Gepard

http://combatace.com/forum/191-modding-terrainsenviroments/ Its for SF1, but FE is basically the same.

I think the slovakian digi camo looks a little bit better.

A F404 without afterburner would fit in the Skyhawk fuselage.

If wiki is correct, then the J57 has a diameter of 1.04 meters and the J52 had a diameter of 0.81 meters. On the first view it sounds not much, but it is a big difference. With afterburner the J57 was 6.2 meters long, without AB 4.3 meters. The J52 was 3 meters long. If you want to place the J57 with AB into a A-4, then you would need to make the tailpipe 3 meters longer. This would cause a shift of the center of gravity backward, so that the plane would become less stable to fly, perhaps instable.

Nice idea, but the J57 would never fit in the fuselage of the A-4. It has a 20cm bigger diameter and is more than 1 meter longer than the J52.

All stock models like planes, vehicles, ships, cockpits cant be modified. You only can repaint them.

In the last years of the Vietnam war the north vietnamese used the east german FWD KF-69 Sperber in the role as light fighter bomber. The plane, which based on the british Gnat, proofed as a reliable and good weapon plattform. East german technicians repaired battle damaged planes in Vietnam and east german instructor pilots not only trained vietnamese pilots on the Sperber, but also flew combat missions side by side with their vietnamese comrades. The war was won in May 1975. Two month later captured F-5E Tiger II were taken over in the Vietnamese Air Force. Techicians from Dresden Aircraft Factory FWD supported this introduction. East german pilots got the chance to fly the Tiger and after it praised this plane in highest tones. They found out, that the F-5E was far superior to the MiG-21MF. So the idea was born to reengenier the Tiger and to built a copy in Dresden. The project got the name Bussard (Buzzard). Vietnam was not willing to sell a flightworthy F-5E to the GDR, but agreed to sell a written off Tiger II. East german pilots were allowed to perform an intensive flight test program in Vietnam. In end 1975 the written off F-5E arrived in Dresden, was demontaged and all part came under an exact inspection. Then new drawing were made and the data transformed from imperial to metric system. From begin it was obviesly, that the GDR industry would be unable to copy the J85 engines of the Tiger. Engines of this size and power were not available in Warsaw Pact countries. So it was decided to implement the indegenius developed engine Pirna024. The Pirna024 based on the Pirna014, which was originally intended for the first continental european Jet passenger plane Baade 152. And the 014 was a child of the Jumo007. So it was decided that the tail section of the plane must newly designed. The original two engines were replaced by a single Pirna024. Because the 024 needed a bigger air flow, the air intakes were enlarged. To avoid problems with the aerodynamics the strakes of the plane got an other form and became bigger. The cockpit design was completly changed and were made close to the MiG-21 cockpit, to make it easier for pilots to change from one to the other type. The radar system was a problem. To make a copy of the american radar needed to much time. So it was decided to use the RP-21SMA of the MiG-21 instead. This was not satisfying, but the scientists of Robotron company found a way to replace the vacuum tubes of the RP-21 with modern transistor technology. The weight of the radar system was significantly reduced and the needed energy to operate it was drastically lower. On the other hand the now Robotron FMV-79 (Funkmessvisier-79) called radar had a much bigger range. In search mode it was able to detect targets in bomber size at a range of 45 km. The original RP-21 had had only a range of 20 km. The first prototype was ready for take off in spring 1977. The maiden flight showed that the reengeniered F-5E was a good plane and easy to handle plane. It was demanded to finish the flight tests till end 1978. The order came, that the new plane should be introduced in the LSK in 1979 and should be presented in squadron strenght at the air parade of the 30th jubilee of the GDR. Thatswhy the plane got the official designation Kampfflugzeug-79 Bussard or short KF-79. 4 prototypes were built and the flight tests went very well. The east german intellegency service HVA was able to infiltrate the american Northrop company and copied important drawings, calculation and the entire technology of the production process. In January 1979 the first KF-79 was handed over to the LSK and a first squadron started to transist from MiG-21 to the Bussard. In october 1979 already 20 planes were delivered and made a low pass over Berline during the jubilee parade on Oct.7th.. In summer 1980 the Bussard gave the "combat" debut during the WP major size combat exercise "Waffenbrüderschaft 80" (Brothers in arms 80). Here the Bussard played the role as enemy and proofed superior to the MiG-21 and early MiG-23. The superb combat results caused increased intresse of some WP countries. The CSSR was the first export consumer. They got 12 planes from Dresden and built some 40 in license. Poland originally wanted to build the Bussard as Jantar in license too, but the turmoil of the Solidarnosce movement caused a canceling of that project. Hungary and Bulgaria tested the Bussard but decided to buy soviet MiG-21bis. It was said, that soviet pressure was the reason for this decision. Cuba and Vietnam got the plane in early 80th in significant numbers and Syria bought 100 planes after the defeat of the soviet made planes over the Bekaa valley in 1982. And they were really satisfied with it, so that the plane was used till the end of the millenium. The plane was built till 1988. A further development with twin engines and twin tails should and modern avionics was intended to made the maiden flight in 1990. But the political change caused the end of this development. The Bundesluftwaffe tested the KF-79 and the planes was said to be superior to the F-4F and sent to the NATO fighter town Decci at Sardinia it won a lot of dogfights against dutch NF-5A, greek, turkish and spanish F-5. Against the modern generation planes like F-16 and 18 it had only a minor chance. It was also not able to fight down the MiG-29. Thatswhy the Luftwaffe phased out all KF-79 in 1991. Thanks to Veltro2k for the nice F-20 lod, which i used to create the FWD KF-79.

