The Airplane Thread

04-06-2026

The U.S. Navy looked on the Army's new UH-60 Blackhawk troop carrier with great interest. At the time, the use of helicopters on surface combatants such as cruisers, destroyers and frigates was exploding. Part of the rationale for this was the introduction of the Harpoon ship-launched antiship missile. The Harpoon had a range greater than that of the ship's radars -- the Navy needed a way to attack targets well beyond the horizon. An integral aviation capability allowed such targeting, but space to operate helicopters was limited.

New classes of warships incorporated hangars and clear decks for takeoff and landing. The standard became twin hangars, although often only one helicopter was embarked.

The Navy already had a turbine-powered helicopter in service -- the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King. But the SH-3 was too large for use on surface warships and was restricted to operation from aircraft carriers.

A helicopter had other valuable attributes: It was an excellent, though short-ranged, antisubmarine warfare (ASW) platform and could be used for logistic support as well.

The initial surface combatant-embarked helo was the very compact Kaman SH-2, originally designed as a utility/rescue aircraft.

The Navy selected the H-60 as an H-2 replacement in 1978, although the new aircraft was too large for some older ships. The initial model was the SH-60B Seahawk, which was equipped with search radar, sonobuoy launchers and electronic warfare systems and could carry lightweight ASW torpedoes. A key modification from the UH-60 was a tailwheel moved forward 13 feet in order to fit on ship's landing decks. Another was powered blade folding, to allow the helo to be hangered.

The ASW helicopter squadrons aboard aircraft carriers were also in need of replacement aircraft, and a further version of the SH-60 was ordered to replace the ageing SH-3s. This SH-60F had a dipping sonar and other ASW sensors.

A further Navy version was a search and rescue version, also used to support SpecOps, the HH-60H. Carrier helicopter squadrons would have 6 or so SH-60Fs and a couple of HH-60Hs.

The above versions of the Seahawk were replaced after 2000 by a new MH-60R that incorporated features of both the SH-60B and the SH-60F. Production of the MH-60R is complete.

At the same time, the Navy replaced H-46 logistics support helicopters with a MH-60S model. The MH-60S can easily be distinguished since it uses the original UH-60 tailwheel. The S model is also used for search and rescue, support to maritime SpecOps, and mine countermeasures. Like the R, production of the S model is complete.

Each carrier air wing has one MH-60R squadron and one MH-60S squadron embarked, although the aircraft are distributed to escorts and replenishment ships. There are also squadrons of each type that deploy detachments in non-carrier scenarios.

Both currently serving Navy versions can be armed with Hellfire missiles and machine guns. There is a total of 450-plus MH-60Rs and Ss in service.

An image attached to this post, provided by the poster

04-06-2026

Two other sea services use the H-60. The Marine Corps uses the smallest number -- just a dozen or so VH-60Ns for presidential transportation. Normally, the larger VH-3D or newer VH-92A is used to transport the president, but the VH-60N has superior high-altitude performance and so is used in some locations.

The Coast Guard has for years operated two types of helicopters: the HH-60J or current MH-60T for longer-range missions and the Eurocopter HH/MH-65 Dauphin. Several years ago, the Coast Guard decided to transition to an all-MH-60 force with a goal of operating 127 aircraft. As an economy measure, they remanufactured used Navy SH-60Bs into USCG rescue aircraft.

04-07-2026

The Air Force faced a problem in the post-Vietnam era. The HH-3E Jolly Green Giant combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters that had performed such heroic rescues during the war in Southeast Asia were war-weary and in need of replacement. As had the other services, the USAF looked at the H-60 as a nearly ideal solution.

The first step was the procurement of UH-60As and modifications to suit the rescue mission. More internal fuel and a refueling probe were added. The Army optional door-mounted 7.62mm machine guns were replaced with 12.7mm (.50 cal) machine guns.

Some 98 H-60s were modified for USAF use -- 16 of these were more elaborately equipped and used for SpecOps as MH-60Gs. The other 82 were used for CSAR and designated HH-60G. They entered service in the late 1980s.

By 2004, the USAF began looking for an improved replacement. In 2006, a CSAR version of the H-47 Chinook was selected but cancelled after competitor protests. There were several more attempts at replacing the HH/MH-60G but all were unsuccessful.

The Air Force ultimately deferred the search for a larger aircraft and in 2012 selected a UH-60M-based replacement. In 2019, that helicopter first flew as the HH-60W. The plan is for procurement of 112 HH-60Ws and they are now operational in a number of rescue squadrons. In a nod to the CSAR helicopters of the Vietnam era, the HH-60W are called "Jolly Green II".

As a footnote, the USAF test facility at Groom Lake, Nevada ("Area 51") also has 4 HH-60U "Ghost Hawks" -- based on the UH-60M -- assigned

04-07-2026

To sum up the above info on the H-60, the total number of active helicopters of all services I would estimate at 2,900.

There are many (30-plus) foreign users of the H-60.

