MigBuster

What next Sharks with frikkin laser beams on their heads! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-32334186 https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=AyguXoum3rk

Truly fantastic model - glad to see its still in progress.

For the very first time, a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has moved from the boneyard back into the sky again. The veteran bomber took off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona for the first time following its restoration on Friday, the 13th of February. Technicians at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, otherwise known as AMARG, pulled the BUFF from the massive storage yard beside Davis-Monthan during 2014 to replace a damaged aircraft in the active fleet which the Air Force deemed beyond economic repair. The newly restored Stratofortress, serial number 61-0007, had been in 1000-level storage at AMARG alongside twelve other B-52Hs, far away from the ragged, chopped up Stratofortress carcasses on the other side of the boneyard. Unlike other 1000-level aircraft, or inviolate storage where an airframe is made safe and preserved without losing any parts to salvage, these bombers are looked after in a far more detailed and careful fashion at AMARG. Each Stratofortress in this small group has its own plane captain at the base whose primary responsibility is to monitor its health regularly and quickly intercede when maintenance is necessary. This practice has clearly shown its worth, judging by the mere months it took to return the aircraft to flight following years of storage. Nicknamed “Ghost Rider”, ’007 last served with the 5th Bomb Wing from Minot AFB before going into storage in the mid-2000s. The AMARG team selected her for regeneration because, of the thirteen B-52Hs in storage, she was in the best condition and had the lowest airframe hours. In fact she is in such good shape that members of her maintenance team felt ‘Ghost Rider’ was better off than several active airframes currently serving. ‘Ghost Rider’ was present at AMARG in March, 2014 when WarbirdsNews paid the facility a visit, and we have included an image above to show what she looked like then. Technicians from the 309th alongside those from Tinker AFB (responsible for B-52 depot-level maintenance) swiftly returned the bomber back into flying trim. She departed Davis-Monthan yesterday for Barksdale AFB near Bossier City, Louisiana. Colonel Keith Schultz, CO of the 307th Operations Group, 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB commanded the flight. He has been flying BUFFs since 1980, and is the “last of the Tall-Tail” pilots still actively flying the Stratofortress; “Tall-Tail” being the nickname for early-model B-52s which had much taller tail fins than the G and H models. Schultz has more than 7,000 hours in B-52s. In an article HERE, Colonel Schultz said “After delivering eighteen B-52D and G models to the “Boneyard” over the years, it is about time I get to take one out.” While at Barksdale AFB, members of the 76th AMXG from Tinker AFB will remove modifications from the damaged B-52 that ’007 is replacing and transfer them to the freshly restored airframe. At the same time, local Barksdale maintenance teams will inspect the airframe and repair as necessary. Once these details are complete sometime in late 2015, ‘Ghost Rider’ will fly to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for Program Depot Maintenance to bring her in line with the rest of the fleet. The fifty year old bomber is expected to return to front line service sometime in 2016. http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/fun-facts/return-ghost-rider.html

