KNZY/Naval Air Station North Island 28-29 Oct 2020 MIL

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SBGrad
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KNZY/Naval Air Station North Island 28-29 Oct 2020 MIL

Post by SBGrad »

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Devil 81 VMFA-232 F-18D (RC)


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Reach Seven Seven Five Tango
https://www.flickr.com/photos/18842924@N03/
seahawk12
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Re: KNZY/Naval Air Station North Island 28-29 Oct 2020 MIL

Post by seahawk12 »

Nice pictures, Nice front shot of the greyhound!
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Re: KNZY/Naval Air Station North Island 28-29 Oct 2020 MIL

Post by tyro1 »

On WT-20 the camera nose looks remarkably like it should be an RF-18D. What is this fit? I've not noticed one before.
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Re: KNZY/Naval Air Station North Island 28-29 Oct 2020 MIL

Post by SBGrad »

For whatever reason they don't use the RF designation, instead it's called a F-18D (RC). The cannon is removed and in its place they put an Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS): electro/optical sensors, processors, an interface to the APG-73 (all in the nose) and a data link contained in a centerline pod. Around 60 of them were built, and they used to be parceled out 3 to a VMFA (AW) squadron.

Nowadays it seems like they just take the 2 seaters and give them out to whomever needs them, normally 232 flies single seaters, and in fact, of the 2 jets in the flight, neither had a back seater.

This is only the 2nd F-18D (RC) I've ever seen.
Last edited by SBGrad on 31 Oct 2020, 18:59, edited 1 time in total.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/18842924@N03/
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Re: KNZY/Naval Air Station North Island 28-29 Oct 2020 MIL

Post by SBGrad »

seahawk12 wrote: 31 Oct 2020, 15:06 Nice pictures, Nice front shot of the greyhound!
Thanks. I was actually walking off the beach when the Greyhound called the tower with the magic words 'Approaching Shark for the overhead,' so I turned around and went for the head on view. I was standing directly adjacent to the approach lights (some of them are off base) when I took the shot.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/18842924@N03/
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