Blown Slick Series
INNOVATION IN ATTACK AVIATION: The A-7 Avionics Case
Blown Slick Series #16 The A-7A/B should be recognized as the end of the line for pure, iron bomb dive bombers including most famously the Dauntless and the A-1 Skyraider, and the A-7D/E as the beginning of a new era of attack a/c – same airframe and aerodynamics but with a major improvement in the systems/avionics. It is not unreasonable to state that the F/A-18 and F-35 have at their core a technical and operational capability that is Corsair II D/E in design concept technically and philosophically – what we now characterize as “strike fighter.” (F-16, F/A-18, F-35) The story of [...]
Book Review: US Attack Aviation: Air Force and Navy Light Attack 1916 to the Present
Blown Slick Series #15 The “attack” mission combines the capabilities and objectives of air interdiction, close air support, strike, and what has come to be known as strategic attack. “This is a story about flying. It is told by naval aviators, Air Force fighter pilots, and the men who built the airplanes they flew. All served our country with honor. This narrative on attack aviation is a part of our history, an important link from those who were the pioneers of early aviation. They invented ways to use the airplane, built it, maintained it, extended its range, and [...]
Blown Slick Series update
Blown Slick Series# 14 “… it has been decades since the last significant contribution to airpower theory. Given the shifting character of war and rapid technological change, a solid modern airpower theory will be required for the West to achieve strategic success in future conflicts.” Reviewing Airpower Reborn;The Strategic Concepts of John Warden and John Boyd by JP ‘Spear’ Mintz This is an update on the series begun in early 2015 Blown Slick; Light Attack Fast Pursuit Airpower Analysis by Boris. Since January 2020 I have been primarily focused (and leveraging RememberedSky posts) on supporting my long time friend RG [...]
Complete Series List: 1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier
Blown Slick Series #13 1942 – The Year of the Aircraft Carrier Any assessment of future air power must certainly take into account China’s growing defense capability, objectives, and ongoing operations in the South China Sea. This suggested that a reasonable context should include a review of the Japanese island chain or co-prosperity sphere, that first year of WW II in the Pacific, and most certainly the emergence of aircraft carrier warfare. This context is provided as a sub-series posts reviewing the four major carrier battles throughout 1942 – Blown Slick #13 – 1942 the Year of the Aircraft Carrier. [...]
A Second Look – Aviation Week Debate on the F-35
Blown Slick Series #12 Last summer Aviation Week conducted a podcast debate between the first commanding officer of a USMC F-35B squadron, retired LtCol. David Berke, and former “fighter mafia” participant during the Light Weight Fighter competition (YF-16/17) Pierre Sprey. Berke has an extremely unique flight experience background in that he’s instructed at TOPGUN, conducted operational test flights of the F-22 and has significant flight time in the F-16, F/A-18, F-22 and F-35. Sprey was a participant in the LWF program and heavily involved with the A-10 program development. Their views of the F-35 and future airpower needs and application are [...]
Thinking Multi-Role “Strike Fighter”
Blown Slick Series #11 Air to air is what you do going into and coming off of the target. Ed Rasimus, Air Force Vietnam War F-105 and F-4 fighter pilot In the previous post, I suggested as a thought experiment that one draw a straight line graph comparing fighter aircraft performance/capabilities over time beginning with WWI and say the Sopwith Camel, then continue through WWII with your choice of best fighter (Spits, Zero, Mustang, Corsair), on into the Korean War and the MiG-15 and F-86, then to Vietnam and the MiG-21 and F-4, and next on to the F-14/ F-15/16/18 group. I [...]
Airpower Analysis Phase II: F-35 – Flying Circus Center Ring
Blown Slick Series #10 For some time now, center ring for the airpower flying circus has been the F-35 Lightning II. But since the F-35 was similarly noted as the elephant in the room in #8 in this series some time ago, much as transpired as the a/c moves into operational status within the USMC, USN, and USAF, along with the first Israeli F-35 Adir’s beginning to fly. To date the Blown Slick series has discussed attack pilots, fighter pilots, fifth generation aircraft, analysis tools and metrics, offered selected books on air warfare and taken a broad look at the [...]
