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I wish more people would recognize the SAAB JAS-39 Gripen more often, as it is a capable multirole fighter.
The General Airplane Thread
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Carlos
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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.
Chengdu J-10 me thinks
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IAI Lavi. Basically an F16 with canards.A-4's were used in many roles, another reason I love them.
And yes that is in order: MiG-21, Mirage 2000, F-16, Saab J-35 Dracan, F-16XL, Vulcan and Eurofighter Typhoon.
Carlos
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IAI Lavi. Basically an F16 with canards.
I stand corrected
I wish more people would recognize the SAAB JAS-39 Gripen more often, as it is a capable multirole fighter.
Beautiful plane this. It's like having a full option Skoda Superb, nobody brags about it but it's the best you can get with money you actually have..
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- catamount39
Oh believe me, I fell in love with that plane in Ace Combat 5, fantastic plane.I wish more people would recognize the SAAB JAS-39 Gripen more often, as it is a capable multirole fighter.
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Dan
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Eh, same concept applies to just American. But I get your point, though reading any book on jets would yield those planes above. I find it strange you knew about a strategic bomber that most people don't know while "only knowing modern American jets".
Carlos
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You ( I ) need to do something about that
Your confusion about the Rafale and Typhoon actually isn't that strange. The Rafale and Typhoon probably share the same philosophy since the Eurofighter was a 'Euro' project, France pulled out at some point.. Maybe the Gripen shares it too, it surely looks like it to some degree. 3 planes, 3 different manufacturers:
Or.... (you wanna play a game?) 5 planes, 4 different manufacturers: (last one with the zebra stripes is a Panavia Tornado (German))
Better picture of the Tornado, this jet has variable sweep wings:
Saab made some pretty cool (and weird) looking planes. Like the Gripen and weird Draken above, there is the Viggen:
Obviously there is much more, especially when you go more to the east.. Russian planes are very cool
They made thrust vectoring an art..
Nice demo
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The A10 is going to stay for a few more years.
Which to be honest, for the low resources that ISIS have, and the current "meta" (I know, kill me know for saying that) of modern-day war, isn't nation versus nation, but breakouts of radicalized groups. I'm pretty sure it's cheaper for them to keep dropping dumb bombs and spewing out 30mm rounds than it is for JDAMS and other laser guided munitions.
Plus, it looks cool on youtube...
Which to be honest, for the low resources that ISIS have, and the current "meta" (I know, kill me know for saying that) of modern-day war, isn't nation versus nation, but breakouts of radicalized groups. I'm pretty sure it's cheaper for them to keep dropping dumb bombs and spewing out 30mm rounds than it is for JDAMS and other laser guided munitions.
Plus, it looks cool on youtube...
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Fairchild is being outlived by quite a few years by their A-10.
Those airframes are tough too, been used a lot since their creation. 
BobK
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Smartest thing the Air Force has done in quite a while.
I get it -- the A-10 is getting very long in the tooth, airframes are wearing out, etc... But the F-35 sure won't fill the Hawg's shoes. If the Air Force wants a viable replacement for the Warthog, they need to do an honest analysis of why it's been so successful, and design a replacement to that specification.
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Uh, who ever thought the F-35 could replace the A-10?
That's like saying the F-22 could replace the AC-130...A-10 is a straight wing, slow ground pounder that can carry a small ammo dump's worth of munitions. How the hell could a swept wing (Su-25 aside) jet replace that role? Let alone a swept wing fighter that can't do anything right and was out maneuvered by F-16's with drop tanks...
Dan
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The most interesting ability the F-35 currently possesses is to be able to fly over enemy territory without being discovered, and guide precission guided missiles from a friendly base onto it's target. While this can be important on the battlefield, I doubt it'll be used often. Besides, there are doubts over the F-35's stealth capabilities, especially since the afterburner has nothing to conceal it's heat signature, unlike the F-22.
BobK
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Umm... the US Air Force...Uh, who ever thought the F-35 could replace the A-10?
That's precisely why I said it wouldn't fill the A-10's shoes!
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The queen of the sky is nearing the end of her production life. :sad:
On average Boeing builds 6 of them each year lately, and this year so far only 3 747's have been build.
