From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">

Monte Davis wrote:
> If you're interested in aviation/military tech, try the two parallel
> slide shows (both smoking barrels) at:
>
>
http://www.cdi.org/program/document.cfm?DocumentID=3389&from_page=../index.cf
m
>
> This is what happens when you maintain big budgets while going a long
> time between wars that actually *test* the toys.
>
>

1) Some probs with the "Combat tested" part. the F5 has not been
combat tested? Nor the F14? The Iranians for one will be surprised as will
the Vietnamese.

2) Great argument for Drones wot can be smaller & thus intrinsically
harder to spot & thus intrinsically better at the "attack
unawares" part
& they can be cheaper & thus available in larger numbers & they can turn
tighter given they have no "on board water based control system".
 & lastly...they can outlast any single pilot esp when sheer fatigue
reduces ability to spot trouble.

3) I agree with the great fighters section, F5, F104, Draken. Curious wrt
the comment "With the J79 would have been the best fighter" being
applied to both the Mirage III & the Draken....there can be only 1 best
& it would have been the draken.....

The F20 was the great opportunity lost.

& I always loved the gnat.....tiny wee thing wot woz by all tests almost
invisible visually.

Oh & don't forget how well the Indians did with gnats/Ajeets against
the Pakistanis.

http://indianairforce.nic.in/show_page.php?pg_id=98

"Perhaps the most outstanding operational success was enjoyed by the
Gnat, the three squadrons of which provided the air defence mainstay by
flying CAPs over most operational IAF bases as well as fulfilling escort
missions. Indeed, such was its success particularly against the F-86, that
it was to earn the appellation of "Sabre Slayer"."

4) A number of the other comments wrt the F86 (e.g. the kills per trigger
squeeze ) are nothing to do with the machine & more to do with the man
i.e. the F86 pilots were on the whole WW2 veterans & had just spent
years tuning their "man-machine interfacing" in a way which no
subsequent generation has got close to.

5) Numbers inc sortie rate.....pity the figures leave out the harrier as
the closer to the fight the better the turn around rate.

6) IFF....yup.....quickest way to find a fighter is to find the IFF signal
& simply broadcast a "who are you" & watch for the
returns.

Generally a good piece if you believe in drones.

Adam

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5