFB for training. Look at the serial, 4 digits, add a + in the middle and you've got the Luftwaffe code. For more information on the Tornado training centre at Holloman, check out http://www.holloman.af.mil/units/gaf/index.asp

As you can see, there are also 15 F-4F at AMARG/AMARC, since they're US-produced aircraft they've got a US serial, but look at the code numbers, those are also Luftwaffe aircraft. In fact, as far as I know, the USAF never had the -F version, it was built specificially for Germany. But in the Phantom case, the US trained the Luftwaffe crews, so they were assigned to a USAF 20th FS. You should probably also find some German T-37s there.
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: F-111 C/C on August 23, 2009, 04:35:19 PM
So did they belong to the U.S.? If not, why wouldn't they be returned instead of retired here. Maybe just for convenience.
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: Webmaster on August 23, 2009, 04:42:17 PM
No. As far as I can make out from the comments on the site, they were stored there pending return to service (in the US), but never were, instead canabalized for spares (for the Holloman fleet) and then handed over to the USAF museum, which by the looks of it hasn't done anything with them (USAF museum already has a Tornado GR.1, donated by the RAF, with a far more interesting history)
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: F-111 C/C on August 23, 2009, 05:56:48 PM
I read the link you provided with the current inventory and I'm perplexed because it lists 15 F-111Gs and 15 FB-111As. There were a total of 76 FB-111/F-111Gs built. A dozen or so 'G' models went to Australia's #6 Squadron and about a dozen or so were lost over the years and (maybe) a dozen are now on display, but I'm still coming up short. I guess I'll have to do more research. Maybe it works out right.
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: F-111 C/C on August 23, 2009, 06:14:26 PM
According to the numbers I come up with, 11 are display aircraft, 15 went to #6 Squadron, 13 were lost, and 30 are in AMARC. That's 69. I wonder where the other 7 are? I guess from 1967 to 2009 missing 7 planes is well within an acceptable margin of error. However there were rumors of a certain Baltic country expressing interest in buying a handful of aircraft.............I'll let the conspiracy theorists come up with a story about a secret clandestined deal our Government made, etc, etc....
Title: Re: The awesome size of the USAF
Post by: Webmaster on August 23, 2009, 08:24:11 PM
They were probably disposed or went elsewhere as scrap metal. Not everything goes to AMARC and not everything is kept forever... they cut up more planes than they regenerate. When a type goes out of service, the need for 'donor' aircraft is gone, then they start scrapping. Also when all parts have been taken out or when there are no hours left on the airframe, they go to the metal processing for recycling.