A, B, C........ (military aircraft)

[chucksnee]

Well, you can call me "that guy"....

BUT FOLKS, OPSEC....

I doubt that SluggoF16, many comments cannot be found on line?

Maybe they can?

[SluggoF16]

I didn't put anything in that isn't online, found even in official USAF fact sheets. The classified stuff, yeah, that's nowhere to be found in my posts, and won't be. Surprisingly, some things that are elevated above "UNCLASSIFIED" are present in some of the advanced PC flight sims, albeit not at the functional level they are in the real jet. And there's a discussion of an F-16 radar feature in Tom Clancy's nonfiction book "Fighter Wing" that definitely should never have been published.

[ddeemo]

Originally Posted by NORTY FLATZ

Well, neither, actually.

The subsequent generations have more to do with avionics, than fuselage changes. Now, if an airframe stays in service long enough, new designed engine may be fitted. (Ex: F18C to the "D" rendition.)

The avionics packages can be anything you can (or can't) imagine.

A-n-y-t-h-i-n-g.

The difference between F/A-18C is single seat and F/A-18D is dual seat - they were built in the same time frame with essentially the same avionics - not a good example. The difference between the C/D and F/A-18E/F is the latter ones are around 25% bigger - very different airframe. So mostly it is airframe differences.

As far as B-52 - they were upgraded completely with new avionics several times without changing their designation. The B-52 has been in service since 1952 - 70 years. But all currently in service are H versions which were built between 1961 and 1963 - 60 years ago - they are scheduled to be in service for another 20 to 30 or so years with significantly upgraded avionics.

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by NORTY FLATZ

You familiar with "Super CHARLIE?"

I always respected the Skyhawk's rate of roll.

Back when I was on the F-15 flightline even Eagle drivers respected A-4s at Red Flag. "They're like mosquitos" one pilot said. "You know they're there but they flit around at the edge of your consciousness until they come in and bite you".


As far as the fewer letter designators in modern aircraft more is now done by designating block numbers in production batches. For example you will see reports of 'block 40' F-16s having a certain capability. Aircraft recordsand manuals designate them as for example F-15A-10. That would be a block 10 aircraftand would designate a certain build standdard (That would have been one of the early 74 model F-15s I worked on)


The letter designators are also somewhat of a political/marketing item. Actually the entire designation system has become political. The new bomber should not be a B-21 but a B-3 and the F-35 should have been the F-24 or F-25 but that is a different pet peeve.