One of the more interesting foreign users of the S-70 (since it was purchased ostensibly for civil use) is the People's Republic of China. China bought a number of S-70s because of the excellent performance at high elevations years ago before relations with the U.S. soured.

Predictably, the Chinese have reverse-engineered the S-70 as the Z-20 and improved it as well -- the Z-20 has a five-blade main rotor instead of the four-blade rotor of the H-60 and may have a slightly larger cabin. It appears that it will enter widespread service in the People's Liberation Army.

04-08-2026

The U.S. Department of Defense (War) has released the president's budget for fiscal year 2027. This represents the service's wish list after being reviewed and prioritized by the department's leadership. As had been reported in the press, the budget forwarded to Congress reflects a very large increase in spending. It is up to Congress to authorize expenditures and then appropriate the funds, so this is just the first step in the process.

The version of the budget that I read was 335 pages and I just scanned it for items of interest. Here are some highlights:

Army -- The UH-60M and CH-47 remain in production. The H-60's designated replacement, the MV-75 tilt rotor appears to not have production funding yet.

Navy/Marine Corps: The request for the carrier-capable F-35C is for 37 aircraft -- a major increase. The P-8A patrol aircraft was assessed to be out of production, but 12 are requested. 25 KC-130Js are in the budget request; either a further expansion of Marine transport-refueler squadrons or aircraft for the Navy Reserve.

Air Force: There are plenty of funds requested for the B-21 Raider, but no aircraft numbers are included (classified?) F-15EX procurement appears to be winding down, but 52 F-35As are requested -- a substantial increase.

04-11-2026

The final U.S. Air Force T-1A jet trainer was ferried to the boneyard last month. The T-1As were essentially retired without replacement. Future transport and bomber pilots will presumably get winged after completing training in the T-38C or new T-7A and then go on to train on their ultimate aircraft.

04-17-2026

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04-18-2026

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04-24-2026

I saw the attached meme going around last week, and decided to dig into the back-story.

TL;dr - It was a Saudi Arabian Airline 747-300, that was having some engine issues in Malaysia and was brought to a hangar.

When the plane was finished, six engineers (and apparently zero pilots) were on board to taxi it across the field to the terminal area. They reportedly forgot to turn on the hydraulic pumps and remove a locking pin from the nose gear, so the plane had no brakes and couldn't make a turn between taxiways so it went straight into the ditch.

The hull was written off as a total loss, probably because the -300 series wasn't one of the better-selling 747 variants.....

https://simpleflying.com/boeing-747-write-off-taxi-into-ditch/

An image attached to this post, provided by the poster

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04-24-2026

My favorite plane

04-24-2026

3798j wrote
.

“Coffee, tea or me.”

My dad knew a captain who claimed the above is what stewardesses
said to him during long B747 flights across the Atlantic. Of course,
this was well before the days of locked flight decks.

04-24-2026

3.0l wrote
coffee, tea or me.

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04-28-2026

The U.S. Navy planned to put unmanned MQ-25A Stingrays on carriers beginning this year to perform aerial refueling missions. Each carrier is to have a detachment of three UAVs for this purpose. The plan has slipped and now the deployment of the MQ-25A is scheduled for 2029.

Until the unmanned refueler becomes operational, the Navy will use refueling pods on F-18 Super Hornets.

05-09-2026

As previously posted, the U.S. Navy plans to replace the Boeing 707-based E-6B Mercury aircraft with a variant of the C-130 Hercules for the strategic communications mission. This entails the transmission of very low frequency radio messages to submerged ballistic missile submarines and USAF strategic forces (ICBMs and bombers) in an emergency.

The 16 current E-6Bs are based at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma but spend much of their time deployed to other locations.

The 12 replacement aircraft, dubbed the E-130J Phoenix II, may be based elsewhere, but will no doubt spend a lot of time deployed.

05-15-2026

U.S. Marine Corps aviation update, 2026:

The Marines publish an unclassified plan each year that lays out the current status of Marine aviation units and planning for the future. The 2026 plan was published in February and can be summarized as follows:

Fighters: The Marine transition to an all-F-35 force of fighters is well over halfway. There are 9 STOVL F-35B squadrons and 3 carrier-capable F-35C squadrons fully operational. There are also 2 F-18C Hornet squadrons still active -- these will transition to the F-35 within the next couple of years. A single AV-8B Harrier squadron is also in the force, but the retirement of the last U.S. Harrier is scheduled for next month.

The ultimate fighter-attack force will include 12 VMFAs with 120 F-35Bs (10 aircraft per squadron) although the Marines plan to increase squadron size to 12 each some years from now. There will also be 6 VMFAs with 60 F-35Cs for carrier duty -- again increasing to 72 in the 2030s.

There are also two F-35B training squadrons. F-35C pilots will train in the Navy's F-35C squadron.

Transport/refuelers: The Marines had three transport/refueler (VMGR) squadrons for many years, but a fourth squadron is now fully operational in Hawaii. Each squadron flies 15 KC-130J Hercules.