The story of how the Starfighter was used to train future astronauts. Being the first operational aircraft able to reach and maintain a speed of more than Mach 2.0, the Lockheed F-104 was a huge leap forward when strictly compared to the contemporary subsonic jets. Thanks to its performance, the Starfighter was chosen to train test pilots destined to fly the X-15, a winged spacecraft that was air-launched by a B-52 Stratofortress, flew into space and then landed conventionally. The idea to modify several F-104As to serve as “manned spacecraft transition trainers” is credited to astronaut Frank Borman who was both student and instructor at Edwards Air Force Base, California, home of the Air Force’s Aerospace Research Pilot School, later renamed U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. The major modifications to the Starfighters consisted in the addition of a 6,000 pound thrust rocket engine at the base of the vertical tail, reaction control thrusters in the nose and in each wing tip, a larger vertical tail, increased wing span, tanks to store the rocket propellants, provision for a full pressure suit, a cockpit hand controller to operate the reaction control thrusters, and modified cockpit instrumentation. Moreover, the unnecessary equipment, like the gun, fire control system, tactical electronics, and auxiliary fuel tanks, was removed. The Starfighters with these modifications were renamed NF-104s. They entered in service in 1963 and their pilots could zoom to more than 100,000 feet in a full pressure suit, experience zero “g”, and use reaction control to handle the aircraft. Only about 35 students had the privilege to fly the NF-104 and each pilot had to be prepared for these “space flights” by using standard Starfighters. The first mission was a pressure suit familiarization flight, with the F-104 flown to high altitude with the cockpit depressurized allowing the student to experience a flight in a fully pressurized suit. To practice the zoom profile, the second flight was conducted in a two-seat F-104, with the instructor that showed to the student how reaching an altitude of 70-80,000 feet performing a 30 degree climb, while the last three missions were made in a single seat Starfighter increasing the climb angle to 45 degrees and reaching an altitude of 90,000 feet. After these five preparation flights, the student finally performed the two programmed NF-104 missions. As described by Steve Markman and Bill Holder in their book One Of A Kind Research Aircraft A History Of In Flight Simulators, Testbeds & Prototypes, the typical flight syllabus started with taking off on jet power, climb to 30-40,000 feet, and accelerate to Mach 1.7-1.9. Then the pilot ignited the rocket engine and pitched the nose up to start the steep climb. After two minutes the Starfighter passed through 80,000 feet, the jet engine flamed out, the rocket engine ran out of fuel and the pilot began a parabolic arc to the peak altitude. It was during the parabolic arc that the pilot experienced “weightlessness” for about one minute and used the side stick to fire the reaction control rockets to control the aircraft’s pitch, roll and yaw motions. Once at a lower altitude, the pilot restarted the jet engine and made a conventional landing: the whole mission lasted about 35 minutes from taxi to landing and was performed in a full pressure suit. One NF-104 was destroyed on Dec. 10 1963. The plane was piloted by legendary Col. Chuck Yeager at that time the Aerospace Research Pilot School Commander. Yeager was attempting to reach an altitude record and after a 60 degree climb, while he was at 101,595 feet, the Starfighter experienced an uncontrollable yawing and rolling motion. Yeager wasn’t able to recover the plane and was forced to eject at 8,500 feet. During the separation from the ejection seat the rocket nozzle hit his face shield breaking it, while the combination of the red hot nozzle and oxygen in his helmet produced a flame that burned his face and set several parachute cords on fire. Yeager was able to extinguish the flames with his glove hands and after the accident was hospitalized for two weeks. The accident was depicted in the book (and film of the same name) “The Right Stuff”. Another NF-104 flight almost ended in disaster on June 15, 1971, when Capt. Howard Thompson experienced a rocket engine explosion while trying to lit it at 35,000 feet and Mach 1,15: luckily Thompson made a safe lading to Edwards AFB using the normal jet engine. The program was terminated when it was decided that the aerospace training mission would be performed by NASA and the last NF-104 flight was performed in December 1971. During its service with the U.S. Air Force the highest altitude reached by an NF-104 was 121,800 feet, achieved by Maj. Robert Smith during acceptance testing. Today the last of the NF-104s is on static display in front of the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB. http://theaviationist.com/2015/04/10/nf-104a-aerospace-trainer-story/

? http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/future-rafale-deals-will-also-be-under-govt-to-govt-parrikar/article1-1336821.aspx The defence minister indicated on Monday a $25-billion Indian tender for buying 126 advanced combat aircraft had virtually been scrapped, with New Delhi stressing any future deal for Rafale fighter jets would be through direct negotiations with the French government. The move comes two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India would buy 36 Rafale planes from France in fly-away condition through the government-to-government (G2G) route, reflecting a sense of urgency to buttress the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s depleting fleet. India picked Rafale jets over Eurofighter Typhoons in January 2012 after French firm Dassault Aviation emerged as the lowest bidder for the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender for 126 planes. But New Delhi may no longer go in for 126 planes and could reassess its requirements in the new scenario. As of now, the government appears to be keeping its options open to buy more fighters – it could turn to France or another foreign vendor.

