gbnavy61

Yeah, I doubt it would. All that extra weight when you could just throw one really good engine in there. We have F-16s that do just fine on one.

I'm not a fan of a twin-engine 'Sader. Kinda spoils the lines, IMO. Otherwise, it looks pretty sweet.

Skippy, what kind of plane are those?

Always thought the Lanc was the best looking Brit bomber.

As in, "Attackattackattackattackattackattack!" ?

Oh, I was thinking about this but forgot to mention it before: tankers. Turn a 2-hour mission into as long as the pilots can stand it.

I don't know about less well known, but here are some that come to mind for me: F-4 - first all missile armament, and multi-role big jet fighter EA-6B/EF-111 - modern jamming/SEAD aircraft F-14 - first long-range missle/radar system on a big fighter (some good info during the Iran-Iraq War) F-117 - first stealth aircraft AV-8 - Harrier, first operational VTOL jet (debut in Argentina) F-86 - first US swept wing jet fighter (counter to the MiG-15) UH-1 - Huey, first mass-use helicopter (esp. in Vietnam) w/ many missions and modifications (led to the AH-1) AH-1 - first dedicated attack helicopter SR-71 or U-2 - high-speed/altitude recce platforms B-52 - lots of years of service w/ lots of missions to look at MiG-15 - first operational interceptor over Korea, swept wings, etc. MiG-25 - Mach 3+ interceptor, was untouchable for a while Mi-24 - first helicopter built like a tank There's many more options out there. I don't know as much about Soviet or European (western) aircraft, as I do the US, so I'm sure there are a lot more interesting aircraft out there. You could make the argument that many aircraft changed the face of war, this even applies to testbed aircraft or X-planes (like the XB-70). In general, a new aircraft has capabilities that surpass its predecessors and probably give it an advantage over its contemporary enemies (real or projected). These new capabilities encourage the other side to counter them with new tactics and/or weapon systems - which also "changes the face of war." Heck, you could probably even start talking about UAVs.

False. I'm dangerous all the time (That's right, Ice...man). The person below me is a member of the Martin-Baker fan club (for real).

Two things: NROTC scholarships are gold. I did pilot training during college (as part of my major) and the Navy picked up the costs for all my flight fees. Now, the two catches to that are: they only did it because it was part of my major, and there are only 3 places I know of that have NROTC and a flight training program (Illinois, Purdon't, and Auburn), though this may have changed. Nothing is guaranteed. Only your hard work and a good amount of luck ("timing") will get you to where you want to be. You can even join the Marines and sign for a pilot slot on the dotted line. When it comes down to it, if it turns out you suck at flying, you will pound dirt for a living. Even if you get past the first hurdles and make it in to pilot training, you might not get the platform you want, regardless of your ability. The bottom line is, see which service fits you best, overall. You have to be able to stand the service culture and the people you work with for at least several years. Don't base your decision entirely on: which service has the jet I most want to fly? Personally, and this is not a knock at the USAF, just my realistic self-assessment, I wouldn't have enjoyed working in the Air Force. It's just not a good meld with my personality.

Hmmm, not sure about that one...

Yeah, I don't think so either. The Marines, maybe - but I know the Navy doesn't "guarantee" that. However, I will say your odds of getting a flight slot are probably better in the Navy or Marines, rather than the Air Force. This topic reminds me of... Bob Norris is a former Naval aviator who also did a 3 year exchange tour flying the F-15 Eagle. He is now an accomplished author of entertaining books about US Naval Aviation including "Check Six" and "Fly-Off." In response to a letter from an aspiring fighter pilot on which military academy to attend, Bob replied with the following: 12 Feb 04 Young Man, Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air Force Academies. Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and a fine way to serve your country. As you requested, I'd be happy to share some insight into which service would be the best choice. Each service has a distinctly different culture. You need to ask yourself "Which one am I more likely to thrive in?" USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well run. Their training programs are terrific. All pilots are groomed to meet high standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft are top-notch and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent. Their enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best trained. The USAF is homogenous and macro. No matter where you go, you'll know what to expect, what is expected of you, and you'll be given the training & tools you need to meet those expectations. You will never be put in a situation over your head. Over a 20-year career, you will be home for most important family events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force pilot...so would your wife. Your Dad would want your sister to marry one. Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black shoes (surface warfare) and bubble heads (submariners). Furthermore, the Navy is split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East Coast). The Navy is heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home; it may be great, average, or awful. A squadron can go from one extreme to the other before you know it. You will spend months preparing for cruise and months on cruise. The quality of the aircraft varies directly with the availability of parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth; you'll be proud if you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from terrific to the troubled kid the judge made join the service. You will be given the opportunity to lead these people during your career; you will be humbled and get your hands dirty. The quality of your training will vary and sometimes you will be over your head. You will miss many important family events. There will be long stretches of tedious duty aboard ship. You will fly in very bad weather and/or at night and you will be scared many times. You will fly with legends in the Navy and they will kick your ass until you become a lethal force. And some days - when the scheduling Gods have smiled upon you - your jet will catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea and you will be drop-jawed that someone would pay you to do it. The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore. Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask...pack warm & good luck in Colorado. PS: Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits.