Thinking Airpower in Context: American War in Seven Charts
Blown Slick Series #9 Seven Charts That Help Explain American War How Many Years In Its History Has America Been at War? Where Has America Fought? Why Has America Fought? How Does America Fight ? Who Are America’s Formal Defense Partners? Why Is the American Military So Attracted to Technology? So How Much Does It All Cost? Give the focus of the Blown Slick series, upon reading this article by Aaron Bazin*, it seemed only natural to question what then is the impact of airpower on these seven and how is airpower influenced by how we approach the issues? In a concise way, [...]
Airpower, Elephants and Such (Part 3)
Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 3/3) Continuing from Part 1 & 2 – the “something new” Airpower Application and 5th Generation Aircraft The term “fifth-generation aircraft” is part of the problem facing the future of airpower. The usage of the term might suggest a linear relationship to preceding aircraft, so that one could argue that F-18s and F-16s can be upgraded and become 4.8-generation aircraft, closely replicating 5th generation capability. For the proponents of F-22 and F-35, they believe this is simply not the case. For them, the fifth-generation aircraft are a benchmark for a new approach to air power, and [...]
Airpower, Elephants and Such (Part 2)
Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 2/3) Continuing from Part 1 – drilling down To make reasonable decisions in regard to analysis of future airpower, and also how implementation of emerging technical and derivative tactical concepts plays into the application of airpower, one must certainly have some understanding of these elements: current potential crisis and warfare environments (subjects of future articles) overall theories of airpower (some discussion in this series) necessity for a truly joint, even integrated, approach to warfare that has been provided through experience (to be discussed in future articles but can be particularly seen in the AirSea Battle concept and in [...]
Blogroll
Blown Slick Series
INNOVATION IN ATTACK AVIATION: The A-7 Avionics Case
Blown Slick Series #16 The A-7A/B should be recognized as the end of the line for pure, iron bomb dive bombers including most famously the Dauntless and the A-1 Skyraider, and the A-7D/E as the beginning of a new era of attack a/c – same airframe and aerodynamics but with a major improvement in the systems/avionics. It is not unreasonable to state that the F/A-18 and F-35 have at their core a technical and operational capability that is Corsair II D/E in design concept technically and philosophically – what we now characterize as “strike fighter.” (F-16, F/A-18, F-35) The story of [...]
Book Review: US Attack Aviation: Air Force and Navy Light Attack 1916 to the Present
Blown Slick Series #15 The “attack” mission combines the capabilities and objectives of air interdiction, close air support, strike, and what has come to be known as strategic attack. “This is a story about flying. It is told by naval aviators, Air Force fighter pilots, and the men who built the airplanes they flew. All served our country with honor. This narrative on attack aviation is a part of our history, an important link from those who were the pioneers of early aviation. They invented ways to use the airplane, built it, maintained it, extended its range, and [...]
Blown Slick Series update
Blown Slick Series# 14 “… it has been decades since the last significant contribution to airpower theory. Given the shifting character of war and rapid technological change, a solid modern airpower theory will be required for the West to achieve strategic success in future conflicts.” Reviewing Airpower Reborn;The Strategic Concepts of John Warden and John Boyd by JP ‘Spear’ Mintz This is an update on the series begun in early 2015 Blown Slick; Light Attack Fast Pursuit Airpower Analysis by Boris. Since January 2020 I have been primarily focused (and leveraging RememberedSky posts) on supporting my long time friend RG [...]