Was here also - note he later changed some of his views: http://combatace.com/topic/85295-how-to-win-in-a-dogfight-stories-from-a-pilot-who-flew-f-16s-and-migs/

DCS Spring 2015 Sale! Spring is here and it's time to reward yourself with some new DCS modules at great savings! Take advantage of this sale that runs from Thursday April 9th at 12:00 Moscow time to Monday April 13th at 12:00 Moscow time. http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/shop/ DCS: Flaming Cliffs 3: $39.99 to $11.99 (70% off) DCS: A-10C Warthog: $39.99 to $11.99 (70% off) DCS: Black Shark 2: $39.99 to $11.99 (70% off) DCS: P-51D Mustang: $29.99 to $8.99 (70% off) DCS: Fw 190 D-9 Dora: $49.99 to $14.99 (70% off) DCS: Bf 109 K-4 Kurfürst: $49.99 to $14.99 (70% off) DCS: Combined Arms: $19.99 to $5.99 (70% off) F-15C for DCS World: $9.99 to $2.99 (70% off) Su-27 for DCS World: $9.99 to $2.99 (70% off) Su-27 The Ultimate Argument Campaign: $9.99 to $2.99 (70% off) A-10A for DCS World: $9.99 to $2.99 (70% off) Su-25 for DCS World: $9.99 to $2.99 (70% off) DCS: MiG-15bis: $49.99 to $19.99 (40% off) DCS: F-86F Sabre: $49.99 to $14.99 (70% off) DCS: UH-1H Huey: $49.99 to $14.99 (70% off) DCS: Mi-8MTV2 Magnificent Eight: 49.99 to $14.99 (70% off) DCS: C-101 Aviojet: $59.99 to $17.99 (70% off) DCS: MiG-21bis: $49.99 to $24.99 (50% off) Hawk T.1A for DCS World: $39.99 to $19.99 (50% off)

Happy birthday Diego

F -35 is not better for Close Air Support than the F -16 and the Air To Air Combat is not better than the F - 22's . But the F -35 is a good fighter that does it all ... and that can not be compared to other other combat aircraft available on the market today , says an F- 35 pilot we talked to . During a visit at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona USA we met F -35 pilot Major John Wilson. Asked whether the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, can replace their A-10 Warthog relative to Close Air Support (CAS ) corresponds Major Wilson: http://krigeren.dk/pilot-f-35-kan-ikke-sammenlignes-med-andre-kampfly/ There is a John Wilson listed - hope its the same guy! http://www.codeonemagazine.com/f35_gallery_slideshow.html?aac6135311632f48e93827d190c71cac=3&gallery_id=114&gallery_style=3

On Apr. 2 two U.S. B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers, one assigned to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and the other assigned to Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, conducted round-trip missions from their home bases to the Arctic and North Sea regions respectively. The two bombers were taking part in “Polar Growl”, an exercise aimed at testing the ability of the aircraft and their aircrews to operate with international partners in the northern part of the globe. One of the aircraft, the one belonging to the 2nd Bomb Wing from Barksdale, flew in the North Sea and was intercepted multiple times by the Royal Canadian Air Force, the U.K. Royal Air Force and the Royal Netherlands Air Force. http://theaviationist.com/2015/04/07/dutch-f-16s-intercept-b-52s/

Switch it off

Ahh that sneaky Su-27 you thought you shot down has the nerve to fire a missile at you while you are doing the TopGun aileron roll of victory!

Um is Trueview on in the TiR profile?

EGLIN AFB — Two fishermen trolling on Choctawhatchee Bay Monday afternoon probably went home with a story to tell. The boaters got a close-up look at some pretty realistic Air Force training that included 25 to 30 boats and four A-10 aircraft practicing low-level air-to-sea combat operations. “There are hostile countries that are developing high speed, armed boats that are harassing our fleets at sea and in ports,” said Dennis Beabout, the 96th Test Wing’s Gulf Range Engineer. “This exercise allows our pilots to practice maneuvers and tactics to take on this threat.” Monday was the first day of the latest round of Eglin’s Maritime WSEP (Weapons Systems Evaluation Program). The exercise will run through Thursday, with live-fire operations over the Gulf of Mexico in the morning, and realistic simulations on Choctawhatchee Bay in the afternoon. Local residents may experience louder than normal noise levels while these exercises are taking place. During Monday afternoon’s operations on the bay, six squadrons of five boats each (about half of which were private vessels hired from local fishing fleets) took to the water in inverted V, or “Vic” formations. Each squadron was labeled by color. Upon hearing a radio operator call out “Fight’s on,” the boats took off in formation. Like a play-by-play announcer, the radio operator called out directions to the boat captains. “Red squadron, clear to jink!” the operator called out, causing the five boats flying red flags to fan out in different directions. Seemingly out of nowhere, four A-10s from Eglin’s 53rd Wing appeared from the west, their trademark whistling roar announcing their presence. With its huge 30mm Gatling gun sticking out of its nose, the A-10 is known affectionately as the “Warthog.” On Monday afternoon, however, the mighty planes looked more like giant seagulls, swooping down as low as 100 feet above the scrambling boats. As the boats attempted to maneuver out of the way, one by one they fell victim to the Warthogs. “If the pilot can lock on electronically and hold it for three seconds, it’s considered a kill, explained Mike "Adrian" Guidry, the general manager of InDyne, the main defense contractor that provides support for the Eglin test range’s missions. Occasionally, a boat would set off a flare to simulate a surface-to-air missile, but they were a poor match for the A-10 pilots. Within 20 minutes, the first round of attacks was complete. Final score? Warthogs 30, Pretend Terrorists 0. http://www.nwfdailynews.com/military/top-story/eglin-pilots-test-their-skills-against-flotilla-in-the-bay-w-photos-1.451764

