"The Navy has retired the EA-6B Prowler after 45 years..." Topic

… of service.

link

Amicalement
Armand

It's hard to describe the value of an EW platform, since it prevented things from happening and it's hard to count non-events. But EW is critical, and the A-6 platform provided power, crew space, and threat-space survivability.

In playing Hornet Leader I always found the EA-6B more useful than the F/A-18G, but that could be a shortcoming of the game.

The EA-6B was a great plane.

Agree.

Amicalement
Armand

So ugly it was beautiful.

I'm not sure it's ugly. It's got a kinda space-tadpole thing going on and honking great wing area for turning with a heavy load.

One thing for sure, when you're playing Hornet Leader: Carrier Air Operations and you're trying to figure out how to put a whole lot of bombs on a stubborn target its hefty load out is a beautiful thing. In later campaigns where you don't have the Prowler but have to use the F/A-18C & D instead things are actually harder.

I've heard people call the F-4 ugly, as well as the F-16. I don't agree. Once you look at them for awhile and get the gist of their design harmonies they actually look cool. Even the A-10s are cool looking. Most of the Soviet planes are ugly, though.

Actually, I think the U-2 is ugly, but not the A-6

Ultimately, it's about getting things done. The EA-6B had lots of electrical power for the transmitters, and in the days before computer automation of EW it held four crewmen in an arrangement that allowed for good teamwork.