Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Harpers F35s not quite cleared for takeoff

worth · 04-04-2012, 08:05 PM

Forgive my ignorance but I am assuming so much has changed since the 80's that you can't just call up Boeing and ask for 20 more CF-18's to add to the current fleet? Do they even make F-18's anymore? I think Boeing makes the Super Hornet still, right? This plane must me very different from a CF-18? I would think that there would be a lot of similarities so that if a country like Canada had to, they could purchase some Super Hornets in the short term and utilize the same people for maintenance and the same pilots, could they not? Or am I way out to lunch?

If all the avionics and weapon suystems are relativley new of the CF-18's, why can't countries like Canada or Australia order more airframes and cycle those through their current fleet to extend life? Or order airframes and install new avionics and weapons?

I'm thinking that the initial alotment is laid out and purchased, the factory will pump them out and by the time they are done making thousands of these things, they are well on their way to pumping out the next fighter on the list? Basically everyone is stuck with what they have?

04-04-2012, 08:05 PM	#57
worth Franchise Player Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vancouver Exp:	Forgive my ignorance but I am assuming so much has changed since the 80's that you can't just call up Boeing and ask for 20 more CF-18's to add to the current fleet? Do they even make F-18's anymore? I think Boeing makes the Super Hornet still, right? This plane must me very different from a CF-18? I would think that there would be a lot of similarities so that if a country like Canada had to, they could purchase some Super Hornets in the short term and utilize the same people for maintenance and the same pilots, could they not? Or am I way out to lunch? If all the avionics and weapon suystems are relativley new of the CF-18's, why can't countries like Canada or Australia order more airframes and cycle those through their current fleet to extend life? Or order airframes and install new avionics and weapons? I'm thinking that the initial alotment is laid out and purchased, the factory will pump them out and by the time they are done making thousands of these things, they are well on their way to pumping out the next fighter on the list? Basically everyone is stuck with what they have? Last edited by worth; 04-04-2012 at 08:07 PM.