Complete Series List: 1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier
Blown Slick Series #13 1942 – The Year of the Aircraft Carrier Any assessment of future air power must certainly take into account China’s growing defense capability, objectives, and ongoing operations in the South China Sea. This suggested that a reasonable context should include a review of the Japanese island chain or co-prosperity sphere, that first year of WW II in the Pacific, and most certainly the emergence of aircraft carrier warfare. This context is provided as a sub-series posts reviewing the four major carrier battles throughout 1942 – Blown Slick #13 – 1942 the Year of the Aircraft Carrier. [...]
A Second Look – Aviation Week Debate on the F-35
Blown Slick Series #12 Last summer Aviation Week conducted a podcast debate between the first commanding officer of a USMC F-35B squadron, retired LtCol. David Berke, and former “fighter mafia” participant during the Light Weight Fighter competition (YF-16/17) Pierre Sprey. Berke has an extremely unique flight experience background in that he’s instructed at TOPGUN, conducted operational test flights of the F-22 and has significant flight time in the F-16, F/A-18, F-22 and F-35. Sprey was a participant in the LWF program and heavily involved with the A-10 program development. Their views of the F-35 and future airpower needs and application are [...]
Thinking Multi-Role “Strike Fighter”
Blown Slick Series #11 Air to air is what you do going into and coming off of the target. Ed Rasimus, Air Force Vietnam War F-105 and F-4 fighter pilot In the previous post, I suggested as a thought experiment that one draw a straight line graph comparing fighter aircraft performance/capabilities over time beginning with WWI and say the Sopwith Camel, then continue through WWII with your choice of best fighter (Spits, Zero, Mustang, Corsair), on into the Korean War and the MiG-15 and F-86, then to Vietnam and the MiG-21 and F-4, and next on to the F-14/ F-15/16/18 group. I [...]
Airpower Analysis Phase II: F-35 – Flying Circus Center Ring
Blown Slick Series #10 For some time now, center ring for the airpower flying circus has been the F-35 Lightning II. But since the F-35 was similarly noted as the elephant in the room in #8 in this series some time ago, much as transpired as the a/c moves into operational status within the USMC, USN, and USAF, along with the first Israeli F-35 Adir’s beginning to fly. To date the Blown Slick series has discussed attack pilots, fighter pilots, fifth generation aircraft, analysis tools and metrics, offered selected books on air warfare and taken a broad look at the [...]
Thinking Airpower in Context: American War in Seven Charts
Blown Slick Series #9 Seven Charts That Help Explain American War How Many Years In Its History Has America Been at War? Where Has America Fought? Why Has America Fought? How Does America Fight ? Who Are America’s Formal Defense Partners? Why Is the American Military So Attracted to Technology? So How Much Does It All Cost? Give the focus of the Blown Slick series, upon reading this article by Aaron Bazin*, it seemed only natural to question what then is the impact of airpower on these seven and how is airpower influenced by how we approach the issues? In a concise way, [...]
Airpower, Elephants and Such (Part 3)
Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 3/3) Continuing from Part 1 & 2 – the “something new” Airpower Application and 5th Generation Aircraft The term “fifth-generation aircraft” is part of the problem facing the future of airpower. The usage of the term might suggest a linear relationship to preceding aircraft, so that one could argue that F-18s and F-16s can be upgraded and become 4.8-generation aircraft, closely replicating 5th generation capability. For the proponents of F-22 and F-35, they believe this is simply not the case. For them, the fifth-generation aircraft are a benchmark for a new approach to air power, and [...]
Airpower, Elephants and Such (Part 2)
Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 2/3) Continuing from Part 1 – drilling down To make reasonable decisions in regard to analysis of future airpower, and also how implementation of emerging technical and derivative tactical concepts plays into the application of airpower, one must certainly have some understanding of these elements: current potential crisis and warfare environments (subjects of future articles) overall theories of airpower (some discussion in this series) necessity for a truly joint, even integrated, approach to warfare that has been provided through experience (to be discussed in future articles but can be particularly seen in the AirSea Battle concept and in [...]