In FE the landing gears, airbrakes, flaps of planes worked perfect. I had a FW-190 there and some MiG's worked very well. Even guided missiles for an AH-64 or a Mi-24 worked perfect in FE. Screenshot of two Mi-24 in First Eagles Dont know wheter it is in FE2 the same. But give it a try. That are the entries of my modern days FE controls [ControlSet001] EXIT_FLIGHT=ESCAPE QUIT_GAME=ALT+Q PAUSE_FLIGHT=ALT+P TIME_COMPRESSION=ALT+T NORMAL_TIME=ALT+R CHANGE_TIME=ALT+C SKIP_TO_NEXT=ALT+N RADIO_COMM=TAB CHAT_ALL=GRAVE CHAT_ENEMY=SHIFT+GRAVE CHAT_FRIENDLY=CTRL+GRAVE CHAT_TARGET=ALT+GRAVE AUTO_PILOT=A WING_LEVELER=SHIFT+A NEXT_WAYPOINT=W PREV_WAYPOINT=SHIFT+W MAP=M SCREEN_SHOT=PRINTSCREEN DEBUG_TOGGLE=CTRL+H GOTO_COCKPIT_FRONT_VIEW=F1 GOTO_COCKPIT_LEFT_VIEW=F2 GOTO_COCKPIT_RIGHT_VIEW=F3 GOTO_COCKPIT_UP_VIEW=SHIFT+F1 GOTO_VIEW_PADLOCK=F4 TOGGLE_COCKPIT=NUMPADPERIOD SNAP_VIEW_FRONT=NUMPAD8 SNAP_VIEW_FRONT_RIGHT=NUMPAD9 SNAP_VIEW_RIGHT=NUMPAD6 SNAP_VIEW_REAR_RIGHT=NUMPAD3 SNAP_VIEW_REAR_LEFT=NUMPAD1 SNAP_VIEW_LEFT=NUMPAD4 SNAP_VIEW_FRONT_LEFT=NUMPAD7 SNAP_VIEW_UP=NUMPAD5 SNAP_VIEW_DOWN=NUMPAD0 GOTO_VIEW_SHOULDER=F5 GOTO_VIEW_OBJECT_NEXT=F6 GOTO_VIEW_OBJECT_PREV=SHIFT+F6 GOTO_VIEW_GROUND_OBJECT_NEXT=F7 GOTO_VIEW_GROUND_OBJECT_PREV=SHIFT+F7 GOTO_VIEW_TARGET=F8 GOTO_VIEW_PLAYER_TO_TARGET=SHIFT+F8 GOTO_VIEW_TARGET_TO_PLAYER=CTRL+F8 GOTO_VIEW_WEAPON=F9 GOTO_VIEW_PLAYER_TO_WEAPON=SHIFT+F9 GOTO_VIEW_WEAPON_TO_PLAYER=CTRL+F9 GOTO_VIEW_FLYBY=F10 GOTO_VIEW_FLYBY_PREV=SHIFT+F10 GOTO_VIEW_TOWER=F11 GOTO_VIEW_TOWER_PREV=SHIFT+F11 GOTO_VIEW_ACTION_CAM=F12 GOTO_FREE_VIEW=CTRL+F12 CAMERA_PITCH_UP=JOYSTICK01_POV01_UP CAMERA_PITCH_DOWN=JOYSTICK01_POV01_DOWN CAMERA_YAW_RIGHT=JOYSTICK01_POV01_RIGHT CAMERA_YAW_LEFT=JOYSTICK01_POV01_LEFT CAMERA_ZOOM_IN=MOUSE_BUTTON01 CAMERA_ZOOM_OUT=MOUSE_BUTTON02 CAMERA_PITCH_AXIS=MOUSE_Y-AXIS CAMERA_YAW_AXIS=MOUSE_X-AXIS CAMERA_ZOOM_CONTROL= PITCH_UP=DOWNARROW PITCH_DOWN=UPARROW ROLL_RIGHT=RIGHTARROW ROLL_LEFT=LEFTARROW YAW_RIGHT=PERIOD YAW_LEFT=COMMA THROTTLE_UP=EQUALS THROTTLE_DOWN=MINUS THRUST_VECTOR_UP=CTRL+EQUALS THRUST_VECTOR_DOWN=CTRL+MINUS FLAPS_DOWN=F FLAPS_UP=V AIRBRAKES_TOGGLE=S WHEELBRAKES_TOGGLE=B LANDING_GEARS_TOGGLE=G ARRESTER_HOOK_TOGGLE=H CYCLE_NAV_LIGHT=CTRL+L DRAG_CHUTE=CTRL+B EJECT=ALT+B