In that case, can it be made to be a ridiculously high negative G - virtually assuring that no one will ever reach it? It's easy enough to reach zero G - one might pickle the camera by mistake. Just an idea.

I still like the Prowler for SEAD. Although, something faster would probably be more survivable.

Infamous = more than famous. See "Infamous El Guapo."

Yeah, I built many a starship Enterprise and Imperial Star Destroyer w/ my legos. My favorite was an F/A-18 I built once - best looking one I came up with. Never mastered the retracting undercarriage, so I always tore the gear off when I was wheels up and stuck 'em back on to land. I think I even threw a tailhook on that Hornet, too. Good times.

The only time you need to see outside is landing (maybe takeoff). Otherwise, it'd be like flying on instruments in the goo the whole time. Of course, in a normal aircraft, if the instruments go bad you still have the option of getting to a hole in the clouds and looking outside. I'm not sure what you'd do if the camera went bad on one of these.

Ick. Why would you use that hunk of crap when you could take a Tomcat? Anytime, Baby!

F-14D and RF-8.

Yeah, that's basically what I was saying. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

I was just having a conversation about this general idea earlier today. Bottom line is, I don't think any law out there directly says you have the right not to be offended by anything anyone says. Not enough people understand free speech means people get to say things that you don't like. Grow up, folks. Either all speech is free, or none of it is - there's no picking and choosing.

Wingtips on that thing are still too rounded. Otherwise, the model is a nice improvement from the old version A.

Ah yes, the Chewbacca Defense.

I don't think you could stick a hook on that if you wanted. Look at the underside - the hook would have to be well forward to not interfere with the doors for the moving nozzle. I'm thinking if you can't make the vertical landing you're s.o.l. The helo guys will be picking you out of the drink. Not to mention, if these guys are going to be Marine Air, then they're going to be deploying on the big deck amphibs - last I checked they don't have any arresting gear to take, so you'd have to hope there's a CVN somewhere within fuel range.

I've got most of my hours in TMF F-8s and most of that is air-to-air. Pros - Holds onto energy fairly well. Great acceleration and climb. Potent cannon and the ability to switch guns to use only two at a time - makes the ammo go a longer way. Pretty good endurance, particularly when you climb her up to altitude. Probably the best turn performance for a US jet of its day. Excellent roll/pitch rates. Flies the best clean, or with Sidewinders only. All around a great dogfighter. If you run into trouble, it usually leaves you the ability to light the burners and get out of dodge. Good basic gunsight. Cons - Primary weapon is cannon which is prone to jams. Plagued by early, unreliable missiles. No long reach, like Sparrow-equipped F-4s. Can be hard to bleed enough speed to prevent the overshoot, at times. Limited air-to-ground capacity, and not really designed for moving mud in the first place. It can depart on you suddenly in a loaded roll at full back stick and full aileron. I lost one F-8 to a low altitude departure. A second time, I departed in a dogfight and got lucky nobody was in a position to shoot me while I recovered. Forward visibility is only average due to a lot of canopy structure out the front. Radar is short range. Cockpit instruments are located differently in different models and sometimes aren't placed well. No chaff/flares and only late models have internal ECM. If I had to chose a jet to be over Indian Country in, I'd pick the F-8. Behind the boat, that's another matter.

I was under the impression that for a single runway, or at the boat, you'd want to get the non-damaged jets down first, since they could expedite and have the least risk of leaving a foul deck for any jets to follow.