The General Airplane Thread

[Venom800tt]

The F-102 and the F-106 were in use here at Tyndall when my family moved here in 1968, and we saw them overhear regularly. Visually very similar, the -106 was more powerful, had the "coke-bottle" fuselage, slightly different air intakes, and a flat-topped tail fin rather than the point of the -102.

Missiles only, including nuclear air-to-air capability, no guns. Strictly an interceptor, not really a fighter, it was built to go after bombers.

F-106's could carry a centerline gun, instead of the single AIR-2 Genie nuclear rocket or AIM-26 Nuclear Falcon in the weapons bay. Some F-106's were also modified with a frame-less canopy for better visibility during dogfighting. Was all under a program known as "Project Six Shooter", which was meant to give the F-106 dogfighting capability.
What is funny is the F-106 had a very long service life, but never saw any combat. Wasn't retired till well after the F-15 entered service. In fact, the F-15C was already out by the time the F-106 retired in 1988 lol

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

The F-102 and the F-106 were in use here at Tyndall when my family moved here in 1968, and we saw them overhear regularly. Visually very similar, the -106 was more powerful, had the "coke-bottle" fuselage, slightly different air intakes, and a flat-topped tail fin rather than the point of the -102.

Missiles only, including nuclear air-to-air capability, no guns. Strictly an interceptor, not really a fighter, it was built to go after bombers.

Pretty interesting I had no clue they were nuclear air to air capable.

 

[ScottPuss20]

The F-8 Crusader however, is bae for me. <3

Proper dogfighter with a 20mm canon. 👍

My bae

Any F-4 love? Dark green camo is my favorite.

Black is cool too.

Ok, my turn!

 

[Venom800tt]

You guys need more F-14D in your lives.

Granted, I have a soft spot for a bunch of other, older aircraft as well...

 

[catamount39]

You guys need more F-14D in your lives.

Granted, I have a soft spot for a bunch of other, older aircraft as well...

Era of construction wise, that is tied with the F-16 in my book for the late era cold war fighters.

To be specific then:
40's - All of them
50's - F-86/F-8
60's - F-4/A-4
70's - F-14/F-16
Post 80's - None
All Time - P-38J/Mosquito

 

[Robin]

China's Chengdu J-20 Black Eagle. It's a really interesting aircraft and how it turns out will be really important with the escalating situation in the South China Sea.

 

[catamount39]

China's Chengdu J-20 Black Eagle. It's a really interesting aircraft and how it turns out will be really important with the escalating situation in the South China Sea.

Especially with that new Japanese stealth fighter that's going to be in service.

Side note, but those ground crew guys have neat uniforms, look like racing firesuits.

 

[Robin]

Especially with that new Japanese stealth fighter that's going to be in service.

Yeah it's like a mini arms race going on because of that disputed region.

Side note, but those ground crew guys have neat uniforms, look like racing firesuits.

Yeah I noticed that, F1 too dull... China's new motorsport?

 

[ScottPuss20]

You guys need more F-14D in your lives.

Granted, I have a soft spot for a bunch of other, older aircraft as well...

Oh yes, the Tomcat. Nice.

 

[Venom800tt]

A few more random pics from the internets:

 

[catamount39]

Just to note, that the F-15 with the beautiful eagle wrap was done by the Oregon Air National Guard to celebrate their birthday. My home state knows how to dress a fighter.

 

[unit-one]

China's Chengdu J-20 Black Eagle. It's a really interesting aircraft and how it turns out will be really important with the escalating situation in the South China Sea.

MiG-1.44 with a F-22 front )
Looks interesting though.

 

[Carlos]

China's Chengdu J-20 Black Eagle. It's a really interesting aircraft and how it turns out will be really important with the escalating situation in the South China Sea.

MiG-1.44 with a F-22 front )
Looks interesting though.

This thing is supposed to be stealth right? While the front may look like an F-22, the pitot tube and the canards on the side are not so much (at all) stealth. Neither the 'winglets' on the bottom of the rear. Not to begin about those engines... Plus, they are bringing this like 20 years after the first flight of the F-22. To me it's more an aircraft trying to be something that it will never be.

 

[Swagger897]

This thing is supposed to be stealth right? While the front may look like an F-22, the pitot tube and the canards on the side are not so much (at all) stealth. Neither the 'winglets' on the bottom of the rear. Not to begin about those engines... Plus, they are bringing this like 20 years after the first flight of the F-22. To me it's more an aircraft trying to be something that it will never be.

lol, first thing i said to myself is the heat signature on the back of this must be massive, enough to where even north korea could be able to shoot one down..


It also looks as big as a school bus..

 

[catamount39]

lol, first thing i said to myself is the heat signature on the back of this must be massive, enough to where even north korea could be able to shoot one down..


It also looks as big as a school bus..

Now that you said that, I just realized how much of a screw up that is. The other stealth fighters at least attempt to hide their IR signatures, that thing would look like the sun to AA missles. xD Wonder how big the fighter is compared to other things in its class...

 

[Robin]

This thing is supposed to be stealth right? While the front may look like an F-22, the pitot tube and the canards on the side are not so much (at all) stealth. Neither the 'winglets' on the bottom of the rear. Not to begin about those engines... Plus, they are bringing this like 20 years after the first flight of the F-22. To me it's more an aircraft trying to be something that it will never be.

