Awesome video! Thanks for posting it.

Left Wing with droptank?

On taxi out, I don't see neither a 2-seater nor a droptank. Did they smuggle the spare aircraft into the display? Or am I complete overseeing something?

It's not a droptank, it's a travel (luggage) pod. These are usually kept on the two-seaters, as they don't intend to use them in the show, but if need be it won't affect the performance and handling if the jet gets used as a spare aircraft.

#2 had a squawk after taxing out and switched into a spare jet parked EOR (End of Runway).

Notice though that the family wagon's smoke is a little faint compared to the other jets'.

It's the external fuel tank. The pods are usually carried on the wing stations.

I was just telling Teej last night that they probably needed the tank on the D model to get from Nellis to Luke without requiring AR since its fuel capacity is 1,300 lbs less.

The external tank isn't needed for the show, but since the aircraft was only to be used as a spare they didn't remove the tank. I bet you'll see the D model fly in the demo later this year without external tank whenever it's planned due to maintenance cycles on the C models.

I'd always thought it was a tank since
- The D-model carries less fuel.
- I'd never seen a cargo pod that large or that shape. (Long taper in the rear, extending back between the ventral fins).

As to the second point...I've since seen that such a beast exists - Sargent Fletcher's "NGCP" pod specifically for the -16....

https://www.cobham.com/media/75413/MXU_ ... V10595.pdf

Even so...I still would have thought fuel anyway. In the simulated world, we can run our tanks down to zero. In the real world they'll flame out long before the tanks show empty. I'm not sure what the real guys are ending up with left in the tank when they land...but I know we showed our burn was pretty consistent with known real world ops checks and I got through about 3000 pounds on the long practice track, and about 500 pounds from engine start to FOD check.

Even a D model has 3500 in it...but not a lot more for safety reasons. That's probably hitting bingo for them as if they (D-model) cross 5000 (with no external fuel loaded) they're risking a flameout.

Fact: Left Solo can fly the entire demo in a D model only requiring internal fuel. On a remote site, however, he'd go bingo though (seen it happen).

Lawndart wrote:On a remote site, however, he'd go bingo though (seen it happen).

What did they end up doing? (When did he land...)

#5 went RTB after the HBB, while the rest of the team flew the Closer.