BUFF

I guess that you can start with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UH-72_Lakota

not every ejection in real life is successful you know ...

actually back in the beginning there were several Star Wars fighters etc. shown by modders being used in game but afaik none of them was ever publicly released.

I'm pretty sure that I've been tasked with armed recon in a WoV campaign before but it's been a while since I played it so I'm not 100%.

http://www.gripen.com/en/MediaRelations/Pu...hureArchive.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7262380.stm

DATE:25/02/08 SOURCE:Flightglobal.com Sukhoi Su-35-1 makes first flight By Vladimir Karnozov Sukhoi's Su-35-1 single-seat multirole fighter made its first flight from Zhukovsky, near Moscow, on 18 February. Completion of two more aircraft is due later this year. Deliveries are scheduled from 2010-11, with the Russian air force having placed an initial order for a customised version dubbed the Su-27SM2. Launched in 2003, the Su-35-1 features a Tikhomirov NIIP Irbis radar with a detection range of 400km (216nm), a reshaped wing and two NPO Saturn Item 117S engines with vectored thrust and supercruise capability. The airframe is designed for 6,000 flight hours or a 30-year service life

prefer myself

TK always brings his older games upto the same game engine level as the new via free patches. What you are paying for with a new game are new terrain, new models, new campaigns/missions etc. & the continuing development of the game engine.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/...past-stunt.html

Is that something that you would want, sir? If we did it would you buy 1 today?

sustained Mach 1.0+ in level flight without burner - I'm not sure if it also includes the ability to achieve Mach1 + without burner in the first place (which the old EE Lightning could do back in 1959).

Damn, that's sad

26-02-2008 Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is considering buying six US-made F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighters to increase its air force`s combat readiness, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said. "We are considering a US offer to sell six F-16 jet fighters with payments to be made in four to five years` time," Juwono said after accompanying visiting US Defense Secretary Robert Gates at a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the State Palace here Monday. Juwono said the country would buy the six F-16 jet fighters under a multi-years financing scheme agreed upon by the Finance Ministry and the House of Representatives (DPR)`s Commission I for information, defense and foreign affairs. "We are also still considering whether the payments will be made through the FMF and FMS mechanisms. This will all depend on the DPR because this year the government is focusing the state budget on improving the people`s welfare," he said. He said the planned purchase of the six F-16 jet fighters would not affect the government`s commitment to procuring Russian-made military armament systems. "Each (arm producing) country has its own advantages and disadvantages. Our difficulty to buy US-made armaments lies with the bureaucracy while our difficulty to buy Russian-made rests with the payments," he said. Meanwhile, Rear Marshal Soenaryo, commander of the Indonesian Air Force`s material maintenance division, said the country still has 10 F-16 jet fighters six of which were still airworthy. "The ten are of A/B types. We will increase their capacity to make them equal to the latest variants of Block 52 of C/D multi role F-16 Fighting Falcons, particularly their avionic systems," he said.(*)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p7hpVH1IAQM&feature=bz303

probably the fish .... http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SxO5jWzk7Uw

http://www.gripen.com/en/MediaRelations/Ne...080215_ETPS.htm

23 February 2008 Bidar, Karnataka: The Indian Air Force on Saturday inducted the BAE Systems-built Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) as part of the training squadron at the Air Force Station Bidar, nearly 150 km from Hyderabad. The aircraft will train the new generation of Indian Air force fighter pilots. The induction ceremony involved a breathtaking display of air manoeuvres by the Hawk AJT and was also attended by the defence minister, AK Antony, air chief, Fali H Major and a host of officers and dignitaries. The induction of the Hawk aircraft fulfils a long-standing requirement of the Indian Air Force for an Advanced Jet Trainer. With its proven design and advanced avionics, the Hawk-132 aircraft is expected to bridge the gap between the performance spectrum of the Intermediate trainer and frontline fighter aircraft which trainee pilots would eventually fly, an official said. The aircraft is expected to greatly enhance flight safety and will have a beneficial impact on the quality of training being imparted to fighter pilots, he said. The contract for purchase of 66 AJTs was finally signed in 2004 amid much debate in the country over frequent crashes of the MiG-21 fighter aircraft which earned them the sobriquet "flying coffins". Of the 66 AJT Hawk-132 aircraft, 24 will be bought from the British Aerospace Systems while the remaining 42 will be manufactured under license by the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd at Nashik and Bangalore.

