MigBuster

Comment from John Williams on F-16 net Long story there, I'll try to be as brief as possible. The design mission usage of the F-16A/B was 55% air to air, 45% air to ground, but the F-16N was used almost 100% air to air in aggressor training. Some parts of the airplane had an easier time of that (weapon hardpoints, for example), but some parts had a more severe experience of high g events. The N airplanes were delivered with titanium wing attach brackets in place of aluminum brackets on the A/B. The Navy would not pay for a full analysis and durability test of those parts, since they were easily inspected. Bad idea, as the brackets started cracking at a relative young age. But there is more to the story. USAF uses a structural technology called fracture mechanics to track crack growth and allows airplanes to keep flying with cracks so long as the cracks remain within specified lengths. The Navy, being old fashioned and ultra conservative still used fatigue crack rules which say that any crack is reason for grounding. Because fatigue analysis and test is much more primitive than fracture mechanics, it requires a more conservative approach. So if USAF had those same F-16N airplanes, they would not have grounded them.

You can fly missions created for the P-51 and a campaign that I thought was fun if you buy the module. You can create your own missions and there are WW2 aircraft to fly against now.

A bit here also In the meantime, some US Navy officers had been expressing interest in a low-cost alternative to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which was at that time experiencing severe teething troubles and suffering from a series of cost overruns. This program came to be known as VFAX. A stripped version of the Tomcat (named F-14X) had been proposed by Grumman, but had been summarily rejected by the Deputy Defense Secretary. In May 10, 1974 the House Armed Services Committee dictated that the VFAX would have to be a wholly new aircraft, but, apparently having forgotten the sorry experience with the F-111, they wanted the USAF and the Navy to purchase basically the same plane. However, the Navy (unlike the Air Force) wanted the VFAX to be capable of filling both air-to-air and ground-attack roles. In August of 1974, the Congress took money intended for VFAX and diverted it to a new program known as Navy Air Combat Fighter (NACF), and directed that this plane make maximum feasible use of the USAF's LWF/ACF technology and hardware. It would be basically a navalized LWF/ACF. However, most Navy officers were solidly committed to the F-14 and wanted nothing to do with either the VFAX or the NACF. Nevertheless, Congress was insistent, and in September of 1974, the Navy announced that it would select a single contractor to begin engineering development of the NACF and requested bids from the industry. In response to this request, on September 27, 1974, General Dynamics announced that they would be teaming with Ling-Temco-Vought (also located in Dallas/Fort Worth) to propose a NACF design based on the YF-16. The navalized YF-16 was to have BVR radar, which was not part of the original planning for a USAF F-16. If both the Air Force and the Navy picked the YF-16, General Dynamics would be the prime contractor for the Air Force and LTV would be prime contractor for the Navy. However, in retrospect, since both contractors were located in the same state, there was little likelihood of receiving a contract. In the meantime, the F-16 still remained one of the contenders for the NACF order. One proposal from General Dynamics was for a single-seat naval fighter based on the two-seat F-16B but with the space ordinarily occupied by the rear seat being used for increased avionics or fuel. On May 2nd, 1975, the Navy announced that they had decided not to buy the navalized F-16, but opted instead for an aircraft developed from the YF-17, which was eventually to emerge as the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. http://www.f-16.net/f-16_versions_article25.html

