Is There Anything An F-16 Cannot Do? (Break from Politics)

Strategy Page ^ | April 21, 2013 | Strategy Page

[blueunicorn6]

Look up John Boyd. Interesting career.

[blueunicorn6]

I saw a documentary where a guy was trying to set the low level speed record in a jet. He was using a stripped down F-104. They tried to film his speed run, but the camera couldn’t keep up. When the camera finally finished panning left, all there was to see was dust. The guy had run it into the dirt. They sent some rescue vehicles out and I can remember thinking “That guy is a goner”. They found some pieces about the size of dinner plates. Then, they found the guy in his ejection seat. I think he had a broken leg and that was it. I believe they thought he hadn’t ejected, but just rode it in. Amazing.

[biggerten]

XB-70 Valkyrie

[Fred Hayek]

Old Air Force magazine cartoon:

A zoomie in an F-4 is flying along with a BUFF. The zoomie of course has to show off, and then says to the BUFF pilot “You can’t do anything like that!”. The BUFF pilot responds “Yeah, but can you do this?” The BUFF keeps flying at the same speed, altitude, and direction.
Zoomie: “Do what?”
BUFF pilot: “Shut off two engines.”

Remember, fighter pilots make legends, bomber and attack pilots make history.

[hattend]

Daryl Greenemeyer and his Red Baron

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093756/index.htm

[hattend]

[null and void]

I learned how to close a canopy on a SC ANG F-16 at MCAS Beaufort. Started to rain a little.

F8U-2N, Same venue.

[KC Burke]

There are a lot of them at Luke in the Phoenix valley with all of its dust and dirt. Doesn’t seem to keep it from being their main training base and the future base for the F-35.

I am close enough to see about a dozen take-offs a day without trying.

[okie01]

XB-70 Valkyrie

Purportedly, the least stealthy aircraft ever.

Complete with radar and IR signatures that screamed out "Look at me!"

[yarddog]

If you look at a U2, it is obviously closely related to the F-104.

[aviator]

There are pretty girls, and then there’s the woman you want to bear your children.

If you’re in a firefight and you need 500 rounds of 30mm depleted uranium pumped into a spot, there’s only one platform for the job.

---

Ditto!

[KC Burke]

[Pan_Yan]

I'm just shocked that after a full page of posts there are no pictures.

I always thought the Corsair II was a neat looking plane.

[driftdiver]

Don’t know about that, every jet fighter I’ve ever heard of was capable of sucking FOD off the runway.

I spent two years at a F16 base. Every take off was on full afterburner and not one jet went down because of FOD.

[Nowhere Man]

I was just thinking of when I was a kid they had fighters which were just as fast as what we have now.

In 1963, 50 years ago, the F-104 would do 1500 mph.

I know, I think with the exception of electronics, we have reached a plateau in jet fighter technology around 1960 or so. I get in trouble for saying this but I think if you add in some avionics upgrades to an F-4, F-14 or even a MiG-21, it can do most of what an F-22 or a Sukhoi-30 can do today. I always admired the more, cheaper fighters like the F-5/F-16/F-20 as well.

Same with firearms, we basically hit a plateau about 75 or 100 years ago with the exception of plastics. I'm sure you could make an M-16 or M-4 with a wooden stock and grip using 1930's technology although it would be somewhat heavier to lug around.

The only downside of an F-16 is that it cannot be operated from a carrier but that's what we have the F-18's of various mods and marks for, although we should have kept the F-14.

[Nowhere Man]

I think the T-38 is the sexiest of them all.

Cool! I'm a big F-5/F-20 fan which the T-38 came from (F-5).

[driftdiver]

“I get in trouble for saying this but I think if you add in some avionics upgrades to an F-4, F-14 or even a MiG-21, it can do most of what an F-22 or a Sukhoi-30 can do today. “

Not even close except for the F14.

[Nowhere Man]

Ah, that reminds me, I love the Avro Arrow too as well as have a soft spot for the CF-100 Canuck.

[driftdiver]

[Nowhere Man]

I remember the A-7’s too. We had them based here in Pittsburgh for the Penna Air Nat’l Guard. The guy who was in charge of their repair shop lived two door down from me.