PITCH_CONTROL=JOYSTICK01_Y-AXIS YAW_CONTROL= ROLL_CONTROL=JOYSTICK01_X-AXIS THROTTLE_CONTROL=JOYSTICK01_U-AXIS THRUST_VECTOR_CONTROL= NEXT_AA_WEAPONS=JOYSTICK01_BUTTON03 PREV_AA_WEAPONS=SHIFT+BACKSPACE NEXT_AG_WEAPONS=JOYSTICK01_BUTTON04 PREV_AG_WEAPONS=SHIFT+BACKSLASH FIRE_PRIMARY_GUN=JOYSTICK01_BUTTON01 FIRE_SECONDARY_GUN= FIRE_WEAPON=JOYSTICK01_BUTTON02 UNJAM_GUN=SHIFT+JOYSTICK01_BUTTON03 OPEN_BOMBBAY_DOOR=CTRL+O DROP_TANKS=CTRL+D JETTISON_STORES=CTRL+J NEXT_RIPPLE_QUANTITY=RBRACKET PREV_RIPPLE_QUANTITY=SHIFT+RBRACKET NEXT_RIPPLE_INTERVAL=LBRACKET PREV_RIPPLE_INTERVAL=SHIFT+LBRACKET NEXT_HUD_MODE=APOSTROPHE PREV_HUD_MODE=SHIFT+APOSTROPHE NEXT_GUNGROUP=SEMICOLON PREV_GUNGROUP=SHIFT+SEMICOLON CHAFF=C FLARE=X ECM_TOGGLE=Z TOGGLE_RADAR=CTRL+PGUP NEXT_RADAR_MODE=PGUP PREV_RADAR_MODE=SHIFT+PGUP NEXT_RADAR_RANGE=PGDN PREV_RADAR_RANGE=SHIFT+PGDN SELECT_NEXT_RADAR_TARGET=HOME SELECT_PREV_RADAR_TARGET=SHIFT+HOME ACQUIRE_RADAR_TARGET=INSERT ACQUIRE_VISUAL_TARGET_ON_RADAR=SHIFT+INSERT REJECT_RADAR_TARGET=DELETE SELECT_CLOSEST_CENTER=NUMPADSTAR SELECT_TARGET=T SELECT_PREV_TARGET=SHIFT+T SELECT_CLOSEST_TARGET=CTRL+T SELECT_FRIENDLY=Y SELECT_PREV_FRIENDLY=SHIFT+Y SELECT_CLOSEST_FRIENDLY=CTRL+Y SELECT_GROUND=E SELECT_PREV_GROUND=SHIFT+E SELECT_CLOSEST_GROUND=CTRL+E SELECT_LAST_RADIO=R SELECT_LAST_RADIO_CALLER=SHIFT+R SELECT_RADAR_TARGET=CTRL+R SELECT_WAYPOINT=CTRL+W DESELECT_TARGET= ANIMATION_1= ANIMATION_2= ANIMATION_3= ANIMATION_4= ANIMATION_5= ANIMATION_6= ANIMATION_7= ANIMATION_8= ANIMATION_9= ANIMATION_10= [ControlSet002] FIRE_PRIMARY_GUN=SPACE FIRE_WEAPON=RETURN [RangedControl001] AxisControl=PITCH_CONTROL MaxValue=1000.000000 MinValue=-1000.000000 DeadZone=10.000000 Saturation=100.000000 ReverseJoystick=TRUE MouseScale=1.000000 UseMouseRate=FALSE ReverseMouse=FALSE LimitValue=TRUE SelfCenterRate=2.000000 KeyControlRate=1.000000 AllowKeyControl=TRUE IncreaseControl=PITCH_DOWN DecreaseControl=PITCH_UP CenterControl= [RangedControl002] AxisControl=YAW_CONTROL MaxValue=1000.000000 MinValue=-1000.000000 DeadZone=10.000000 Saturation=100.000000 ReverseJoystick=FALSE MouseScale=1.000000 UseMouseRate=FALSE ReverseMouse=FALSE LimitValue=TRUE SelfCenterRate=2.000000 KeyControlRate=1.000000 AllowKeyControl=TRUE IncreaseControl=YAW_RIGHT DecreaseControl=YAW_LEFT