Take this guys example

As part of America's continued initiative to show greater military readiness and fighting capability in Europe in order to reassure NATO allies and deter Russian aggression in the region, USAFE has sent six of its F-16CJs from Germany to train with some of the oldest jets in NATO, Romania's ancient MiG-21 Lancers. Reading this you are probably taken aback by the fact that a NATO member is still flying MiG-21s. Although the MiG-21's inferior in pretty much every way to their modern 4th generation fighter counterparts, Romania's MiG-21s are some of the most advanced versions of the type ever conceived. Because of limited funding, Romania has not been able to purchase a western fighter for its air policing mission, yet alone for its ground attack mission requirements. In order to meet NATO standards, they put their best MiG-21 Fishbed models through a deep upgrade program with the help of Israeli aerospace defense contractors. What they ended up with was a fairly capable basic fighter platform at a bargain basement price, not just when it came to its acquisition cost but also its operational cost as well. The Lancer upgrade program saw some 108 MiG-21s receive western standard navigation suites for bad weather and night flying, a radar warning receiver and self defense suite, a HOTAS control setup for improved control ergonomics, an advanced helmet mounted display, a new weapons control interface and a partial 'glass' cockpit. The jets could also use Israeli-built weapons such as the Python series of air-to-air missiles and an assortment of laser guided bombs. The Lancer-A variant is used for ground attack and can carry the Rafael LITENING targeting pod, while the Lancer-C version is used for point air defense and carries the modular Elta EL/M 2032 pulse doppler radar within its air intake spike. Although 108 jets were upgraded, only about three dozen remain in service with Romania today and many parts have been cannibalized from other airframes in order to keep the fleet's readiness high. These remaining aircraft will be partially replaced starting later this year, with used F-16AM MLU Vipers coming from Portugal. As more used F-16s are bought, they will eventually replace Romania's entire MiG-21 Lancer fleet in full. So at first glance, what clearly appears to be a readiness drill and show of force opportunity for the USAFE and the Romanian Air Force is also a highly valuable and unique training opportunity due to the highly dissimilar fighter aircraft involved. On one hand, you have Romanian MiG-21 Lancer pilots who get a great opportunity to learn about their new (to them) fighter first hand and to USAF F-16CJ pilots get to fly with and against one of the most legendary fighters of all time, the MiG-21. Additionally, there are not just any MiG-21s, but they are the most potent form of the jet ever that are being flown by some of the most experienced MiG-21 drivers in the world. Lt. Col. David Berkland, the 480th Fighter Squadron commander describes this unique opportunity in his own words: "We just had a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to fly against the Romanian MiG-21 fighter pilots today. Hopefully it was just as rewarding for the Romanian pilots... We all have a lot of learning to do. We debriefed and talked about what we saw, what we did and what we could have done better in fighter pilot fashion — always trying to make each other better." It truly is dissimilar air combat training (DACT) at its best and similarly upgraded MiG-21s are known to be very tricky aircraft to fight against when flown by highly trained pilots using non-traditional tactics. During the Cope India air warfare exercises of the last decade that pitted USAF F-15Cs against a wide array of Indian Air Force aircraft, including the Su-30MKI, it was the similarly upgraded MiG-21 Bisons, with their small radar cross-section, their Israeli-built jamming pods and their helmet mounted sights tied to high-off boresight heat seeking missiles that gave Eagle crews the worst time. Beyond aerial jousting high in the skies over Campia Turzii, Romania, these bi-national exercises are meant to strengthen the ties between the two militarizes by having them work side-by-side with one another. For every jet temporarily deployed there are literally dozens of ground support folks, from crew chiefs to administrative personnel, who get the opportunity to make new friends and learn from how a unique NATO ally does its air combat business on a shoe-string budget. Romanian air force Col. Marious Oatu, an air base commander stated: "I believe the next two weeks will be a great opportunity, not only to increase our efficiency, but mostly to tighten up the bonds between the U.S. and Romanian air force." Beyond international goodwill and what are sure to be some pretty interesting aerial engagements, the 480th Fighter Squadron's trip to Romania, which is the nation located closest to Russia's Crimea who are also holding its own air combat drills this week, is all about being able to fight together should it ever come to that. Considering how stretched America's ever shrinking air power fleet is, and how small the USAFE's in situ fighter contingent has become over the last 25 years, understanding even the diminutive MiG-21 Lancer's capabilities, and putting them to work during a time of crisis would be crucial. Lt. Col. David Berkland states: "It's an honor to be here and train side-by-side with the Romanians... We hope by being here we can increase the cooperation between our countries and NATO partners and be able to provide increased security in the Eastern Europe region." Under pressure from the current threat posture of its nearby Black Sea neighbor, Russia, Romania's hybrid eastern block fighter fleet will finally give way to a modern western fighter aircraft soon. Which means one less operator of the MiG-21 internationally, an aircraft that has served and remained relevant for over 50 years. And with its overdue retirement, US fighter aircraft will only have two NATO partners left with MiG-21s, which are Bulgaria and Croatia, and neither of those forces feature the capabilities of the Romania's Lancers. http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/usafe-f-16s-train-with-romanias-mig-21-lancers-during-d-1692798167

http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/11/taliban-bowe-bergdahl-desertion/ QUETTA, PAKISTAN – Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl may be innocent of desertion as far as the U.S. Army is concerned, but in recent days the ex-prisoner of war now faces the same charges from the most unlikely direction: his former captors.

