Cool Aircraft Pics...

[bookworm_020]

Originally Posted by ASWnut101

that wedgetail thing looks pretty weird....


It looks like a 737, but I could be wrong...

It's based on the 737 NG aircraft. Australia is the lead customer on the aircraft. It's been delayed into service due to some software issues, but all else is going well.

Why the weird set up? It's a electronicly steered anntena, instead of a mecanicaly rotating one. The radar is the one considered for the E-10 (the E-3 replecment) It couldn't be based on a 707 airframe, as it isn't being made anymore (last new build aircraft were the British AEW&C 707's). The Japanese 767 based aircraft cost too much, so this is what came up.

Turkey and South Korea have also selected it for there airforce, with Italy also looking at it.