By ANDREI CHANG Column: Military MightPublished: February 25, 2008TOOLBAR Print Story Add CommentsHONG KONG, China, Based on the design of the Russian Sukhoi Su-27SK fighter, China has come up with its own domestic version, the J-11B multi-function fighter. Three J-11B prototypes have been manufactured since 2006. After their factory flight tests, they have been evaluated by the People's Liberation Army Air Force 1st Fighter Division, based in Anshan in China's northeast Liaoning province. A Chinese military industry source has confirmed that pre-production of the fighters will begin this year. "We will not need to assemble more Su-27SKs, because it is old technology given from Russia," the source said. The J-11B has undergone drastic changes from the original Russian design. A source from the Chinese aerospace industry says that except for the Russian-made engines, 90 percent of the major subsystems fitted on the J-11B, including the radar and optical electronic systems, are made by China. The Chinese aviation company AVIC 1 has already completed testing the 1474 serial radar system to be deployed in the J-11B. The fighter's weapons will also integrate indigenous systems. A Chinese pilot with more than 20 years of flight experience expressed his high opinion of the Su-27 fighter, describing it as "very easy to fly." However, as the source from the Chinese military industry points out, some of the parts used on the Su-27SK have a very short lifespan, which has led to a high rate of technical accidents. For instance, frequent problems with the fighter's infrared search and track system have restricted its use in the regular training of combat forces. To investigate this issue, the author paid a special visit to the Ural Optical and Mechanical Complex in Ekaterinburg, Russia. A Russian source revealed that the company had signed two contracts with a Chinese company to supply parts for an updated IRST system, the OLS-31E. Execution of the contract, valued at US$1 million, began in 2007. Research and development of the China-made IRST system to be fitted on the J-11B fighters is already completed. The physical appearance of this new IRST is very close to the original Russian OLS-31E, making it appear to be an imitation edition of the Russian system with some upgrades. In fact, the overall performance of the J-11B is now on a par with the Russian-edition Su-27SMK. The J-11B's fire control radar system uses mechanical scanning, integrates more functions and features a modular design. The fighter also features substantial changes in the fire control system and the cockpit so the J-11B will be able to fire China's indigenous PL-12 air-to-air missiles and a whole series of other precision-guided weapons. The cockpit has three large color multifunctional displays and two small color multifunctional displays. In recent years, China's pace of development in airborne equipment has been very fast. The design of its J-10B cockpit has been quite precocious; the rear cockpit seems to have four multifunctional color displays and two small multifunctional displays. In addition, the J-11B will be fitted with China's indigenous strapdown inertial navigation system, 3-axix data system, power supply system, emergency power unit, brake system, hydraulic system, fuel system, environment control system and molecular sieve oxygen generation systems. The fact that China is producing a large proportion of the J-11B parts domestically indicates that its demand for parts imported from Russia will decline dramatically during the second phase of the fighter's production. Also, some of the subsystems and equipment are compatible with those used in the J-10A and J-10B fighters. It is expected that the J-11B's flight control system will also be manufactured in China. This was the leading reason why Russia could not determine whether China would continue to produce Su-27SK fighters in the next phase. In reality, the joint contract between Russia and China for the Su-27SK/J-11 development has now been virtually abandoned by the Chinese side without any consultation with Russia.

The RAF has moved a step closer to taking delivery of its fifth C-17 transport aircraft following a ceremony at the Boeing facility at Long Beach in California. General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue, Chief of Defence Materiel, attended the 'Fly Away' ceremony for the UK's fifth C-17 aircraft, known as UK5. The ceremony at Long Beach also included the 'major join' of UK6, which involved joining the wings to the main body of the aircraft. He then flew on UK5 to San Antonio, Texas, where the finishing touches will be added, before it arrives at its final home of 99 Squadron, RAF Brize Norton, in April 2008. UK6 is due to be delivered in June 2008. Before departing for the ceremony, General O'Donoghue said: "This is a significant milestone. A fifth C-17 will increase our ability to transport troops and heavy equipment quickly to operations, boosting vital military logistics capability. The aircraft's performance and durability on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is outstanding." Since entering service in mid-2001, the UK C-17 fleet has been continuously employed in support of ongoing coalition operations, routine tasking and humanitarian relief. The C-17 can carry the equivalent of three Warrior armoured vehicles, thirteen Land Rovers, one Chinook, or three Apache gunships. It enables the RAF to get the right equipment to theatre rapidly. As well as being able to carry loads of up to 75 tonnes and fly long distances of up to 2,400 miles, the C-17's ability to land on unpaved airfields in remote, land-locked regions make it a versatile transport aircraft, equally suited for a variety of missions. In July 2006 approval was given for procurement of the four C-17 aircraft at the end of the lease in 2008. An additional contract was signed with Boeing in August 2006 for the procurement of a fifth C-17 aircraft. On 26 July 2007 the Secretary of State for Defence announced the intention to procure a sixth C-17 aircraft to reinforce the air bridge into current operations. The C-17 Project (Lease, Purchase and Support) value is in the order of £2 billion. http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceN...C17Aircraft.htm

