F / A-18C mock-up

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F / A-18C mock-up with the registration X-5099 in Meiringen

The F / A-18C mock-up (official name of the Swiss Air Force : Mobile Training System Ground Operations ) is an interactive training device from the Swiss manufacturer Hugo Wolf AG for the rescue services at the Swiss Air Force's military airfields in the form of a non-airworthy replica ( mock-up ) of a McDonnell Douglas F / a-18 C Hornet .

Starting position and acquisition

F / A-18C mock-up with the registration number X-5098 in Emmen

For a long time, rescue and fire-fighting exercises were carried out by the Swiss Air Force on emergency planes and discarded aircraft. Due to the recent significant reduction in the number of jet aircraft and the low number of F / A-18s (30 after the loss of four as of August 2016), no more machines could be parked for this purpose. The planned procurement of a second Hornet tranche was not implemented. When reselling older F-5E Tigers to the US , consideration was given to purchasing an F / A-18A from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group . However, this idea was discarded. The further reduction in the number of tigers , the resulting increased use of the F / A-18 fleet and the establishment of a 24-hour QRA exacerbated the problem of realistic training and exercises for the ground crews. A project was therefore started in 2009, which in 2013 resulted in the acquisition of the F / A-18C mock-up with the registration X-5099 . Due to the positive experience and the need for such a training opportunity, the Swiss Air Force decided to procure another F / A-18C mock-up. X-5098 was handed over to the Air Force in April 2017.

construction

The construction time for an F / A-18C mock-up is about one year. It is being built by Hugo Wolf AG as general contractor. The assembly takes place in Switzerland, individual cockpit parts come from the USA.

The weight of the replica fighter jet is 5.4 tons. With a total length of 17 meters and a wingspan of 12 meters, an F / A-18C mock-up corresponds exactly to the mass and outline of an F / A-18C. These are based on data from the F / A-18 manufacturer Boeing . The cockpit is partly equipped with original instruments, including a real ejection seat (without detonators).

Functions

The training device, which is equipped with special instruments for simulation in the rescue area, consists largely of a composite construction made of wood and composite material . It has its own power supply for the functioning of various technical devices such as the opening of the cockpit and the production of artificial smoke. Using the built-in computer, the instructor can trigger simulations such as an engine fire , an overheated and glowing landing gear , smoke in the cockpit or the recovery of a jet that has gone off the runway. The engine dummies can produce a realistic background noise audiophonically. The F / A-18C mock-up can at all weapon stations with exercise armament (auxiliary tanks, AMRAAM - dummies and AIM-9 -Attrappen) are provided. In order to simulate fuel leaks, the internal tanks and the external auxiliary tanks can be filled with water. The wings can be folded up. The X-5098 will also offer additional options: in addition to scenarios that can be set on the mock-up itself, the various programs can then also be triggered remotely using a tablet computer . This second, expanded F / A-18C mock-up version has an ejection seat. The instrumentation, partly with original instruments, does not differ from the original in any way. The nose landing gear can also be retracted and extended in order to simulate emergency landings with a collapsing landing gear. In addition to the simulation of leaks in the external wing tank and external lower hull additional tank, the internal wing tanks can also be filled with water in this dummy. Position lights were installed on the tail unit to make night exercises possible. This second, more stable wooden hornet was laminated with glass fiber reinforced plastic.

Locations

With the introduction of the more robust X-5098, equipped with more functions, whose transport is somewhat more complex than the X-5099, the X-5098 is used exclusively at the Payerne military airfield . The X-5099 is then mainly used at the other jet airports of the Swiss Air Force ( Emmen , Meiringen and Sion ) and Zurich Airport (Zurich Airport is used as an alternative landing place for the air police service ).

literature

  • The "Manipulier" Hornnet . In: Swiss Air Force. Annual publication 2017 . Pp. 60-63.

Web links

Commons : X-5099 (aircraft)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : X-5098 (aircraft)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Report on expansion 24h standby in 20 minutes online
  2. ↑ X-5099 in the inventory of the Swiss Air Force ( memento of the original dated August 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.lw.admin.ch
  3. ↑ a b In: Aero Revue , 7/8 2016, p. 8.
  4. ↑ List of functions
  5. ↑ PDF Swiss Air Force Military Identifications Registrations
  6. ↑ Hans Rudolf Schneider: The hornet that will never fly . In: Berner Zeitung , August 20, 2016, accessed on February 15, 2017.
  7. ↑ Swiss Air Force military IDs registrations (PDF)
  8. ↑ http://www.blick.ch/news/schweiz/bern/heute-morgen-auf-der-a1-diese-fa-18-nnahm-die-autobahn-id5594460.html
  9. ^ The wrong F / A-18, as seen by a reader reporter at Zurich Airport