The co-pilot of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps, named as Andreas Lubitz, appeared to want to "destroy the plane", officials said. Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the "black box" voice recorder, said the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit. He intentionally started a descent while the pilot was locked out. Mr Robin said there was "absolute silence in the cockpit" as the pilot fought to re-enter it. He said air traffic controllers made repeated attempts to contact the aircraft, but to no avail. Passengers could be heard screaming just before the crash, he added. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32063587

Sad news - looked at the flight history on flightradar24.

Happy Birthday Dave - have a great day!

Fourteen AV-8A Harriers from Marine Attack Squadron 231 (VMA-231) "Ace of Spades" embarked aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) from 1976 to 1977..................

We do not discriminate against any colour of aircraft - they are all welcome

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=141046 Dear All, First off, thank you all for your kind words of support and positive attitude to our announcement. It is a great motivator to put in those long hours when you know you've got such a great community behind you. Sincere gratitude from the entire team. Also a big thank you to those of you who have gone above and beyond to spread the news of our announcement. While it's still relatively early in the development process, it's good to get some awareness out there right off the bat. We've been kind of quiet lately, but not to worry; it is simply an effect of the large workload placed on each and every member of the team. Ambitious plans require hard work and much of our focus lies on attaining planned development sprints. Unfortunately, a byproduct of this is that many of your questions about the F-14 have gone unanswered. I've been gathering many of these and they will be answered in the FAQ section of our new F-14 site section coming next week. Therein you will also find a lot of information on various features of the aircraft and our design goals for e.g. JESTER AI. We're due for a monthly update, which will have some information about other developments and the MiG-21. Thus, I'll be keeping this F-14 specific update fairly short. Art Development We're now essentially feature complete on both exterior and interior models for the F-14, including the majority of integration work and animations. Thus, preparatory work for diffuse, specular and normal map texture creation has begun. With the F-14, we're pioneering several new techniques based on the tried-and-tested industry standard sculpting and baking workflow. We've already put this to good use for our other unreleased, in development aircraft, but we're hoping to take it that one step further for the F-14. We hope we can further enhance the realism of both our exterior and interior textures and the initial results are very promising. It's very exciting for us as artists to have the opportunity to apply years of accumulated knowledge to a project such as the F-14. We hope to capture every minutiae detail, down to the touched up lumps of paint. Something many of you have concerns about is performance. We're taking a very pro-active stance on ensuring that performance is optimal at release this time around. We very much wish to ensure that the F-14 will perfectly on the vast majority of systems, and approaching things more carefully from the beginning will make it easier for us to make adjustments in the future. Attached below you can see some Work in Progress renders of the cockpit. Do note that these images have flaws, so take them with a few pinches of salt. Codebase Development Not counting the Radar and HUD (two big systems in themselves), the Tomcat contains, by our count, roughly 67 Major systems, of which 37 are related to Flight and Flight Controls. In addition to this, one must take into account the size and difficulty of both the JESTER AI system and the External Flight Model. Noting that the F-14 is a massively difficult undertaking is putting it mildly. Currently, heavy focus lies on creation of the AICS (Inlet Control System), Hydraulic System and Electrical System. These systems, together with the Engine and grouped control systems lay the basis for the construction of the swing-wing EFM that will capture the spirit and real performance of the F-14. There is yet a long road ahead, and many difficult tasks to complete, but we have absolutely no reservations about our capabilities nor our choice of aircraft. We look forward to sharing more progress with you soon. Thank you for your support, Sincerely, Leatherneck Simulations

Possibly not coming into reality anytime soon........... http://rt.com/news/242097-pak-ta-russian-army/

Some very good points made on here - will look forward to seeing it in Ace Combat 14