Doesn't look very pro, unless pro today is the Win95 retro look.

.

Good one Yavin 4, March 31, 2015 – Rebel Alliance, in cooperation with The Fighter Collection and Eagle Dynamics, are pleased to announce the development of DCS: T-65 X-Wing Fighter. DCS: T-65 X-Wing become next generation of the PFM/ASM modelling incuding zero gravity engines and enviroment with fully interactive advanded R2D2 AI. WIP video Enjoy and May the Force be with you! http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=2364743#post2364743

pretty much everything you wanted to know about the F-14 , glove vanes, F-111B etc etc https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1428&v=SsUCixAeZ0A

Exclusive: Chuck Norris urges feds not to send fighter jets to airplane scrapyard The “Warthog” is term of endearment in the U.S. Air Force’s line up of fighter jets. Its firepower capability, speed and accuracy, frequent war use, and the oft-painted teeth on its nose cone have made it one of the military’s most popular aircraft. I am humbled and honored that many have called the Warthog: “the Chuck Norris of airplanes.” But what you might not know is that its entire fleet right now runs the risk of landing in the U.S. airplane scrapyard, if the government has its way. Technically known as the A-10 Thunderbolt, it is the U.S. Air Force’s primary low-altitude close air support aircraft. The Warthog was originally built four decades ago to destroy Soviet tanks in Europe, but has been since used in a wide range of U.S. wars and operations. Military.com explains, “Its combination of large and varied ordnance load, long loiter time, accurate weapons delivery, austere field capability, and survivability has proven invaluable to the United States and its allies. The aircraft has participated in operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Provide Comfort, Desert Fox, Noble Anvil, Deny Flight, Deliberate Guard, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.” Military.com also details its wide range of firepower capabilities: “The Thunderbolt II can employ a wide variety of conventional munitions, including general purpose bombs, cluster bomb units, laser guided bombs, joint direct attack munitions or JDAM, wind corrected munitions dispenser or WCMD, AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, rockets, illumination flares, and the GAU-8/A 30mm cannon, capable of firing 3,900 rounds per minute to defeat a wide variety of targets including tanks.” In May 2014, the 300 planes in the fleet nearly suffered a collective fatality due to the Obama administration budget cuts, which desired to cut the program to the tune of about $4 billion over a five-year period. But last September, Republicans in Congress temporarily saved the A-10 Thunderbolt by allowing it to join the airstrikes against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Congress’ rationale was simple, according to the International Business Times: “Cutting it would lead to the deaths of U.S. servicemen on the ground.” Those fighting to save it, such as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., explained that: “the aircraft was the only U.S. jet to offer tactical and accurate support close to the ground. Other aircraft, they argued, flew too fast and too high and were not as accurate in taking out the enemy in close confines.” So Congress continued its program and use until 2015 with the help of a $635 million budget taken from its war fund. But the Warthog is back on the chopping block. In May 2014, Air Force Col. Robert S. Spalding III argued that the Warthog had no place in the future of the Air Force, and advocates for it were “missing the point.” It was the Obama administration, however, that missed the point and boat by concluding that the Warthog’s utility was passé with fading wars in Afghanistan. In underestimating foes like ISIS, who are spread out in terrain like al-Qaida and the Taliban, the A-10′s utility is warranted even more now than ever. Those like ACC chief Gen. Herbert Carlisle might say about the A-10: “There’s only so much you can get out of that airplane. Those airplanes are gonna wear out.” But that statement is true of every airplane in existence, and even the sun! The question is: Is the fleet of A-10 ready for retirement? I just celebrated my 75th birthday, but I’m nowhere near ready to head to the scrapheap. Some things improve with age, and the A-10 has done just that, too. The 300 A-10s are not like old passenger jets with archaic technology. For example, according to Military.com, the A-10 fleet has received a host of upgrades allowing them to remain one of the finest fighting machines around: “The Low-Altitude Safety and Targeting Enhancement (LASTE) upgrade provided computerized weapon-aiming equipment, an autopilot, and a ground-collision warning system.” “In 1999, aircraft began to receive Global Positioning System navigation systems and a new multi-function display.” In 2005, the entire A-10 fleet began receiving the Precision Engagement upgrades that include an improved fire control system, electronic countermeasures, upgraded cockpit displays, the ability to deliver smart bombs, moving map display, hands on throttle and stick, digital stores management, LITENING and Sniper advanced targeting pod integration, situational awareness data link or SADL, variable message format, or VMF, GPS-guided weapons, and upgraded DC power.” “The entire A-10 fleet has been Precision Engagement modified and now carries the A-10C designation.” That is why Col. Craig E. Ash, the commander of the 122nd Fighter Wing Maintenance Group that sent the A-10s to the Middle East, summarized: “We have the best training, equipment and aircraft in the world; we’ve been preparing and training for this deployment for the past few months; and I am fully confident in our ability to deploy one of the country’s most lethal fighting forces to support and defend US efforts abroad.” ................ http://www.wnd.com/2015/03/save-the-a-10-thunderbolt/