Feb 22, 2008 (Fort Worth Star-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- BA | news | PowerRating | PR Charts -- After nearly three decades and upwards of $25 billion for development, testing, and re-testing of the V-22 Osprey, Bell Helicopter, and the Boeing Co. are about to hit the jackpot. A senior Navy official said Friday that within the next month, the service will issue a five-year, $11 billion-plus contract to Bell and Boeing, all but assuring uninterrupted production of the Osprey through 2012 and beyond. "At this point, we've reached agreement on the prices on the contract. There's no major hurdles to get through, just some administrative details," William Balderson, deputy assistant Navy secretary for aircraft procurement, said in an interview. The contract will be for 167 aircraft, both MV-22s for use by the Marines and CV-22 versions for the Air Force, including the 26 planes already on order as part of the fiscal year 2008 budget. Details of the contract have yet to be released, but Navy budget documents show the service expects to spend an average of about $80 million each for 141 MV-22s from 2008 through 2012, or about $11.2 billion. That figure doesn't include the Air Force version, which has equipment and costs more per plane. The multi-year contract gives the government a lower price, Balderson said, because it allows the manufacturers to plan ahead and purchase materials and parts in larger quantities. Bell and Boeing, which jointly build the V-22, should get about $65 million per aircraft, with the government buying the engines and other components separately. No more Pentagon approvals are needed for the Navy to issue the contract, Balderson said. When the Pentagon gave approval for full rate production of Osprey in September 2005 it gave the Navy the authority to enter into a long-term production contract. Balderson said that during the 4 1/2 months the Marines have been operating the Osprey in Iraq, nothing has occurred to shake the confidence of Navy and Marine officials in the aircraft. "We're very pleased with the performance of the aircraft and the reliability of the aircraft," the Navy official said. Marine officials have kept a pretty tight rein on news about the Osprey's use in Iraq, allowing only a few selected journalists to see the aircraft in operation or talk to the troops and have gotten generally favorable reports. Maj. Eric Dent, a Marine spokesman, said the 10 Ospreys of VMM-263 squadron have flown more than 2,700 hours in "combat missions" -- essentially all missions flown while in a combat zone. "It continues to perform as expected," Dent said. The Marines have acknowledged that keeping the aircraft in flying condition has been a challenge. Dent said the availability, or mission capable rate, is running slightly less than 70 percent rate -- about seven of 10 airplanes available to fly at any time. "It's about where we would expect it to be at this point," Dent said. "The goal is to be at 82 percent." Published reports indicate the aircraft, which are based in the now relatively peaceful Al Anbar province of western Iraq, have seen little in the way of actual combat action and as far as any one knows even been shot at. A few missions were flown with troops for "armed reconnaissance" but saw no hostile action. One report noted that military commanders in the theater much preferred flying the V-22 rather than helicopters because of the aircraft's greater speed and smoother ride. Marine insiders say internal correspondence shows the service has been very concerned about accelerated wear and tear on the aircraft's components due to the sandy conditions in Iraq, and have limited its operations mostly to air bases and other prepared landing sites. Parts scavenging from aircraft in the U.S., a not uncommon practice in wartime but heavier than usual, has been required. The Marines put out a press release recently touting the ability of three V-22s to successfully carry 32,000 pounds of "food, water, clean laundry and mail" from a base to an outpost in nets slung below the aircraft. That works out to about five tons per aircraft, a load that could be carried by a single heavy CH-53 helicopter. Given the news reports of the V-22s use in Iraq, skeptics of the Osprey say it's still questionable what the Marines and taxpayers are getting for their money. The V-22 is three to five times as expensive as comparable modern helicopters, but is faster and can fly higher. "I think they can fly it ok as a truck and they're proving that," said Phil Coyle, former director of the Pentagon's weapons testing office that issued scathing reports about the aircraft's usefulness, safety and reliability even before the 2000 crashes. But if all the V-22 is used for as a truck or VIP transport, Coyle said, "I think they've got enough already. They don't need more."

& the USN has over 200 T-45 Goshawks - heavily modified, yes but still Hawks.

Good for Buddy Holly fans too though. If I ever get there I'll be going to Lubbock as well.

Where will we be able to get a copy (& any chance of getting a signed one)? I've got a friend from there (Salisbury not Harare! ) & I was lucky enough to spend a month there about 15 years ago touring the country before it all really went in the crapper. It's such a shame to see the country totally ruined - needless to say none of my friend's family are there anymore.

it was 1 of the 4 rotating back to Whiteman after the planned B-52s arrival to take over from them so somehow I don't think so ... gotta love the press.