Tiltrotors: 15 VMMs fly 10 MV-22B Osprey tiltrotors each. There is also a training squadron and a dozen MV-22Bs are assigned to presidential support.

Heavy lift helicopters: A single HMH flies the new CH-53K King Stallion helicopter with a second squadron scheduled to transition in 2027. The other HMHs fly the older and much less capable CH-53E Stallion. The plan is for 6 HMHs and a training squadron to have 114 CH-53Ks.

Attack/utility helicopters: The Marines passed on the larger AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and developed advanced versions of the Vietnam-era Cobras and Hueys that are more compact for operations on amphibious assault ships. The 6 HMLAs operate 15 AH-1Z Viper attack and 12 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters each.

Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) supports presidential travel world-wide, as well as VIP travel in the Washington D.C. area. Older 1960s VH-3D Sea King helicopters are planned to be finally retired this year with the VH-92A Patriot replacement already in use. HMX-1 also operates some smaller VH-60N Huey helicopters and as mentioned above, 12 MV-22B Ospreys.

2 days ago

Having looked at the Marine Corps plan, I thought it appropriate to see what the U.S. Air Force is up to. Here's what I found: (Note that these are what the president has requested, not what has actually been approved by Congress.)

B-21 bomber: The numbers bought are apparently classified, but the dollar amount is $7.3 billion for fiscal year 2027.

F-35A fighter: The budget asks for 24 F-35As. This takes the total number to 616 purchased so far. The total projected number is 1,749 aircraft.

F-15EX fighter: The request is for 24 F-15EXs, which would be 115 purchased to date. The projected total is 239 aircraft, but there is some confusing language in the USAF budget that leads me to believe that 29 more F-15EXs were purchased under a different line item -- for a possible total of 268. As a reminder, 36 F-15EXs are slated to be assigned to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa and the rest will be assigned to air defense missions with Air National Guard units in the U.S.

KC-46A tanker/transport: 15 KC-46As are requested, which would equate to 184 aircraft procured so far. The budget indicates that the goal is 259 KC-46As.

T-7A advanced trainer: The budget proposes the purchase of 23 T-7As. If approved, that would be 37 aircraft so far, with a goal of 342 total T-7As. (Note that the Navy is on the hunt for a new advanced jet trainer and the T-7 is a strong contender.)

MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter: The MH-139A is a recent addition to the USAF inventory. A variant of the Augusta-Westland AW139, it is replacing the antique UN-1N Huey in the role of support to ICBM wings. 4 MH-139As are requested, which would make 34 so far. The budget says that the total will be 44, but I suspect that the USAF wants more.

C-37C Gulfstream: A single C-37C is in the budget. The Air Force wants a total of 17 to replace older C-37As and C-37Bs. (Generals like comfy rides with good communications connectivity.) (Not pictured)

EA-37B Compass Call: 3 of these are requested. This is the new highly modified electronic attack version of the Gulfstream used to disrupt adversary radars and communications. 2 of the legacy EC-130H Compass Call aircraft were recently damaged or destroyed in Iranian missile attacks in the Middle East.

Cooperative Combat Aircraft: This $1.1 billion budget item is for advance procurement of components for a future uncrewed combat aircraft that would potentially be controlled by a conventional fighter. (No photo)

HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter: The USAF originally planned to buy 112 of these improved CSAR variants of the Army's UH-60M Blackhawk, but the total ended up being 91 and all have been ordered. Interestingly (scandalously?) the Air Force now plans to convert 26 of these new and important rescue helicopters to utility/VIP transport helicopters for use in the Washington D.C. area. Go figure...

2 days ago

I'll finish the 2027 budget request recap with the Navy/Marine Corps numbers:

F-35C carrier fighter: The budget request is for only 14 aircraft. However, the submission predicts that the request for the F-35C will increase to over 30 aircraft in 2028. 208 aircraft have been already procured (but of course it may take quite a while until an aircraft is actually delivered.) The F-35C is flown by both Marine Corps and Navy squadrons.

F-35B STOVL fighter: The 2027 request includes no F-35Bs, although 201 have already been procured. Like the F-35C, this appears to be a one-year hiatus, with requests resuming in 2028. Perhaps the factory is backed up?

E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: The E-2D buys are nearing the end -- 124 have been already budgeted and the total program is for 136 aircraft.
6 E-2Ds are requested for 2027.

P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft: This was a surprise to me, as the P-8A buy was completed a couple of years ago at 138 aircraft, but the 2027 budget adds a final 12 P-8As.

KC-130J tanker/transport: The KC-130J purchases are also nearing the end, but 11 are requested for 2027. The Marine Corps squadrons are full-up, but more KC-130Js are planned for Navy Reserve squadrons. The planned total is 115 KC-130Js for both USN and USMC.

CH-53K heavy lift helicopter: The request is for 22 CH-53Ks.

For KC-130J and CH-53K photos see the Marine Corps post above.