Posted on 03/20/2010 4:18:21 PM PDT by EnjoyingLife
A U.S. Navy F-14A Tomcat, assigned to Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102), makes a transonic high-speed flyby past the aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66) on 1 March 1991. The photo was taken while the USS America was stationed in the Red Sea. The large white "vapor cone" created by the F-14A Tomcat is technically called a Prandtl-Glauert Condensation Cloud or Prandtl-Glauert Cloud.3000 x 1997 pixels . . . 2002 x 1332 pixels . . . via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20061112.htm
What about the super hornet? won’t that match the F14?
Click on pic for past Navair pings.
Post or FReepmail me if you wish to be enlisted in or discharged from the Navair Pinglist.
The only requirement for inclusion in the Navair Pinglist is an interest in Naval Aviation.
This is a medium to low volume pinglist.
Transonic is an aeronautics term referring to the condition in which a range of velocities of airflow exist surrounding and flowing past an air vehicle or an airfoil. Air flow velocities are concurrently below, at, and above the speed of sound at the pressure and temperature of the airflow of the air vehicle's local environment (about mach 0.81.2). It is formally defined as the range of speeds between the critical Mach number, when some parts of the airflow over an air vehicle or air foil are supersonic, and a higher speed, typically near Mach 1.2, when all of the airflow is supersonic. Between these speeds some of the airflow is supersonic, and some is not.
So the one on the right is the F-14 and on the left is a F-18 right?
Like I said; I don’t care the reason. Sending a Tomcat to the shredder is just wrong on so many levels.
The only thing subsonic on that Tom is the cover on his tail light...
so did I.
Uss Ranger and JohnF Kennedy.
Guess we need carrier based F-22s then.
Ah...or not. I’m leaning toward a smaller cheaper unmanned version of the VTOL F-35 lightning II. The future is shrunk down autonomous unmanned aircraft. Something the size of a pickup truck. Autonomous aerial refueling tankers too. I’m visualizing helicopter versions that can refuel themselves from ocean liner oil tankers. And container ships modified to haul the unmanned mini fighters, by the hundreds. VTOL so no catapult required.
autonomous unmanned vehicles don’t count on no goddam link. Wakup boy! Smell the future coffee.
Unfortunately, your autonomous unmanned vehicles are in exactly the same state as the future coffee; Future Development that is wholly dependent upon support and funding from a political cabal that seems more intent upon the destruction of this country than its defense.
Word pictures don’t hack ANY program, and we’re in the sh**can right up to our eyebrows if we don’t get a double dose of luck and avoid a serious threat for at least the next two years.
I’d suggest lots of prayer on that subject, and the neat old pictures and autonomous unmanned vehicles can just go as sea stories.
First of all, we don't even have an UCAV that is supersonic.
Second, as of the foreseeable future, autonomous does not include ACM. Period.
Third, even if they were, and did, how would that be better than a ESSM? Besides, they're faster, cheaper, and you can carry a lot more of them.
On the down side, you can't reload a VLS at sea, and risk shooting yourself dry. Which is a 'Bad Thing' in fleet defense.
Bottom line, we needed something faster ACM platform with more enduance (legs!), and cheaper to maintain. What we got was the Hornet. Which we needed for attack roles.
But NOT for Fleet Defense.
As for a Navalized F-22; by the time it's airframe is beefed up for traps, and somehow is found to keep stealth in a sea environment, I doubt if it would be the equivalent of the land-based version.
I'm just sayin'...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.