Posted on 07/26/2004 7:08:07 AM PDT by finnman69
It was basically a capability which was to be used only in an extreme emergency, like an all-out war.
I've heard through the grapevine that F-15s also had a "dash" capability only to be used in war, which likewise would trash the engines if used too long.
Well, as another poster pointed out, the Russians DO build their undercarriages pretty strong, specifically to operate from poor airfields. The MiG-29, in fact, has doors that close over the intakes while taxiing to prevent FOD. Smaller doors, on top of the strakes, open to let enough air in to feed the engines.
Cool, kind of like the Saabs, where the Swedes didn't have any established military runways, and launched their planes from the roads and fields. I love airplane talk.
Clint Eastwood considered leasing a VIGGEN from the Swedes to play the FIREFOX, due to its looks. He had to go with the low-budget models and mock-ups, though.
The Swedish fighters have always been ahead of the technological curve. Here's a VIGGEN in a turn...
Interestingly, it used the same engine as a garden-variety 737, the JT-8D, only equipped with an afterburner.
Here's one on approach...note the heavy landing gear.
They could operate from anything that even LOOKED like a runway.
It was so cool-looking that Miller Geniune Draft beer used it for a publicity bird. Here's a model of that one, which was privately-owned...
Note, this was a 1950's-era fighter.
I hope so, and trust they learned their lesson in Vietnam.
A fake...ah man What if I don't want it to be a fake?
It really a real airplane "They" are just sating it's a fake in order to keep us in the dark as to what's REALLY happening.
I've always loved the Saab planes. I don't know if my favorite is the Viggen or Gripen, but hey've always been what I though a multirole fighter should be -- small, cheap, easily maintained in the field and highly maneuverable (except for the Draken's slow turn problems). Even their truly ugly Tunnan was impressive for its time.
I would really hate for us to have to go up against a bunch of Gripens with good pilots.
BTW, apologies for typos, but my daughter pulled some keys off my laptop so it's sometimes hard to hit the little contacts where the keys used to be.
You mean Lt. Kaba "FooFighter" Wade?
WOW!
You can tell it's fake...no woman would be in that cockpit. One, they physically couldn't qualify for a jet like that even with a flight suit.
It's an obvious Hollywood movie setting.
The Kara Hultgren story is a particularly disgraceful episode in the continuing history of the capability degradation of the US military through the blind pursuit of a politically correct policy of sexist discrimination. This statement is not a criticism of Kara Hultgren herself - she served her country honorably and gave her life in the effort. She died because she was used as a pawn to further the political agenda of incompetent ideologues such as former Congresswoman Patsy Schroeder and SecDef William Cohen. They forced the Navy to place her in a duty position beyond her ability and skill level - her blood is on their heads.
*Note - to those in this thread who have posted comments about their female relatives or friends who are successful military pilots in their respective MOS's, I am in no way denigrating their service or ability. They have achieved their success precisely because of their individual skills and abilities, not BECAUSE they are female. Kara Hultgren died precisely because a politically correct agenda dictated that she be placed in a position beyond her individual ability and skill, simply because she was female.
It was tragic. It was stupid. It was disgraceful. And, as has become the norm with our "public servants", those who were ultimately responsible suffered no consequences.
That's the incident to which I was referring. It was tragic, stupid and completely unnecessary. She was a pawn of those with a political agenda and paid for it with her life.
There doesn't seem to be much specific information about the plot of this movie yet, and that's one of the factors that piqued my curiosity about the prominent featuring of Jessica Biel with the name "Kara" in the promo photos. My hunch is that it will be another case of Hollywood PC schlock a la G.I. Jane.
Could be a JAG copy: They "might" get a female who's moderately believeable in that pilot role.
But not if they're filming already!
Here it is Oct 14th and I just got this emailed to me again.
Last time I checked, you can actually view a static discplay of the YF-23 at The Northrup/Grumman museum at an airport in Torrance.
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