He will be missed - was an honour to have him here. Rest In Peace sir http://combatace.com/index.php/topic/46359-interview-with-jugs/

The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is the western world’s most prolific fighter of the last 40 years. Even if medium and long-range air-to-air missiles, such as the AIM-7 Sparrow and the AIM-120 AMRAAM, have been integrated in the F-16 since 1986 for BVR (Beyond Visual Range) engagements, the Viper (the universal F-16’s nickname)was born in response to LWF (Light Weight Fighter) program, for a small and agile fighter: the U.S. Air Force needed a small, cheap, maneuverable airplane to flank the F-15 Eagle, its air superiority fighter, and face the small Soviet fighters, such as the MiG-21 in close combat. Indeed the Viper can maneuver against any opponent, proving to be the ideal adversary (or “aggressor” in the Air Force jargon) aircraft for both U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy training programs. Arguably the best version of the Fighting Falcon having played the bandit role has been the F-16N. Born in response to the need of the Navy to replace its aging fleets of A-4 Skyhawks and F-5 Tigers adversary fighters, the F-16N was a basic F-16C Block 30 with the General Electric F110-GE-100 engine. The F-16N was typically equipped with the Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) pod on the starboard wingtip and to completely simulate adversaries, the ALR-69 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and the ALE-40 chaff/flare were also incorporated. To save weight the internal cannon was removed and the aircraft could not carry air-to-air missiles, even though it retained the APG-66 radar from the F-16A/B models. Twenty two single seat F-16Ns along with four two seat TF-16Ns were delivered in the late 1980s to the Navy and four units flew the jet: the VF-126 Bandits and the Fighter Weapons School both based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, the VF-45 Blackbirds based at NAS Key West and the VF-43 Challengers based at NAS Oceana. According to Rick Llinares & Chuck Lloyd book Adversary America’s Aggressor Fighter Squadrons, since the U.S. Navy didn’t own any Fulcrum or Flanker, the F-16N was the best fighter to replicate the then new fourth generation Russian fighters and finally F-14 and F/A-18 crews could fight against a real different aircraft. In particular, against the Tomcat, the nimble F-16N was a very challenging adversary, as by the video below Unfortunately the F-16N began to experience the wear and tear due to the excessive g’s sustained during many aerial engagements and in 1994 the Navy decided to retire the type since the costly repair to keep the Viper flying couldn't be afforded. But even if as bandit the F-16N was replaced by the F-5 which was the fighter the Viper intended to replace, the F-16N still remains the best adversary fighter ever flown by the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, at NAS Fallon, Nevada, currently operates some F-16A in the aggressor role. http://theaviationist.com/2015/03/26/f-16n-best-adversary/