Jump to content

F-ZeroOne

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2889

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by F-ZeroOne

  1. F-ZeroOne
    Well, I don't see a stealthy "EB-52" as likely. I can see some issues with the concept as proposed, though. One of the reasons I believe the US Navy didn't go for proposed "Arsenal ships" is that munitions are expensive and its a helluva lot of pricey eggs to have in one basket. I get that with F-35s, drones etc in the area the opposing force might not know that they're being targeted, but your jammers are going to have to be pretty darn good for them not to see the B-52s in the first place...
  2. F-ZeroOne
    Talking of the B-52, apparently Dale Brown was right... http://www.defensetech.org/2016/03/11/pentagon-arsenal-plane-may-take-the-form-of-a-modified-b-52/ grigolosi, having taken several long-distance flights I can sympathize with the fighter pilots needing something to pass the time; its bad enough in an airliner with all its passenger "comforts", what its like in an F-16 I can't imagine...
  3. F-ZeroOne
    But the pilots all listen to Queen when flying combat missions to make up for lost time, right?
  4. F-ZeroOne
    It is fairly famous (especially when internet "discussions" turn to the subject of Close Air Support), I think it even turned up in an episode of "Airwolf" once.
  5. F-ZeroOne
    Too me a second to realise thats a "P" on one of those Spitfires and not a question mark, I thought The Riddler had a previously unknown liking for classic warbirds for a second... Edit: no, wait, it is a question mark! Thats a bit odd...
  6. F-ZeroOne
    Follow-up for the Spitfires birthday: a documentary from 1976 (though recorded later because I recoginise that "BBC2" logo style and, er, not many video recorders in the UK then, I guess!). The host, Raymond Baxter was a presenter of the popular BBC programme "Tomorrows World" but also flew Spitfires in World War II and nearly shot down a V2 rocket (at launch) in one! Also features an interview with Douglas Bader, who hopefully should not need much introduction...
  7. F-ZeroOne
    "Just the sort of bloody silly name they would choose!" - Happy 80th birthday, the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-35729686
  8. F-ZeroOne
    I don't know the precise reasoning behind why the UK went with non-CATOBAR carriers to start with. Bear in mind we're talking about decisions that were made three UK governments ago (the carriers were started by the Labour Party, very approximately equivalent to the US Democratic Party). There were probably several elements in the decision. Usually with the UK, the overriding one is cost. Steam catapaults (EM ones would only have, at best, been on the drawing board back then) obviously require upkeep that a simple take-off/landing deck doesn't. The RN had been operating STOVL aircraft for a couple of decades, there was an established body of experience with the Harrier whereas CATOBAR would mean establishing a coventional carrier-trained trained force almost from scratch. STOVL aircraft came in handy during the only recent carrier-involved conflict the UK fought; theres an argument that militaries always seem to prepare to fight the last war, not the next one. Other alternatives would have been politically unacceptable, with - as David suggested - the exception of the F-18 but governments get distracted by new gadgets just as much as the rest of us, and the F-35 would have been the hot sexy thing back then...
  9. F-ZeroOne
    David, I'd forgotten about the Super Hornet! Though again, as our new carriers are being built without catapaults now its a bit of a moot point. I don't know if there was ever a proposal for a naval Tornado, I've certainly never seen anything either on-line or in books.Oddly enough, when the RAF was shipping around for a new fighter back before the ADV variant, the F-14 was considered, but presumably for a land-based role only. A naval Typhoon was proposed at one point and theres some debate about how straightforward a conversion that would have been. grigolosi, I believe I've mentioned on here before that the "We don't need any of that new-fangled rubbish!" point-of-view is a very old one; they were saying that back when monoplanes started to replace biplanes... I guess I should perhaps I have said that the issue of what the F-35 can do is arguably slightly less important for the USAF (which has F-22s, F-15s and F-16s) and possibly to a lesser extent for the RAF with its Typhoons than those nations which will be relying on it as their sole major aircraft type.
  10. F-ZeroOne
