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Posted

Time for a new aircraft thread. :p Since thread 4 was just abruptly shut down, I will repost the additional B-2 crash pictures I found.

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Posted

True, but Tomcats still. Anyway, weren't those supposed to be reengined with some russian engines, or at least there were plans to do something like that? (I'd love to see what a F-14 powered by a pair of Lyulka Saturn AL-37F could do)

Posted

WOW, a B-2 crashing....that is a billion dollar mistake.....what happened?

Twich

Posted
True, but Tomcats still. Anyway, weren't those supposed to be reengined with some russian engines, or at least there were plans to do something like that? (I'd love to see what a F-14 powered by a pair of Lyulka Saturn AL-37F could do)

Tom Cooper debunked that, it never happened. The Tomcat fleet in Iran was never in shambles as much as the US media said it was.

Posted
POS F-14A's, and downgraded from what was USN standard at that!

Someone's got old info...

Posted

When footage of them flying in formation shows up on Youtube, you can bet a lot of USN people will still say "every Iranian Tomcat was rendered unflyable 20 years ago due to lack of tires".

Posted
When footage of them flying in formation shows up on Youtube, you can bet a lot of USN people will still say "every Iranian Tomcat was rendered unflyable 20 years ago due to lack of tires".

Speaking of which. The latest issue of International Air Power review is out and has an article on F-14s in the IRIAF by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop. From skimming it in Borders it looks like a lot of their book with a handful of new items, but I picked it up anyway. Once I get home from work I'll have a chance to actually read it, and I'll make sure to mention anything interesting once I do.

Posted

Hey now a pelicans one helluva big bird and how old is the f-111 anyways? Im suprised the plane didnt take more damage myself. Good thing they got it home and everyone (except the pelican) is ok.

Posted (edited)

When is the last flight of F-117's suppose to leave Holloman for Tonopah? Some sources indicate it was suppose to be yesterday while others have today as being the Nighthawk's ride off into the sunset. :(

Speaking of Tonopah, I've been reading up the Constant Peg program and listened through the seminar that was given at the Air Force Museum last year. I had assumed they had operated that fleet of MiG-17's, 21's, and 23's from Groom Lake. Turns out they were actually using the set of hangars on the south end of Tonopah's base; the MiG's would fly during the daytime while the F-117's flew at night. Basing of the Constant Peg (US MiG's) and Senior Trend (F-117) was a joint package.

http://www.fjphotography.com/constantpeg/index.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53995653@N00/...57601630296104/

As for the Iranian F-14's still flying, I would definitely go through the Constant Peg story of what it took to operate and maintian the US MiG fleet. It's probably a similar story for what has to be done to keep those aircraft flying after almost 30 years of no support from Grumman or any of the other contractors involved, but granted things are a little different since the Iranians did have US support for running and maintaining up to 1979.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/april2007/0407peg.asp

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/av/lectures.asp

Edited by Apollo Leader
Posted

Basically "more". Better radar(AESA)/avionics, more fuel, more weapons, more thrust. (It has the Super Hornet's engine now, instead of the Legacy Hornet's)

A quick blurb I saw said it can supercruise with an air-to-air load.

There's not really an official name for it yet. Gripen N, Gripen DK, Gripen Demo are all used. I like Super Gripen. :)

The first one will likely be a test-bed for the increased-thrust mods for the F414, 25,000lbs probably. (They're 22,000lbs normally). Technically, it's just a normal Gripen modified with a bunch of new features that COULD be used for a future Gripen E/F. But you can bet the next country to order Gripens will want some/all of those features, and others will want to upgrade their current Gripens.

Posted
Basically "more". Better radar(AESA)/avionics, more fuel, more weapons, more thrust. (It has the Super Hornet's engine now, instead of the Legacy Hornet's)

A quick blurb I saw said it can supercruise with an air-to-air load.

There's not really an official name for it yet. Gripen N, Gripen DK, Gripen Demo are all used. I like Super Gripen. :)

The first one will likely be a test-bed for the increased-thrust mods for the F414, 25,000lbs probably. (They're 22,000lbs normally). Technically, it's just a normal Gripen modified with a bunch of new features that COULD be used for a future Gripen E/F. But you can bet the next country to order Gripens will want some/all of those features, and others will want to upgrade their current Gripens.

I can't tell from the photos but does this one have the new wingroots/main gear Saab had proposed for the Super Gripen or are they just demoing the new engine and NORA?

Posted

Dunno, I'm not familiar with the Gripen's design details. (I can tell a F-16C Block 30C from 30D, but not a Gripen prototype from production)

Posted

They put enlarged wingroots on the Super Gripen and used them to house re-designed maingear and fuel, and then stuffed more fuel in the cavity opened up by moving the gear out. It also frees up enough room under the belly to replace the centerline pylon with two. Looking at some of the other roll out photos on Saab's website it looks like this is the full Super Gripen package, structural improvements and all.

Posted

For everyone in the US, "Carrier" starts tonight on PBS. (If you're totally unaware of it, it's a new 10-hour documentary on the Nimitz)

Posted
For everyone in the US, "Carrier" starts tonight on PBS. (If you're totally unaware of it, it's a new 10-hour documentary on the Nimitz)

Thanks. I hope it's not a documentary with a slanted political view.

Posted
This is sickening. F14

Well, take heart that when the crusher meets the F-14s titanium wing-box assembly its probably going to lose quite a few teeth. By all accounts, that particular F-14 part was built. :)

Posted

The first couple Convair 880's proved to be so tough to scrap, that the scapper took a loss on them. While F-14's have thinner skin, their structure's even tougher. (Convairs are the friggin tanks of the jetliner world--Elvis had one)

Posted

SAAB has offered the Super Gripen to Norway as a counter to the F-35. However, the offer has a condition that requires Sweden to order/upgrade to the Super Gripen and help pay to develop the Super Gripen.

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