CenterControl= [RangedControl003] AxisControl=ROLL_CONTROL MaxValue=1000.000000 MinValue=-1000.000000 DeadZone=10.000000 Saturation=100.000000 ReverseJoystick=FALSE MouseScale=1.000000 UseMouseRate=FALSE ReverseMouse=FALSE LimitValue=TRUE SelfCenterRate=2.000000 KeyControlRate=1.000000 AllowKeyControl=TRUE IncreaseControl=ROLL_RIGHT DecreaseControl=ROLL_LEFT CenterControl= [RangedControl004] AxisControl=THROTTLE_CONTROL MaxValue=1000.000000 MinValue=0.000000 DeadZone=10.000000 Saturation=100.000000 ReverseJoystick=TRUE MouseScale=1.000000 UseMouseRate=FALSE ReverseMouse=FALSE LimitValue=TRUE SelfCenterRate=0.000000 KeyControlRate=1.000000 AllowKeyControl=TRUE IncreaseControl=THROTTLE_UP DecreaseControl=THROTTLE_DOWN CenterControl= [RangedControl005] AxisControl=CAMERA_PITCH_AXIS MaxValue=1000.000000 MinValue=-1000.000000 DeadZone=10.000000 Saturation=100.000000 ReverseJoystick=FALSE MouseScale=0.200000 UseMouseRate=TRUE ReverseMouse=FALSE LimitValue=FALSE SelfCenterRate=50.000000 KeyControlRate=2.000000 AllowKeyControl=TRUE IncreaseControl=CAMERA_PITCH_DOWN DecreaseControl=CAMERA_PITCH_UP CenterControl= [RangedControl006] AxisControl=CAMERA_YAW_AXIS MaxValue=1000.000000 MinValue=-1000.000000 DeadZone=10.000000 Saturation=100.000000 ReverseJoystick=FALSE MouseScale=0.250000 UseMouseRate=TRUE ReverseMouse=FALSE LimitValue=FALSE SelfCenterRate=50.000000 KeyControlRate=2.500000 AllowKeyControl=TRUE IncreaseControl=CAMERA_YAW_RIGHT DecreaseControl=CAMERA_YAW_LEFT CenterControl= [RangedControl007] AxisControl=CAMERA_ZOOM_CONTROL MaxValue=1000.000000 MinValue=-1000.000000 DeadZone=0.000000 Saturation=100.000000 ReverseJoystick=FALSE MouseScale=1.000000 UseMouseRate=FALSE ReverseMouse=FALSE LimitValue=FALSE SelfCenterRate=100.000000 KeyControlRate=5.000000 AllowKeyControl=TRUE IncreaseControl=CAMERA_ZOOM_IN DecreaseControl=CAMERA_ZOOM_OUT CenterControl= [RangedControl008] AxisControl=THRUST_VECTOR_CONTROL MaxValue=1000.000000 MinValue=0.000000 DeadZone=10.000000 Saturation=100.000000 ReverseJoystick=TRUE MouseScale=1.000000 UseMouseRate=FALSE ReverseMouse=FALSE LimitValue=TRUE SelfCenterRate=0.000000 KeyControlRate=1.000000 AllowKeyControl=TRUE IncreaseControl=THRUST_VECTOR_UP DecreaseControl=THRUST_VECTOR_DOWN CenterControl=

