Yuma,El Centro,Luke and Davis Monthan. Update 24/04/2014

[Fumbles]

I'm just freshly back from another Aviation related holiday in the U.S. Southwest. A very good friend of mine was visiting the area so I joined him for a excellent week. Hot! being that on one day the temperature was 36 degrees! I'll be updating this thread throughout the week since I have filled 32 gigs worth of cards. For now just some random shots I picked from a visit to Davis Monthan including a flyover of the boneyard, MCAS Yuma, NAF El Centro , Tucson airport and Luke AFB.


I hope you all enjoy these shots as much as I enjoyed being there to take them. I'll update more on a daily bases. I'm thinking this will be a large thread in the end.


First up... pairs landing of F-35s
IMGP6096 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

2 A very Interesting visitor.
IMGP5482 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

3
IMGP5952 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

4
IMGP5704 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

5
IMGP5668 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

6
IMGP5640 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

7 Almost sunset
IMGP5611 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

8
IMGP5527 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

9
IMGP5496 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

10
IMGP5172 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

11
IMGP5065 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

12
Does anyone know what this is? I know the back end is a F-18 but what is with the strange body?
IMGP6452 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

Comments and Criticism welcome.

[Skylinerworld]

The pair of F-35s photo - that's the 1st time I've seen the F-35 and thought it looks nice!

Brilliant variety and quality, looking forward to seeing more.

[Ledhead27]

Great set, look forward to seeing the remaining posts. I'm going purely on guess work here but the last image looks like a composite design that may have been used for wind tunnel or aerodynamic testing, but your guess is as good as mine.
Either that or an aircraft deaign in the very early stages of development

[Russ]

Great set Rod, love the variety. Looks a great trip.

No idea on the last shot, but it's definitely an F/A-18's tail, wouldn't have thought it was anything secret given it's not exactly discretely hidden.

[Binbrook 01]

At a guess its the decent rear end of a Hornet in Spraylat, or AMARG having some fun?

There is a company in the USA that bought all/most of the surviving RoKAF Hawks, if only I could remember who they are.

Think they are doing a similar role to ATAC, DADS Draken Int and so on

BK1

[Tommy]

Could be a wind tunnel model. Perhaps they were testing the airflow over the tail fins with the addition of CFTs a while back? I know there aren't any on it but they could be detachable? That's my guess...

Great shots anyway. The sunset hovering Harrier is beautiful.

[iaint]

Great set of images, really like the opening photo of F-35 pairs.
And what on earth is a Korean Hawk doing there. It looks lovely in that scheme though !

The last one is surely just an F/A-18F Super Hornet wrapped up... Intakes look squared off and leading edge wing roots are quite wide (added to the cockpit shape). I think it's a case of the nose being chopped off just under the start of the cockpit glazing and the material they use to wrap it (plus angle of the photo).

[sovietjet]

Cool photos! I was at Yuma myself last week. What dates were you at Yuma? And also where is a spot to take the photos like #4,#6 and #7?

And what on earth is a Korean Hawk doing there. It looks lovely in that scheme though !

It's not really a Korean Hawk. It's a private Hawk owned by Air USA. They also own the two Alpha Jets at Yuma and some other stuff, a flying MiG-29 included

[Blackbird]

Looks like a great trip Rod. Love the sunset Harrier shot too

Looking forward to more - soon (please)!

Andy

[RichPittman]

Great set of shots with variety
Seems these places get over looked alot

[TIGER TIM]

The last one with the "F/A-18" could be the McAir YF-17 the prototype of all the F/A-18's.

By the look of the LERX and how small the cross section of the forward fuselage it could be the Cobra.

[gallers74]

Great set, look forward to seeing more.

[Rory76]

Some lovely stuff there cracking underside on the F-35!

Last one not a big part of a super-hornet? chunky looking engine intakes and the aerial bits on the tail fins look more like those on the super bug.

[rdchawk]

Cracking set of photos, I like the bug with the us flag tail.

[boff180]

Cracking set mate.

Re, the final shot.... looking at the Lerx that is undoubtably a F/A-18F Super Hornet... possibly the first one at AMARG?

Andy

[Hammy]

IMGP5172 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

A very interesting catch, this looks to be the Challenger 604 prototype for the Boeing/Field Aviation maritime surveillance aircraft to be based on the Challenger 605.

Boeing's Challenger-based maritime surveillance aircraft nears first flight - Flight Global

[iainpeden]

Re. the "F-18" - if it was a wind tunnel model why have the double cones at the back?

[Niallxg]

Nice selection - will be watching with interest for the updates.

Niall

[Fumbles]

Many thanks for the views and comments everyone. I've been busy over here getting back to that thing called work and life again so I'm still pulling some of these shots from random cards. I'm glad that people are enjoying viewing these shots.

Funny that nobody knows for sure what this F-18 wrapped up thing is... I've asked around to people I know here in North America as well and it is a mystery. My good friend that I was able to travel with on this trip jokingly said that "maybe the Air Force set this up as a joke to confuse the spotters." Well I'm starting to think he may be onto something.

Many thanks for the info on the RoKAF Hawk... Even though it may be based in the United States, It sure was nice to see it arrive in the dessert sun. Made a nice a change for the usual grey in a blue sky.

Sovietjet... Shots 4 and 6 were shot at El Centro in California and shot 7 was taken at Yuma on South 4th Ave.

So onto the next set for tonight...

13 First up... another shot of the strangely cut and wrapped up F-18 quiet possibly a Superhonet body.
IMGP4700 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

14
IMGP5652 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

15 This Hornet did take the cable at Yuma... Sadly way below the fence line for some good shots.
IMGP5358 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

16
IMGP6085 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

17 A little RAF participation at El Centro adding a lot of dust
IMGP5929 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

18 Still dusty at El Centro
IMGP5868 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

19
IMGP5844 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

20
IMGP5215 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

21 Not dust in this shot... They are Vultures flying in the background.
IMGP5146 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

22
IMGP5076 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

21
IMGP4950 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

22
IMGP4926 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

23
A nicely painted KC-135 departing Davis Monthan on Monday after the airshow.
IMGP4722 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

24 What could be the last time I see four A-10s together sadly.
IMGP4347 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

25
A last shot of Davis Monthan airshow from the opposite side of the base.
IMGP4268 by rod.mcdonough, on Flickr

Thanks for looking at the next batch... I'll get some more up from the flyover of the boneyard and more later this week.

Comments and Criticism always welcome.

[rdchawk]

The thing that we don't know is not one of those scorpion things that could be coming to RIAT??