hellohikaru

I agree the allies would also have deployed better aircraft. Imagine a 1946 scenario where the TA-183s and He-162s met P-80s and Vampire over Europe skies

Why is it when ever VF-19 is mentioned people think of the Basara version of the plane ? There is a VF-19A from VFX-2 that looks just like the showboat Isamu's YF-19.

I heard of the Kyushu Shinden(not to be confuse with the Kawanishi N1K Shiden George). It has a strange canard pusher design. I see this plane alot in 1945 and Raiden fighter shooter games. The actual plane was to have had a jet engine but that wasn't ready. I wonder how it would have done for real ?

I actually have a copy of the first part of that Tomcat story covered by Wings(with the belly shot of the F-14D). There are no diagrams in it either. Shin you should check out the older issues of Wings/Airpower since it might have covered some of your dream planes like the Super Gator and Skylancer.

Yes..that shootdown was done by Lcdr Teddy Swartz in a VA-76 A-4C during an attack on kep Airfield, 1967. Apparently he was alerted by his wingman to the inbound Migs at his 6 and pull a high-g barrel roll to get behind them. He fired a salvo of zuni rockets into one of them. Although he didn't see the kill himself his wingman saw the migs crashing into the ground. That was probably a one-off incident. Later a Navy Skyraider also claim their own Fresco with 20mm gun fire. IMO the Fresco is actually the better close-in air to air fighter. It has a better TW ratio and has an afterburner. The guns armament of 2 NR-23 and 1 N-37D is formidable although i bet they had trouble getting the sight to work due to the ballistic differences of the bigger gun. Some IAF Skyhawk probably claim a Mig but i don't much about this.

wow the late model F-15Es have that much thrust is absolutely great. Certainly makes it a better fighter when clean. The USAF must reengine all the Eagle-Charlies with these engines or even better with the F110 from the F-15K plus canard but i know this isn't going to happened. The USAF has serious problems maintaining their current fleet of Eagles due to shortage of engine spare parts. Some of the older Cs have even less reliable engines. Sepecat Jaguar vs AJ-37 I will assume the the Jag variant here is the GR.1 of the 1980s because AJ-37 is the old standard prior to being upgraded to AJS-37. The standard Jaguar of the 1980s is originally intended to be a trainer but ended up being a very capable attack aircraft. The French A version has a radar but all other versions don't. It can carry more than 10,000lbs of stores. It also has almost twice the range of the AJ-37 Viggen due to its higher fuel fraction and less thisty engines. The main undercarriage gives it some ability to operate from rough air strips. It has 2 Aden/DEFA guns and carry either the Matra Magic II or AIM-9L Sidewinder missile. The AJ-37 Viggen is the gunless ground attack variant with the less powerful older RM8A engine. Originally it was planned only to use missiles for ground attack but since it has a HUD that affords good accuracy iron bombs were also later added. All AJ-37 Viggens have a radar and is capable of performing the anti-ship role with RB04 missiles. All Viggens have excellent short take and landing capability due to the double delta wing. The strong tandem main landing gear allows it to perform punishing 3 point landings. This gives the best short take-off/landing characteristics for a conventional non-thrust vectoring fighter. The RM8A engine is the most powerful engine to be installed in a fighter at that time and has alot more thrust than the 2 Adour engines combine. The RM8A is a JT8D engine with afterburner and thrust reverse. It gives the Viggen lots of power during take-off. But its pays a hefty price in range and almost always flies with a centerline drop tank. The AJ-37 is gunless and must rely on AIM-9s and its radar to defend itself against air threats. However for its secondary air-to-air role it may carry 30mm ADEN gun pods.

Request to Shin Can you draw up what you think FB-23 and ASF-14 would look like ?

F-104S is the Italian updated 104G Super Starfighter. Basically adds Sparrow capability, a J79-19 with 13 % more power, new radar that can handle the Sparrow and TFR flight but losses the gun. F-104S ASA is updated S with the gun reinstalled plus Aspide MRMs and 9L Sidewinders. This is really the ultimate Starfighter in every respect and can handle the stock F-4E well enough. F-15E vs F-15C I go with Eagle Charlie here since E is rather underpowered. Why should they risk a high value strike platform when the F-15C and F-16 Block 25 can handle the air-to-air work ?

Shin The USAF doesn't have any Wild Weasel F-16Ds. Compared with the F-4G i think the F-16 is perhaps better able to defend itself due to its gun and agility which may not be a good idea since it will distract them to go hunting other aircraft. However the F-16 is inferior to the F-4G as far as the wild weasel role is concern. The F-16's HTS pod is no way as capable as the build in systems carried by the F-4G, it simply got more room. When the F-16 first join the F-4G as part of a Hunter-Killer team, the Falcon was nothing more than a extra set of pylons. The F-16D IAF/RSAF OTOH are very capable SEAD planes because they carry a second crew and have all the fancy avionics inside the big spine. A truly worthy succesor to the F-4G. F-4 vs F-104 ? What versions ? Generally the F-104 is the better interceptor due to its speed and rate of climb. A well flown Starfighter can beat an F-4 or F-100 in a dogfight provided the pilot fights in the vertical. F-4 has the benefit of more range and payload. But the early version might need to depend on a gunpod. Flogger vs Tornado F3 F3 definitely. Better radar and weapons. Has a second pair of eyes. Flogger may have better climb rate but is a harder plane to fly. It lacks wing autosweep function that the F3 has. The ultimate MLD-K version can fire the AA-11 Archer (but not the AA-10) which is an added advantage but never got a HMS for it.