But here comes UPS to the rescue by ordering 14 of them, with an option for another 14.
On average Boeing builds 6 of them each year lately, and this year so far only 3 747's have been build.
But here comes UPS to the rescue by ordering 14 of them, with an option for another 14.
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Uh, who ever thought the F-35 could replace the A-10?
A-10 is a straight wing, slow ground pounder that can carry a small ammo dump's worth of munitions. How the hell could a swept wing (Su-25 aside) jet replace that role? Let alone a swept wing fighter that can't do anything right and was out maneuvered by F-16's with drop tanks...
No it's not, the F-35 could have been made with a specialized air to ground. There have been plenty of air to ground variants of aircraft that have seen success even though starting primarily as fighters, F-16 being a big one, it's seen good success as a ground attacker on the C/D frame and in the N variant for the Navy. The Harrier which the F-35 was set up to replace is another reason why some analysis saw a potential for ground attack capabilities. And I think the other great fighter that wasn't initially built with it in mind is the Tornado. Also the AC-130 is a freak in it's own role that no other turbo prop aircraft carrier could really fulfill, the thing is a flying custom piece really, so the analogy even tongue in cheek is more of a head scratch than an F-35 running CAS in place of any ground fighter, A-10 or otherwise.
See how I don't say it's specifically idealized to replace that, rather it was looked at to try and fill the role with a variant. The fact is the only other great CAS are helicopters but those are susceptible more easily to ground attacks. Nothing could replace the A-10 really because it's the only aircraft like that. There really isn't a high demand to build aircraft of that bracket anymore because of what I talk about above.
Also can we stop with the inane notion that the F-35 is that bad, unless you can provide proof that it is, and actual statistical analysis and performance analysis compared to the generation it's replacing...then you're simply just bashing to carry the torch of complaints from actual aviation experts who hate it because it blew many production deadlines, took far too much money to build, and time to actually get up to speed with what it was projected to do. As well as feeling there were probably as good if not better options further along that didn't get the funding. I've talked at length about this prior in earlier posts, but to keep having to bring it up (usually with you), because it's an easy jab...
Many times when you read stories of the F-35 getting beat and actually look into it, it's usually due to a failure and not having full radar avionics that essentially make the plane the powerhouse it is.
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So... I've got a question if anyone is able to find out something about it...
Why is N275DP in the Smithsonian?
I've found literally nothing special about it...
Why is N275DP in the Smithsonian?
I've found literally nothing special about it...
Dan
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So... I've got a question if anyone is able to find out something about it...
Why is N275DP in the Smithsonian?
I've found literally nothing special about it...
From the official site:
"The Museum's aircraft, LJ-34, is an early model with both the Queen Air and King Air designations, 65-90, meaning it was a Queen Air 88 design upgraded with P&W Canada PT6A-6 engines. One hundred and twelve of these models were built. The aircraft received its airworthiness certificate on April 16, 1965 and was registered as N1920H. The exterior was white with Morning Glory Blue and Jubilee Gold trim and the interior was Frontier Green, Black and Arctic Beige. On April 23, 1965, the Aviation Department of Helmerich and Payne, Inc., of Tulsa, Oklahoma, purchased the aircraft and the company flew the aircraft almost every other day for many years, mostly around the Central Plains states. The aircraft's registration changed to N10LE on October 8, 1973 and it flew in California, until May 20, 1976, when the registration was changed to N275DP. I FLY SOUTH of Wilmington, Delaware, owned the aircraft by 1994 and it then returned to Raytheon's Beech Aircraft Corporation in March 1998. Stevens Aviation, of Vandalia, Ohio, performed general maintenance and painted it white with red and gray trim before Raytheon flew it to National Airport near Washington, DC, in April 1998. There, its flight career ended with 7,164.5 hours on the airframe. It was disassembled and trucked across the Potomac River to the Museum for installation in the Business Wings exhibit. In July of 2000, when the exhibit closed, Raytheon donated the aircraft to the Museum."
EDIT: Forgot the link. Here you go: https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/beechcraft-king-air-65-90
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Dan
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The big question still remains: Does it smell as bitter as Jet-A?
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