Blue Angel Super Hornet Photos!

Post your airshow-related threads here! For specific airshows, please use the year-specific forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
RyanS
Posts: 2886
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:50 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Contact:

Blue Angel Super Hornet Photos!

Post by RyanS » Tue May 05, 2020 3:13 pm

The first look at a Super Hornet in Blue Angel colors!!

https://airshowstuff.com/v4/2020/first- ... -unveiled/
0 x
Ryan Sundheimer
www.AirshowStuff.com

User avatar
Adam
Posts: 1051
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 11:04 am
Location: Kent, UK
Contact:

Post by Adam » Tue May 05, 2020 3:54 pm

The text on those curvy engine intakes - eurgh! Unsurprisingly, as close as possible to the old design, I see. This isn't just a Blue Angels criticism as the Snowbirds, Red Arrows and others are all equally liable, but the big "legacy" teams are seemingly so rooted in tradition that they don't feel willing or able to give their brands a refresh. The much more phototenic, sophisticated, imaginative and meaningful schemes adopted by the Black Knights, Turkish Stars, Al Fursan and Black Eagles since 2009 prove what's possible, and to my eye, almost all of the big Western teams look several decades out of date in comparison. Given they've had essentially the same scheme since the 1940s, would is simply be too controversial to improve it?

On a more positive note, I remember seeing a while back The Aviationist and Business Insider reporting that the new Super Hornets would be fitted with coloured smoke generators. Did any more come of this, and do we know whether it's true?

https://www.businessinsider.com/the-nav ... ?r=US&IR=T
Last edited by Adam on Tue May 05, 2020 3:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
0 x
Freelance airshow media and videography (thisisflight.net)
Producer with PlanesTV
Airshow commentator

User avatar
RyanS
Posts: 2886
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:50 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Contact:

Post by RyanS » Tue May 05, 2020 4:03 pm

Adam wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 3:54 pm The text on those curvy engine intakes - eurgh! Unsurprisingly, as close as possible to the old design, I see. This isn't just a Blue Angels criticism as the Snowbirds, Red Arrows and others are all equally liable, but the big "legacy" teams are seemingly so rooted in tradition that they don't feel willing or able to give their brands a refresh. The much more phototenic, sophisticated, imaginative and meaningful schemes adopted by the Black Knights, Turkish Stars, Al Fursan and Black Eagles since 2009 prove what's possible, and to my eye, almost all of the big Western teams look several decades out of date in comparison. Given they've had essentially the same scheme since the 1940s, would is simply be too controversial to improve it?

On a more positive note, I remember seeing a while back The Aviationist and Business Insider reporting that the new Super Hornets would be fitted with coloured smoke generators. Did any more come of this, and do we know whether it's true?

https://www.businessinsider.com/the-nav ... ?r=US&IR=T
I agree, at a certain point tradition becomes just too entrenched and basically permanent. The teams seem so scared to do something new. Part of the very uptight culture I guess.

I hadn't heard the colored smoke generators comment but I'd be very surprised to see them. The Thunderbirds (not sure about the Blues) were photographed with huge stains on them these past weeks from testing dyes in the smoke. When it came down to it they didn't use any colors after all, despite what sounds like decent pressure to get it working from higher ups. I don't see the Blues flipping around and adopting it unless maybe there is some new mechanical stuff in the system to make it more workable.
0 x
Ryan Sundheimer
www.AirshowStuff.com

User avatar
Adam
Posts: 1051
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 11:04 am
Location: Kent, UK
Contact:

Post by Adam » Tue May 05, 2020 5:13 pm

Shame about the smoke, although probably not the world's biggest shock. I know the extreme heat of the burners causes extra complications, off the top of my head I can only think of three teams with burners that use colour, and it doesn't look particularly good from any of them.
0 x
Freelance airshow media and videography (thisisflight.net)
Producer with PlanesTV
Airshow commentator

wfooshee
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 2:28 am

Post by wfooshee » Mon May 11, 2020 1:58 am

They don't use smoke with burners, anyway, color or not.

And... broken link in the first post. Oh, well.
Last edited by wfooshee on Mon May 11, 2020 1:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
0 x

EricP
Posts: 80
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2017 12:00 am
Location: Dayton, OH

Post by EricP » Mon May 11, 2020 11:04 am

wfooshee wrote: Mon May 11, 2020 1:58 am They don't use smoke with burners, anyway, color or not.

And... broken link in the first post. Oh, well.
They actually do use smoke with the burners on...it's just not visible while the burners are lit. Case in point is the Blue Angels takeoff maneuvers (diamond half squirrel cage or just the loop). They start their takeoff roll with the smoke on and leave it on. But, once the burners are lit, the smoke is no longer visible and isn't until they take it out of afterburner at the top of the loop.
0 x
Eric P.

User avatar
RyanS
Posts: 2886
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:50 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Contact:

Post by RyanS » Mon May 11, 2020 12:06 pm

Broken link because Public Affairs asked us to remove the photos as they were an unauthorized leak from an employee on base. They said to expect official shots in the weeks to come.
0 x
Ryan Sundheimer
www.AirshowStuff.com

wfooshee
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 2:28 am

Post by wfooshee » Mon May 11, 2020 4:27 pm

EricP wrote: Mon May 11, 2020 11:04 am
wfooshee wrote: Mon May 11, 2020 1:58 am They don't use smoke with burners, anyway, color or not.

And... broken link in the first post. Oh, well.
They actually do use smoke with the burners on...it's just not visible while the burners are lit. Case in point is the Blue Angels takeoff maneuvers (diamond half squirrel cage or just the loop). They start their takeoff roll with the smoke on and leave it on. But, once the burners are lit, the smoke is no longer visible and isn't until they take it out of afterburner at the top of the loop.
When the narrator says that there's no smoke with the afterburners on, I took it to mean that the smoke is not on, not that it's not visible. My assumption was the afterburner flame and the smoke material don't mix... :?
Last edited by wfooshee on Mon May 11, 2020 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
0 x

User avatar
RyanS
Posts: 2886
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:50 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Contact:

Post by RyanS » Mon May 11, 2020 5:03 pm

wfooshee wrote: Mon May 11, 2020 4:27 pm When the narrator says that there's no smoke with the afterburners on, I took it to mean that the smoke is not on, not that it's not visible. My assumption was the afterburner flame and the smoke material don't mix... :?
They don't mix, but only in the sense that the afterburner doesn't burn the oil in a way that creates smoke. They still spray the oil. Occasionally you can see one reduce power out of burner a bit during takeoff and create a short puff.
0 x
Ryan Sundheimer
www.AirshowStuff.com

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 24 guests