F15 vs F14 problem!

[+Dave 2,322]

Wasn't there a German dude named Hartmann that walked away from WWII and 352 engagements flying a kite that was much lower capacity machine that the guys he flew against. Boys and girls, it is the heart and skill of the tiger in the seat that prevails, not the machine.

 

Exactly Jug.

[sparkomatic 7]

- Some Sparrows are being used as live-fire training since it is cheaper to shoot them off than have them de-mil'ed...I heard something similar for the -54C in that right as the Tomcats were hitting the event horizon, they were popping those million-dollar-babies like bottle rockets...

 

- even if you calculate the cost of fuel and the TALD, it was still cheaper/practical to just squeeze them off rather than box up the Sparrows

 

- The Sparrow still has/had some advantages, for a while during ONW/OSW a mixed load of -7/-120 was carried not due to -120 shortages but due to tactical advantage the -7 had against a MiG-25 HFF...of course the -120 can hit it before you even start that flame war...

[FastCargo 412]

Some of the bros also said the big advantage of the Sparrow in the post 9-11 world is that you can have it 'go stupid' after launch if you had the wrong target (such as a airliner)...vs a Slammer that'll do the 'mad dog' thing...

 

FastCargo

[JediMaster 451]

Yeah, the only AAM with "recall" ability.

[Sixgun 0]

Coming in late to the fight, sorry.

 

Many folks have had a hard time understanding radius versus rate in a turning fight, and many folks have had a hard time realizing that a Turkey can pull 6.5G at 250kts all day. IIRC, 6.5@250 beats 9@450.

 

Also would like to echo the Man in the Fight comment, but note that Hartmann was bagged more than once himself on the way to 300+ kills.

[JediMaster 451]

Yes, but how many of those were by enemy air and how many by ground fire? I believe Hartmann was shot down by ground fire the majority of the times he was shot down...

[DWCAce 19]

On the topic of blasting away missiles:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqyI04WDZlQ

 

Check it around 21:23 :)

[Sixgun 0]

On the topic of blasting away missiles:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqyI04WDZlQ

 

Check it around 21:23 :)

 

 

Dammit, that got me all misty-eyed!