Pics of F/A-37 Talon (Beautiful carrier based stealth)

globalsecurity.org ^ | 7/26/04

[f zero]

The movie camera in the second shot helped.

[BattleFlag]

That could easily be a Navy mopic crew and I imagine if the scenario were real that flight deck would be crawling with local and imported shooters.

[xusafflyer]

Besides being a very recycled storyline, a supersonic stealth fighter? I will guarantee that at some point in the movie, the aircraft will go "stealth" at Mach 1+.

Dale Brown is a hack writer. For being a former BUFF navigator, he sure doesn't know jack squat about aircraft. Day of the Cheetah was a blatant ripoff of Firefox. The stealth Buff thing was cool but his storylines got weaker and weaker. Iranians with an aircraft carrier? And can actually land on it? Not going to happen Dale...

[longtermmemmory]

So no instead of the USSR chasing an errant super dooper fighter, we have the USA chasing down an errnat super dooper fighter. (and we have a woman pilot, with most likely a gratuitous semi-nude tease scene. Why not call her janeway and really kill the movie)

(s)tooootally different from firefox. Does the plane read minds too.(/s)

[Conspiracy Guy]

Flying special effects are a pet peeve. It was bad. The computerized crap is worse.

[antiRepublicrat]

Speaking of Firefox, what ever happened to Craig Thomas? I liked his books, although the movie was so full of mistakes as to make it rediculous. I'll have to see the movie again to be sure, but the missiles they installed on the ice flow were way off. The real missiles couldn't be carried by two people, as they are far larger than what you see in the movie.

Maybe I should put that into imdb.

[Long Cut]

" That's why the Grumann design has them folding forward into a delta."

Which design are you referring to? The X-29 had fixed, non-moveable wings, and I can't remember Grumman building another.

The X-29 could certainly maneuver, though. I read that its roll rate approached 720 degrees per second.

Seems that variable geometry PLUS forward sweep would be a nightmare to build right.

[Long Cut]

Another flaw in the "long range missile" philosophy was the Vietnam ROE's which forbade pilots from engaging any aircraft that they could not visually identify.

That alone removed all advantage of the SPARROW missile and severely crippled the use of the SIDEWINDER. With such a rule, a gun was almost mandatory.

[Long Cut]

" Does the plane read minds too?"

Russian. You must think in Russian...

LOL! But I liked the movie, anyway.

[Long Cut]

" the missiles they installed on the ice flow were way off. .."

Well, so was landing a Mach-5 interceptor on an ice floe in the first place. FOD, anyone?

[Smartass]

Cool Pic. Thanks...

[bondjamesbond]

Well, you know the Russkies built in rough field capability... But that was ridiculous!

[Long Cut]

Hehe. What about starting the engines with no external power or assistance, in the hangar, with the nozzle plugs IN?

And then taking AK fire while taxiing?

[Gunrunner2]

Funny. . .but when the title had F/A-37, I was thinking of the A-37. . .a version of the "Tweet," a subsonic trainer aircraft of the USAF (T-37).

I would think the movies tech reps would have changed the number a bit, as the T-37/REAL A-37 link is too close to the Hollyweird "A-37.". Especially since the USAF T-38 (supersonic trainer for undergraduate student pilots) is called the "Talon."

Those nuts in Hollyweird really blew it.

[vezke]

Just making sure everyone knows who this Jessica Biel girl is.

And the aircraft to female picture ratio on this thread saddens me.

[Gunrunner2]

Agreed.

Dale Brown also has a chip on his shoulder, as EVERY story of his has some throw-away line something to the effect of: "He was the BEST WSO the Air Force had but the powers-that-be didn't give a damn."

Sour grapes.

[Long Cut]

I've come to accept a certain amount of that sort of bumbling in military-related films. Let's face it, the vast majority of moviegoers would have no idea about such esoterica. I've found that I can enjoy a well-made film about the military despite the mistakes.

Hell, just look at the whole "Firefox" knot...the fictional fighter was based on the MiG-25 FOXBAT, but was called the MiG-31 FIREFOX. The real MiG-31 was called the FOXHOUND, and was a follow-on to the MiG-25. Plus, the whole story was based on the real theft, by LT. Viktor Belenko, of a FOXBAT in 1975!

Let's not even discuss the mistakes in Top Gun or Iron Eagle. Both were enjoyable in their own way, however. so, despite many mistakes, were BAT-21 and Flight Of The Intruder. The list is long, but distinguished.

[Long Cut]

Brown seemed to be on a crusade to glamorize the Whizzos. I gave up after only a few books.

[Poohbah]

One "oopsie" that really caught my eye in Flight of the Intruder was the flight deck crew giving each other high-fives...in 1972.

[Long Cut]

You had to also like the A-6 crew being totally excused for violating orders and attacking the enemy in complete disregard for the ROE's. Uhhh, I don't think so...

Ya had to like the "Sandys", though. Some great flying by the stunt pilots, there. I think the same bunch also worked in We Were Soldiers.... Same birds, same LOOOWWWWW flying.