JediMaster

This story is purely about a radar contact, so it's quite possible it was some sort of ECM test gone awry. As for UFOs, the weird part is most of the stories stem from the 50s and some in the 60s then they stop. I think it quite likely there WAS some sort of visitation going on then that has since cut way back. Maybe they were passing by, spent a few years doing in depth research, then moved on. After all, we went to the Moon then left for over 20 years. We went to Mars with Viking and didn't try again for 20 years. It's hardly unusual to think that we may get "waves" of explorations. I also don't doubt many of them are UAVs...er, U-UFOs? Just probes, hence the ability to make maneuvers that would flatten a pilot.

No, that's backwards. I wish Marmite was toast. The person below me is enjoying the fact that they're below me a little TOO much.

Yeah, there are USAF guys working on the EELV launches here and at Vandenburg. That's a job where you always do what you train to, whether in peace or war.

Well, fighters with camo are only good in 2 instances--when on the runway to make it harder to see from the air, and when flying low to avoid higher-flying enemy fighters. Israel hasn't had to worry about either of those in quite some time. A camo'd plane is worse from a ground attack perspective because you show up against the sky better presenting a better target for the optical aiming guys. After all, aren't the USAF A-10s in gray?

I forget, how many MiG kills did BUFFs get in Vietnam? Wasn't it more than MiGs got BUFF kills?

With the release of Flaming Cliffs/LOMAC Gold a few years ago, all modding switched to that. There's probably not too much new for standalone LOMAC.

This is still an evolution of the LOMAC/Flanker engine, not a totally new one. The new one is supposed to come with the 2nd or 3rd release I think Wags said. As for the campaign, they've not had a dynamic one in any release, so I'm not surprised there still isn't one. EECH is a different kind of sim. The helos were modeled to lower detail, but the overall conflict is modeled to a higher one including airbase capture and resupply and such. EECH was more a "strategic" helo sim while BS is a "tactical" one.

I'd say there's a good chance Saudis will buy F-35s in the next decade some time. As already mentioned the F-22 won't be going there, or anywhere apparently, so those F-15 operators looking for a replacement will have little choice. Saudis are already getting Typhoons anyway, and I think they'll be used for AA primarily. To replace the ground attack F-15S they'll probably get F-35s.

The main thing is I don't know what the possible failure modes of the TVC nozzles are. For the F-22, they're 2-D only so you should be able to counter it with pitch only and even if the 2 are stuck at opposite angles some roll should fix it. The Flanker has 3-D nozzles, though, so they can point any direction. Wouldn't adverse yaw be the most difficult to counter? Granted the Flanker has some big vert stabs, but yaw authority seems to be far more limited in most planes.

Actually, I always thought the Cobra maneuver was "get shot down by GI Joe in their Skystrikers."

I think it safe to say there WILL be a spike in DL traffic, though, yes.

My point was the difference between flying .9 and 1.2 isn't that great when it comes to flight times, especially if you need burner for 1.2 and not .9. Then you're just burning a lot of gas for little improvement. If you go closer to 2+ in burner you're "getting something" for your fuel usage. A lot of these low-level penetrating planes like this and the F-111 go faster than anyone else at sea level where air is dense, but if they climb to altitude they're left in the dust by the Mach 2 interceptors.

LOL, SR-71 on a carrier. They don't make catapults strong enough to throw that plane fast enough to get into the air! The Blackbird had a very long takeoff and landing roll.

You mean "stand forlorn on the tarmac waiting for a dressing down by the CO"?

I just got what I think is the 2-platter version, it's a WD 640GB SATA. Actually, it's my 2nd one. I ordered one from Newegg a month ago...and it arrived DOA. Click-click-clicking, never seen by Windows. Went thru the whole RMA/ship back thing and finally got the new one last week. Plugged it in, flawless (so far) and quiet. As for IDE, yeah I still use them. This 640 replaced a 160GB IDE. I still have another 320GB IDE.

I've heard nothing official about the UK or Italy buying fewer F-35s. Italy isn't really getting that many anyway, but the UK is a major player.

SEAD/DEAD is exactly what UCAVs are being designed for. They'll do other stuff, too, but that's the prime focus. As for the F-16, no I don't think that's a great match. I always thought the F-15E would've been a better choice, but whatever. Right now I'd say the B-2 and F-22 are best suited to the role.

Metal will absorb and dissipate the heat. Runways, however, are paved with hot materials that cool. Subjecting them to heat later can indeed severely damage them. My guess is he'd not be allowed to do vertical ops very much.

Ok, devil's advocate here--what if BOTH nozzles get stuck?

False, I ingest only a small amount with each cup of egg nog and that's IT! The poster below me once spent an hour while drunk on their PC looking for the "any" key.

Yeah, on Stargate SG-1.

My only question is how many civilian fields are equipped for STOVL ops? Methinks they may have to fly conventional only. Especially that hot jet blast aimed right at the runway...

We've not had one of these in awhile, so I figure we're about due as some modder will likely post here in the next couple of weeks: My HDD has died! I've lost the model/mod/skin/terrain I was working on! Therefore, to all and sundry here at CA, Back up your stuff!!!! Thank you. You may now resume your regularly scheduled forum browsing, already in progress.

The problem with low-alt flight is that while you're safer from the bigger SAMs and fighters, you're more vulnerable to the IR SAMs and AAA which are far harder to spoof. You also have to worry about CFIT (a problem the Bone has had a very public relationship with over the years) when you're doing 600kts below 500ft! I meant "Mach 2" when I said supersonic because I don't consider "1.2" to be very supersonic.

The obvious difference is the F-35C has a LOT more wing area than a Hornet, which means lower wing loading. Hopefully a lower approach speed as well.