Nice. Over the Baltic or was it over the North Sea?

In the MiG-21 cockpits of Paladrian it was possible to remove some parts. But to do it in the F-4 cockpit you must know the meshnames. And i dont know where you could get them.

Schick mir mal die targets.ini und die types.ini

Also so aus dem Hut geantwortet. Die Karte, die Du im TFD tool siehst ist von der selben Größe wie im Spiel. Eine Karte in der Größe zu verändern ist nicht möglich. Dann müßtest Du eine vollkommen neues Terrain von Grund auf erstellen. Versuch mal die laufenden Nummern der targetareas abzugleichen. Vielleicht fehlt da eine. Wenn ich mich recht erinnere zeigt das TFD tool auch bei einem sequenziellen Nummernfehler alle targetareas an, das Spiel nutzt aber nur die areas, die bis zum squenziellen Fehler da sin. Also mal nachschauen, ob nach der 1 wirklich eine 2 kommt und so weiter.

Not on this site. But you can find the link to the site on this place: http://www.thirdwire.com/community.htm Click on the first entry in the list with the string "skunk" and you come to a place who should not be named here. There you must register and if you are accepted, then you can download the Blackbird there.

At the european server you can get at the moment 25 gold for 5 victories per day. You must play with a tier 5 or higher tank and be under the best 10 players of your team. At the US server i drive occasionally the new KV-1S. This is not anymore the old tier 6 monster with a 122 gun but is now situated at tier 5. As to gun you can choose between the short 122mm or the long 76,2mm. The same as in KV-1. The vehicle is now weaker armoured. The thinkness of the armour is reduced significantly so that you cant play it like a heavy tank. To form the spearhead of an attack it unhealthy in a KV-1S. But you can play it like a medium. The speed is acceptable for a heavy tank and the gun is good for tier 5. You can use it to flank much easier and you can go longer ways. At the moment i'm very satisfied with the KV-1S. I have a kill ratio of 2:1 while driving it and this is a good value.

I saw the full NASA video on YouTube. A rocket launch is always impressive. Was a really good show. Here is a screenshot of the NASA video. I have a question. There is a area, which i have marked witha red square. In this area you see something burning. On screenshot is looks like smoke, but in video you see clearly fire. Does someone know, what there is burning? Here the link to the official NASA video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEuOpxOrA_0