When it was first revealed is was so damn huge it looked bomber sized. I guess it's aiming to be a semi stealth fighter/bomber hybrid of sorts but it's still predicted to be a very capable 5th gen fighter. I did read somewhere that it might be superior in dogfights at the cost of stealth.

 

[Dan]

This thing is supposed to be stealth right? While the front may look like an F-22, the pitot tube and the canards on the side are not so much (at all) stealth. Neither the 'winglets' on the bottom of the rear. Not to begin about those engines... Plus, they are bringing this like 20 years after the first flight of the F-22. To me it's more an aircraft trying to be something that it will never be.

I thought those enlarged pitot tubes are only installed on prototype aircraft. Maybe that's only the case for American and European planes, though.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

lol, first thing i said to myself is the heat signature on the back of this must be massive, enough to where even north korea could be able to shoot one down..


It also looks as big as a school bus..

Hey now, this is an awful take on aero design any undergrad Aero engineer can tell you that. However, it's being done on the cheap limited side I'd think, which is a problem when you've spent your best years in the aero field, using money to buy licenses to reproduce production Russian aircraft. Never once really expanding or encouraging the field to flourish in said nation, now you (China) want to build a production stealth gen 5 jet from your own source without ever doing anything Gen 1-4.5... Anyone else seeing an issue here?

That's before we get into the valuable insight @Carlos gives and more so to be found and said. I wouldn't worry about Chinese air superiority any more than their space ambitions for the next 20 years. And if we cataloged what the U.S. and allies do on a regular FY in this area, can China realistically ever catch up? Not alone that much is for sure.

 

[Carlos]

I thought those enlarged pitot tubes are only installed on prototype aircraft. Maybe that's only the case for American and European planes, though.

Depends, not sure if they have the technology.. J-10 has a pretty large tube. And like @LMSCorvetteGT2 said, they don't really have experience on building things on their own so no idea if they have the technology to make small ones. The Russians used pretty large ones on their planes too (MiG-29, Su-27). And only since recently the F-16 doesn't have such a large tube. Block 52:

Block 60:

Bulgarian AF escorts first A380 to Sofia

 

[Venom800tt]

Both the T-50 PAK-FA and J-20 have large test probes due to being prototypes. The YF-22 had a similar probe, as did the F-15 S/MTD, X-29, and other experimental aircraft. The later J-20 test planes lack the pitot tube, possibly pre-production prototypes. Same for the PAK-FA.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Both the T-50 PAK-FA and J-20 have large test probes due to being prototypes. The YF-22 had a similar probe, as did the F-15 S/MTD, X-29, and other experimental aircraft. The later J-20 test planes lack the pitot tube, possibly pre-production prototypes. Same for the PAK-FA.

YF-23 got away with having normal or better yet production pitot tubes, rather than one that would be seen on a SH-60 Seahawk. I don't think a comparison between Russia's PAK -which has been in development limbo- should be compared to a Chinese mash of planes and photos they've seemed to collect to best understand how to make a stealth plane. Even if they got the shape of the plane right, there is still the composites, the paints, the power plants, the avionics and other systems. You know this stuff already, I understand it may be silly to brush off the Chinese, but I think when it comes to things like this, it's fair to say they have quite the mountain to climb.

 

[Carlos]

From dusting crops to dropping bombs

It can bring some pretty impressive hardware too. GBU-12 Paveway II, GBU-39 SDB, DAGR laser guided rockets (like those on an Apache), AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, MK-82 and that sensor in the middle.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

From dusting crops to dropping bombs

It can bring some pretty impressive hardware too. GBU-12 Paveway II, GBU-39 SDB, DAGR laser guided rockets (like those on an Apache), AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, MK-82 and that sensor in the middle.

What the hell is Farmer John farming these days?

 

[wfooshee]

Yes, we are available to spray your Coca fields all across Columbia!!!!

 

[Carlos]

Anybody said delta-wing?

Tailed delta

Tailless delta

Cropped delta, this one is a bit weird. The F-16 can be described as one because the wing tips are 'cut short'

Compound delta

Cranked arrow

Ogival delta

Canard delta

 

[Dan]

@Carlos I'm going to need the names of all of those, except for the F-16, F-16XL, Vulcan, and Rafale.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

@Carlos I'm going to need the names of all of those, except for the F-16, F-16XL, Vulcan, and Rafale.

Just do a google reverse search...the top one is really easy. The second one is somewhat easy, I mean it's one of the few aircraft of that shape, though maybe I'm just seeing a Mirage....eh eh

The other one is made by a defunct auto company. There you now know without me actually telling you.

 

[Carlos]

@Carlos I'm going to need the names of all of those, except for the F-16, F-16XL, Vulcan, and Rafale.

Your Rafale is probably a Eurofighter Typhoon (the last one?), first one is a Mig-21, second Mirage 2000, third Saab Draken. Rafale is easy recognizable because it's fuel boom is permanently out.

 

[Heldenzeit]

IAI Kfir is also a canard delta (based on the Mirage 5).

A-4 Skyhawk?

 

[catamount39]

A-4's were used in many roles, another reason I love them. What is that plane behind the A-4 though? Looks like the child of many things.

And yes that is in order: MiG-21, Mirage 2000, F-16, Saab J-35 Dracan, F-16XL, Vulcan and Eurofighter Typhoon.