The Bug is Back!

Celebrating the Blue Angels first demonstration with the new Boeing F/A-18C Hornet, developed for them by Shana Carpool Aircraft, and as a bonus on the occasion of the 2018 Homecoming Air Show at NAS Miramar where the Bug will be officially launched, we will be having a raffle of a stock version F/A-18C similar to the ones soon available to the general public.

They will come in two variants of US Navy VFA-25 "Fist of the Fleet" squadron: a CAG aircraft (AA/400) and a low visibility version (AA/402). Colors are made by the United States Navy Third Fleet in Second Life official supplier Eight Shades of Blue and the raffle winner will have personalized liveries with his or her name on both versions.

We would like to thank Ms. Shana Carpool for her gracious gesture, giving away a F/A-18C for the Homecoming Air Show raffle, and hope to see you at Miramar on the weekend of February 10 and 11, for two days of excitement and fun with the Navy Flight Demonstration Team Blue Angels!

NOTE:

The Raffle tickets may be purchased on site at various locations during the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show at NAS Miramar, February 10 and 11.*

* It was decided that the raffle tickets are free - which means only one ticket per person.

UPDATE! 2018/02/17

We will be having a do over raffle of a stock version F/A-18C similar to the ones soon available to the general public. The winner of the raffle held during Homecoming weekend graciously returned the voucher allowing for another person to have the chance to win the new Bug!

The raffle station will be placed at NAS Miramar, by the main gate, from February 18 to February 25, at which time the winner will be determined. So head on to Miramar and enter your name!

CAPT. Asra "Cougar" Kron

NASMCO / TFCOM

New Hornets for the Fleet

CAPT. Asra Kron preparing to board Angel 4, F/A-18C BA v.1.0 BuNo 163435 at Miramar. 01/13/2018.

On January 30, 2017, Captains Vickster Kühn and Asra Kron met with Ms. Shana Carpool to inspect the first shell of the Hornet Project. A year after her first frame was built, the first batch of Shana demo ready Aircraft Boeing F/A-18C Hornets, version BA v1.0, was delivered to the Navy Flight Demonstration Team. Right on time for Homecoming (see here).

To fly the actual aircraft the real life Blue Angels fly today has been a long time aspiration of the Navy Flight Demonstration Team in Second Life. It has come true. After initial discussions with Ms. Shana Carpool, the Blue Angels engines and avionics supplier, the decision was made to create a brand new aircraft to match the one flown by the United States Navy Demonstration Squadron, and that is the reason why the models soon available to both the Fleet and the public at large are not the Super Hornets but the C and D models of the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet.

The United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) would provide the flight tests necessary for the R&D stages of the Blue Angels versions that are exclusive to them, as in real life, and the stock versions that will be operated by the United States Navy Third Fleet, in both cases impacting the versions later available in the market.

Development started as early as January of 2017, a few days after that year's Homecoming Air Show, in which the Blue Angels introduced the single seat Grumman F9F-6 Cougar that was to replace the dual seat F9F-8T, which in turn received an upgraded engine and avionics. Regardless of the first operational version being delivered to the squadron, as expected, there is still a lot to be done in both the development of the Blue Angels models and the USN Third Fleet and stock models, also known as default, as well as two F/A-18B earlier models for the USNTPS and the NFWS at Miramar.

Cougar in a brisk salute at Miramar with the C model BA v1.0. 11/01/2018.

The default models are expected to be sold separately or in a C+D fat pack, with liveries provided by Eight Shades of Blue, the official livery supplier for the USN Third Fleet, which will continue development of several livery options for the Hornets ranging from the USMC to the RCAF, the RAAF and the European operators Spain, Finland and Switzerland.

The USN Third Fleet in SL and the NFDT Blue Angels wish to thank Shana Carpool Aircraft for their support of the demo squadron through the years and in particular for the work, that is still ongoing, in this amazing project. Follow the link below to the dedicated NEPTUNE magazine page of photos covering the close to 365 days of R&D that culminated in the release of the F/A-18C Blue Angels version 1.0.

New Hornets for the Fleet - One Year of R&D in Images. (follow the link)

CAPT. Asra "Cougar" Kron
NASMCO / NFDTXO / TFCOM
Angel 7