Of course, but a simple and easy to detect discrimination sign is better in combat situations. Its the same with the invasion stripes in 1944 on allied planes. All planes that have this markings are ours, the rest is "fire free". You mix the ukrainian military and the so called volunteer forces. The later ones are in the most cases private armies of oligarchs. Funded with a lot of money and equipped with all they can get and the "moneygiver" can pay. With the ukrainian army i agree with you. The losses are high. 2/3 of the armored vehicles are destroyed in a fight against a more or less guerilla army. The question who the aggressor is is not as easy to answer like the western yellow press/media always say. The problem in the Donbass area appeared when the new more or less western orientated more or less democratic government ordered, that the russian language is not longer used as an equal language. Then the Donbass became a barrel of powder. A skilled and good willing politician would have now acted placatory, to prevent, that the Donbass explode. But our friends in Kiev decided to send the Army do keep the peace in the Donbass. The result we all know. Putin used this marvelous chance to stir things up and our western politicians looked like the cow in front of a new door. As i have wrote some month ago. With a little bit more brain and less testosteron the whole mess would not have happend. When the russians took the Crimea we should have sent silently the german french brigade for a longer combat exercise into the baltic states. And after a while replace this forces by the german dutch brigade, then an american brigade, then a british and so on. To show force. To give our eastern allies moral support and to show Putin where the border is. A short friendship trip of an US carrier group in the Baltic Sea would have bee also a good and powerfull sign. Travel from Kopenhagen to Kiel, then to Gdansk, the Kleipeda, Riga, Tallin. Always wave and smile. Always speak softly but show the big stick.

Perhaps it would be better to say, that the ukrainian ECM systems were not able to beat the Buk-M system. That western systems would be better is not confirmed. If you remember back to the last year, when the syrians shot down a turkish Phantom which had a state of the art western ECM system, then doubts are well founded.

And the Croatians were so satisfied with the romanian work, that they decided to rely again on it. The same to me. For a short periode i had a Dacia Duster. What a monday car! Sold is as fast as possible.

I have bad experiences with romanian made technic. 80% of delivered material was crap. I think that has not changed in the last years.

Wäre zwar ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit gewesen, die Folland Gnat für die LSK. Unmöglich, aber cool!