    My view on the F-35 is rather pragmatic; I agree that the program has been an over-expensive mess (though thats not actually unusual for military programs; look at the development of the Bradley), but really, what choice is there now anyway? I'm British, and the Royal Navy needs something to fly from HMS Her Maj, and we're past the point where theres any conceivable alternative (as much as the French would love to sell us some Rafale-Ms, which still wouldn't be suitable now... ). Probably its been overly ambitious, but look at it another way - how many supersonic STOVL fighters have actually got to the stage of entering service (even as "IOC"; and yes I know the "B" does not represent all the F-35s), and I think theres a disconnect between what people think the F-35 should be able to do and what it was designed to do (I wonder, if more F-22s were in service, would we still be having some of these arguments?); theres also the fact that its the first fighter of the internet generation and we all know what a reasonable, rational forum for cool-headed discussion that is...
  11. F-ZeroOne
    Seeing as the Plane-That-Must-Not-Be-Named has reared its lift-fan hatch here again, some more comments from the Norwegian pilot who has been largely positive about the aircraft (and actually flying it). This obviously indicates that someone who actually knows what they're talking about does indeed have a more informed opinion than the entire Rest of the Internet/Is obviously a paid LockMart shrill (delete according to how you feel about the F-35... ): http://nettsteder.regjeringen.no/kampfly/2016/03/01/f-35-i-naerkamp-hva-har-jeg-laert-sa-langt-the-f-35-in-a-dogfight-what-have-i-learned-so-far/ (scroll down for English version).
  12. F-ZeroOne
    Schizo, hope that op goes well for your father. I've read about such implants and at least in some cases they're said to make things much more manageable for some sufferers. Okay, so who else is disappointed the B-21 isn't the YF-23 reincarnated?
  13. F-ZeroOne
    One message board I read suggested "Vampire", which I liked (leaving asides the image problems associated with todays modern shiny Vampire and the fact that. technically, it would be "Vampire II"... My memory is that for their size Harriers are incredibly noisy, but I have heard others stating they've heard nosier aircraft. Those of you who have had hearing problems associated with jet engine noise, you have my sympathies. I have a relative who suffers from tinnitus and although I obviously can't know directly what its like, their descriptions are enough to learn it is not something overly easy to live with.
  14. F-ZeroOne
    The LRSB has a number and a look, but is still the Bomber With No Name: http://www.defensenews.com/story/breaking-news/2016/02/26/b-21-bomber-air-force-lrsb/80976160/
  15. F-ZeroOne
    I sort of knew that if I didn't specifically state "unless there was some proposed variant I've never heard of" someone would drag one up from the depths of the "Almost Birds" archive... Now you've said it, though, I remember reading that it was expected at the time that the winner of the LTF competition would be adopted by both services (and, I guess, the Marines)...
  16. F-ZeroOne
    It never ceases to amaze me just how beefy carrier aircraft landing gear is, and how spindly non-carrier aircraft gear looks in comparison (I know the reasons why, mechanically).
  17. F-ZeroOne
    I'd forgotten about the aggressor F-16s, but what I meant specifically was that there aren't any carrier based F-16s...
  18. F-ZeroOne
    Er... we make better bad guy computers?
  19. F-ZeroOne
    Nor, unless its the best kept secret in naval aviation, are there any F-16s.
  20. F-ZeroOne
    Ah, I think I see the problem - you Americans and your "must have best of everything". We plucky Brits have always had a thing for the underdog; given the choice between a full size keyboard, disk drive, fully realised colour graphics and a kick-arse sound chip - well, we would always opt for a squishy keyboard, "colour clash", and sound like a sponge being put through a meat grinder backwards... Having said that, your comments have made me think that the "only two 80s computers" thing is sometimes a bit overplayed. Thinking back to the time I had a Spectrum, in the same timeframe I also encountered a ViC-20 (I had one!), Ti-99, a Commodore +4, MSX, a Dragon 32 and BBC Micros; and that was just within my immediate circle of family and friends...
  21. F-ZeroOne
    Just out of interest, any particular reason? It obviously had its limitations but then so did the NES...
  22. F-ZeroOne
    Latest attempt to resurrect a British retro-gaming legend (in UK circles, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum is talked about in much the same manner as the NES is in the US). The company behind this released something called the "ZX Spectrum Vega" about a year ago which didn't exactly get overly brilliant reviews, but... its a Handheld Speccy!
  23. F-ZeroOne
    Speaking of Russian giants, taken at the Yeovilton Air Day a couple years back. I don't think I've ever seen an aircraft "wallow" in the sky as much as this one seemed to:
  24. F-ZeroOne
    The BBC recently added the ability to "buy" episodes of its classic T.V. series to iPlayer, at least in the UK, so that probably explains it.
  25. F-ZeroOne
    If you've ever wondered what the "Who" equivalent of the "Star Wars Holiday Special" might have looked like:
×
×
  • Create New...