F-18F Question

[ExAF]

Nope!

Sorry...there's only 1 Rhino and that's the good old Double Ugly. You might be able to get away with calling the big Hornet the Rhino II or Rhino Deuce, but there is and always will only be 1 Rhino...The might F-4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SIG600]

You know the Superhornet is bigger AND heavier than the F-4. So technically the Super is a BIGGER dumb grey animal. Elephant is to hard to say in a ball call though.

 

[rhinodriver]

A little call sign history...

but there is and always will only be 1 Rhino...The might F-4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When operating at the ship and you have to "call the ball" at 3/4 mile the radio call goes something like... "204 Rhino ball, 7.5". The first part is your side number, next is aircraft type, finally fuel state. Obviously the aircraft type "Hornet" was taken already by the legacy Hornet. The reason that the ball call is so important is for arresting gear weight settings as explained in my last post.

And so began the quandry, what are we going to call this new airplane when we call the ball? We can't call it hornet... They fooled around a bit with different call signs and originally settled on "Super". But alas... calling the ball "204 Super ball, 7.5" just sounded too gay. LSO's from other aircraft communities began to make fun of us. So one of the Admirals finally grew a sack and said that the F-18E/F will be the Rhino. Not the Rhino 2 or Rhino deuce but the big grey animal.

The point is that it is OFFICIALLY the Rhino and not something we made up to piss off former F-4 drivers.

 

[jetblast18]

Hey Rhinodriver,

A question came up on another aviation website regarding the canted pylons on the Rhino. The poster overheard someone mentioning that the computer modeling used was erroneous so the four degree canting of the pylons was unnecessary. Have you heard anything about it? Also, how do you like flying the Rhino? It's one of my personal favorites, I don't care how slow people claim it is!

 

[Gorilla]

And so began the quandry, what are we going to call this new airplane when we call the ball? We can't call it hornet...

Hmm... Maybe

"204 fuzzy-kitty, ball, 7.5"
or
"204 happy-fun, ball, 7.5"
better yet
"204, I'm-low-on-energy-gonna-go-nose-position, ball, 7.5"

Just kidding! Your admiral should have come up with something original. Names like the Rhino, Thud, Sandy, Scooter, many others, are immortal. That's one reason I gag at the Lightning II moniker of the F-22. There is only ONE Lightning, and that's the P-38.

 

[SIG600]

reason I gag at the Lightning II moniker of the F-22. There is only ONE Lightning, and that's the P-38.

Lightning II is the JSF.


Jetblast... you'll care when you're on an out, trying to runaway.

 

[rhinodriver]

Hey Rhinodriver,

A question came up on another aviation website regarding the canted pylons on the Rhino. The poster overheard someone mentioning that the computer modeling used was erroneous so the four degree canting of the pylons was unnecessary. Have you heard anything about it? Also, how do you like flying the Rhino? It's one of my personal favorites, I don't care how slow people claim it is!

The pylons are canted for safe weapon seperation from the aircraft at release. The slight cant ensures there is no bomb to aircraft collision. Unfortunately the canted pylons are not to blame for the lack of get up and go. In order to generate the type of lift required to have the alpha capability it has requires there to be a very thick leading edge extention (LEX) and wing (much thicker than the A, B, C, D models). It's this thick camber that aerodynamically limits it from extremely fast speeds.

In theory the other guy is dead anyway before you get to an actual visual engagement. If not the Rhino has the nose athority and alpha capability to get first shot on just about everything in the world. So running away is not required!

I don't fly them any more but they were fun...

 

[SkiFishFly]

Hey Rhinodriver,

A question came up on another aviation website regarding the canted pylons on the Rhino. The poster overheard someone mentioning that the computer modeling used was erroneous so the four degree canting of the pylons was unnecessary. Have you heard anything about it? Also, how do you like flying the Rhino? It's one of my personal favorites, I don't care how slow people claim it is!

Unnecessary and created all sorts of other problems that even someone slow like myself who does not have an aero degree could have forseen. Sometimes you got to wonder how these engineers come up with some of this stuff...

 

[Tweetdrvr]

Lockheed has been trying to name something Lightning II since the YF-22, the AF chose another name for the 22 and called it the Raptor, so Lockheed tried again and suceeded.

Why the JPATS is the Texan II is beyond me, unless someone out there knows some corporate aviation history that I am unaware of, I thought the original T-6 was a North American Product and Beech/Raytheon has no ties to that former company.

Sorry for the drift

 

[ExAF]

204 Hippo, ball, 7.5

Hmm... Maybe

"204 fuzzy-kitty, ball, 7.5"
or
"204 happy-fun, ball, 7.5"
better yet
"204, I'm-low-on-energy-gonna-go-nose-position, ball, 7.5"

Just kidding! Your admiral should have come up with something original. Names like the Rhino, Thud, Sandy, Scooter, many others, are immortal. That's one reason I gag at the Lightning II moniker of the F-22. There is only ONE Lightning, and that's the P-38.

I'm with you Gorilla. Hate the Lightning II moniker (F-35 not F-22) as well as the Thunderbolt II (A-10 official name). Are the PC pansies low on imagination or what? As for the Super Hornet, I also agree an original moniker was in order.
In the just kidding category: wasp, bug, insect, maggot, big bug, dung beetle, bumble bee, walrus (big mammal but not grey), sea lion, or hippo (my favorite...mammal and grey). I could go on but what's the use.
In the serious category: anything but rhino. I know it's not there to piss off F-4 drivers (especially since many were naval aviators or marines). I think it pisses on a legend of aviation though. I'd feel the same way if they called it Thud or Mustang. Just my opinion and you know what they say about those!