Strike Commander was a tough act to follow. F-16 Aggressor is hardly Strike Commander although it did have the certain look. I love the mercenary story behind SC. Maybe they should make an Area 88 Flight sim based on the OAV/manga(not that crap 12 episode tv series). Perhaps you get to play as on one of other the mercs like Campbell, Jess or even Kim Abba. You start out in 1978 by choosing one of several "free" planes(F-8E, F-100, F-5A.etc) to start out. If you lose it you need to buy a new one or do compulsory missions to earn enough money to buy your own plane. Between missions you get your plane fitted out by visiting McCoy and as your reputation grows you get to negotiate discounts with that land shark. You get to pick your missions but if you don't have enough money to pay the $5000 fine for rejecting a mission be prepared to get dragged out and shot. Missions consist of milkrun bombing and intercept missions as well as canned missions like attacking the fang, destroying the land carrier and mixing it out with the wolfpack mig-27 unit. I see lots of potential for good story telling here.

The RAF Harrier II force suffers from the same problem of lacking any real guns. They carry fake mahagony gondolas instead. Apparently they had some problems getting the 25mm ADEN guns to work. Why not just use the guns from the older GR3s ?

IR SAMs are normally for short range engagements. Russia use most medium size IR sams than NATO. Some examples are SA-8, SA-9 and SA-13. NATO example is Chapparal.

I heard the gun deletion thing is just an RAF only feature. In order to save cost(pocket change ?) the MoD decided that the second batch of Typhoons will not have the Mauser gun installed and have it substituted by concrete ballast. However it turned out that the cost of developing the ballast cost more than removing the gun. It also interfered with the aircraft handling. So the gun will be present but without the ammunition and wiring needed for it.

What i am trying to say is that there was a generation large gap between the F-4F and the now operational EF-2000. Then again the F-4s were purchased in the 70s. For a long time they only had crap AIM-9B Sidewinders as their only AAM. Can't imagine them taking on Warsaw Pact MiG-23s armed with AA-7s. And for the Harrier-type jets could have given the Luftwaffe some degree of CAS capability. They were already using the G-91 and inadequete Alpha Jet A for this role. I heard they increased the numbers of EF2000 they purchased to reudced the price. This is good news.

@VF19 I am surprised that Germany didn't acquire their own Harrier equivalent considering the amount of research they made into VTOL aircraft like EWR VJ-101C, VFW VAK-191B and Do 31E. They were also one of the parties involved in the P1127 Kestrel test aircraft. Since Germany was the front line during the cold war they would have needed aircraft capable of operating from disperse sites away from vulnerable airfields. Germany ended up buying mostly US aircraft when it could easily designed their own. US political arm twisting again ? And they never bought a fighter to replace the Phantom.

Actually it is a Rafale with the rear section of the Grumman F-29A.

Another possible configuration

Novi Avion proposed Yugoslav fighter project. looks alot like a single engine rafale.

There are tons are good helo sims there. Longbow 2 is my firm favourite. The prequel Longbow 1+Flashpoint is also a great choice. Both had TK Kawahito and Andy Hollis in the crew if i am not mistaken. Comanche Hokum and apache Havoc Enemy Engaged are the more recent high fidelity flight sims. Lots of detail including animated pilots with hands that manipulate the switches and buttons inside a cockpit. The airfields also look alive. Planes have cargo doors that open. Fighters have canopies that open, vehicle detail is awesome. DI's Hind is also a great sim albeit old. Remember the days of unshaded 3d polygons ? And Novalogic also released a series of action based sim-lite of the Commanche.

Any ever tried Domark's AV-8B Harrier Assault/SVGA Harrier ? I heard this game was even asked to be banned by the catholic teacher federation. Mainly you fly for the UN invading East Timor. Enemies include indonesian A-4 Skyhawks, F-5s and F-16s.

@noyhauser I agree with you that it will be most difficult for the JMSDF to acquire AV-8s for its carrier. Silly politics getting in the way just like the tankers for the JASDF. However the ship not being able to operate Harriers due to a lack of ski-jump isn't true. USMC Tarawa class ships don't have one either but Harrier operating from them would require a longer TO run when carrying heavy loads. I also think it will interfere with other ops due to the increase use of space.

There aren't many arcade flight shooter times. I can only think of Topgun:Fire at Will and its sequel. Maybe Fair Strike and Eurofighter Typhoon(stay away from this one) and crimson skies.

Haven't any of you tried Microprose Fleet Defender ? And Dynamix had a sim-lite by the name of F-14 Tomcat. http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=2383

What are the JMSDF's prospect of operating AV-8B Plus(AV-8J) jump jets from its so called large helicopter destroyer ?

Iran has their own trainer. Expect to see them to developed it into a full fledged fighter.