Mid of the 60th, when squadrons of the LSK (east german Air Force) more and more transisted from MiG-17F to various MiG-21 versions astonishing combat traing results appeared. The outdated MiG-17F was very often capable to beat the much more modern MiG-21 in training air combats. Members of the east german embassy in Vietnam reported similar results of the air combats between vietnamese MiG-17F and much more modern american fighter planes. Subsonic fighters seemed to be able to hold its own against Mach 2 fighters, but had much lower operational costs. So the idea was born to aquire an agile subsonic light weight fighter plane for the prime role as frontline fighter and a second role for close air support. But such a plane was not available in Warsaw Pact countries. Only Poland built some variants of the MiG-17, but this plane was seen as outdated and to weak. There was only one plane of the world seen as fitting for the intended role, the Folland Gnat. But it was impossible to aquire combat technic from a hostile NATO country. The solution was to built a similar plane in the GDR. So the boss of the east german intellegency service HVA Markus Wolf was ordered to get the production drawings of the Folland Gnat into east german hands. But it was impossible to infiltrate the british aircraft industrie in a short time frame, but good relations to groups in India, where the Gnat was built in license, made the impossible mission possible. In June 1966 the HVA agents were able to hand over all neccessary drawings, calculations and description of production processes to the aircraft factory VEB Flugzeugwerke Dresden. The factory originally built IL-14 planes in license and developed in the late 50th the first continental european passenger jet, the Baade 152. The production of the 152 was canceled by soviet pressure and the development group of the Flugzeugwerke Dresden (FWD) was looking for new challenges. In autumn 1966 they got the order from Berlin to reengenier the Gant and if possible to launch a serial production till 1969. As deadline was set the date of the 20th jubilee of the GDR on October 7th 1969. The project got the designation FWD KF-69 (KampfFlugzeug-69) and the name Sperber (Sparrow Hawk). The first step of reengineering was to transfer all drawings and calculations from imperial to the metric messurement system. Afterwards the first changes were implementes. The original ADEN guns were replaced by the lighter soviet made NR-30. The position of the guns in the Gnat were identified to be possible dangerouse, because gun smoke could come into the air intakes and could cause flame outs. Thatswhy the guns were relocated into the lower section of the nose. The original cockpit was replaced by a system similar to the MiG-21F-13. So it was intended to make it easier for pilots to convert from the MiG to the Sperber and vice versa. In mid 1968 the development came into a crisis, when it became obviously that the GDR industry was impossible to reengineer the Bristol Orpheus 701 engine. A replacement engine was neccessary. First the old RD-9 of the MiG-19 came into the view, but it was impossible to include it in the small fuselage of the Sperber.Czech or polish engines were to weak. Only in the USSR the Ivchenko AI-25TL came to the production lines. The size of this engine would fit into the Sperbers fuselage, but the thrust was only 16,87 kN. The original Orpheus had nearly 21 kN. But with no other alternatives the AI-25TL was choosen, some aggregates were bought and built in the Sperber V-1 prototype. The maiden flight of the Sperber V-1 was in December 1968. The plane proofed as easy to fly, agile, but underpowered a little bit. The outstanding flight performance of the Gnat could not dublicated. So efforts were made to lighten the design. The number of guns were reduced to one and all not really neccesary parts were removed. So the Sperber V-2 prototype was some 300 kg lighter than the Gant and the flight performance was better, but not yet as good as the Gnats. In February 1969 attempts were made to fit the AI-25TL with a two stage afterburner and astonishingly it proofed as a good working solution of the problem. With afterburner the engine AI-25TLF was able to give 23.6 kN, what was more than the Orpheus had. The prototypes Sperber V-1 to V-3 were refitted with the new engine and the flight performance was now more than satisfying. The prototype V-4 got two more hardpoints under the wings, a radar rangefinder, an accustical RWR and the ability to use IR guided missiles. In August 1969 the Sperber V-4 was handed over to the LSK for intensive test flights. In early september the V-5 entered the flight tests. The LSK was satisfied with the new plane and acceped it as troop ready. The serial production was already prepared to start and in early October 1969 the first two planes FWD KF-69 Sperber were handed over to the LSK. Both planes made a short debut during the military parade on October 7th 1969 in Berlin. Mid 1970 one squadron of the LSK had replaced their old MiG-17F with the Sperber and was declared combat ready in autumn. During the big scale troop exercise "Waffenbrüderschaft 70" (Brothers in Arms 1970) the Sperber gave it "combat " debut and the shown performance waked the interesse of some other WP countries. In the coming years the Sperber was exported to Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. Syria and Egypt showed interesse, but soviet pressure caused the canceling of the export negotiations. Vietnam got a fistfull Sperber in 1972 and used it successfully in the last years of the Vietnam war. Cuba aquired some 40 planes in mid 70th. The Sperber was built till the end of the 70th and was used till the german unification in 1990. Sperber in early 70th Sperber in the 80th (Thanks to Marcfighter for the great Ajeet, which i used to make the Sperber)

Upgrade made in Romania. That says it all. Romania is very well known for "high quality".

Exactly. They have two fences on the wing, so they are MiG-15. The MiG-17 have 3 fences.

Its a german thing. The lenght of the barrel is important for the penetration power of a projectile. The messurement is in Kaliberlängen (caliber lenght). As longer the barrel as faster the projectile, but there is a relation between thecaliber of the barrel and the lenght too. What does it mean? Take a 2,0cm gun with a 200 cm long barrel, so it is a L/100 gun. The muzzel velocity v0 is very high. A 10,0cm gun with a 200cm barrel has only L/20. It is a short gun with low muzzel velocity, which is used in a howitzer or so. (in comparision, the D10Ts gun of the T-55 tank is a L/56 with 5,60 meter long barrell which can reach with subcaliber darts a speed of ca. 1.400m/s) The designation of a gun with Kaliberlänge was widely used during WW2, when german tanks had a lot of 7,5cm guns. There was a short L/24 in the first PzIV which was nearly useless against the soviet T-34. Later came the L/43, which gave the german tank a fair chance against the T-34 and finaly the L/48 which was very good to kill the T-34. For the PzV Panther a gun with L/70 was used and this had an outstanding performance. With a simple calculator you can find out how long the barrels of the different guns were.