Hear Hear - they have done an unbelievable job with FE and turned it into one of the best WW1 sims

F-4/A-4? - not much cheaper http://www.collingsfoundation.org/vmf-flight-experiences-flight-training-programs/

Some interesting info on the Su-34 - has English subtitles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btxsJlm8cFg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZWLef0hbZg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAfwKBee2EU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCVXMVrVxxo

Wow lucky! If they thought they were going in the water then I guess ejecting might be instinct :)

American billionaire Paul Allen has announced the discovery of the famous World War Two Japanese battleship, the Musashi, more than 70 years after it was sunk by US forces. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-31724995

Info on SSD life http://techreport.com/review/27909/the-ssd-endurance-experiment-theyre-all-dead

DCS 1.2.16 DCS: Hawk T1A is available for download! VEAO Simulations in cooperation with The Fighter Collection and Eagle Dynamics, are pleased to announce that DCS: Hawk T1A is now available for download in the DCS e-shop The Hawk first entered service with the RAF in 1976, both as an advanced flying-training aircraft and a weapons-training aircraft. The Hawk T1 version is currently used at RAF Valley for fast-jet pilot advanced flying training with No 208® Squadron, and at RAF Scampton by the RAF Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows. The T1A is used for weapons and tactical training on No 19® Squadron at RAF Valley, and by No 100 Squadron at RAF Leeming for advanced fast-jet weapons systems officer training and operational support- flying. In its weapons and tactical training role the Hawk is used to teach air combat, air-to-air firing, air-to-ground firing and low-flying techniques and operational procedures. While the Hawk T1 is used solely in the advanced flying-training role, the Hawk T1A is equipped to an operational standard and is capable of undertaking a number of war roles. The T1A has four under-wing pylons cleared to carry Sidewinder AIM-9L air-to-air missiles, rocket pods, practice bombs and bombs, and can carry a 30mm Aden cannon in a pod underneath the fuselage centre-line. The cannon can be fired at the same time as any of the pylon-mounted weapons are selected for release or firing. Key Features: Accurate and highly detailed 3D interactive cockpit featuing six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) technology compatible with head-tracking devices and Oculus Rift. Accurate modeling of the Hawk HUD, instruments, gauges and dials. High fidelity accurate Advanced Systems Modelling (ASM) such as electrical, fuel, hydraulics, oxygen, pressurisation and air conditioning, temperature control, pitot-static, AHRS, lighting and weapons system modelled to detailed schematics. Highly detailed Hawk external 3D model and liveries. Fully interactive, comprehensive training missions make learning to fly the Hawk easier. Armament includes: AIM-9M Sidewinders, bombs, practice bombs, rocket pods and gun pod. Highly detailed damage model. Standard Flight Model (SFM) included.

If you merging then yes everything will be at the same patch level

Tons on eBay

Red Flag 2015-2 featured previously unannounced participants and in a first – virtual participants. In addition to the variety of USAF squadrons, the air combat exercise held Mar. 2 to 13, 2015 out of Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, NV featured international participation by a NATO E-3, F-16s from the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF), Mirage 2000s from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), T-38s from Randolph AFB, and F-16CMs from Aviano Air Base, Italy. A listing of the scheduled participating units is found in the Air Force release “Nellis AFB Hosts Red Flag 15-2” Beyond what was seen, multiple off site participants were involved virtually in the exercise. Lt. Col Stodick explained that most virtual participants were housed in simulators out of Kirtland AFB, NM and included a complete JSTARs crew sending virtual ground target information that aircrews responded too. A number of other unidentified units participated virtually, and while the “physical” exercise took place over the 15,000 square mile Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), the virtual component added a much broader dimension to the exercise covering a simulated 1,320,000 square miles. This combination of Red Flag and Virtual Flag was a first, and is described as the USAFs LVC (Live-Virtual-Constructive) training. The Live and Virtual not only reduces the cost of the exercise it increases the participation, scope and complexity. It is quite an extraordinary training dynamic that utilizes state of the art networking and communication assets to provide the most comprehensive air warfare experience on the planet. More details are captured in an Air Force article “LVC Integration takes Red Flag to the Next Level” Each Red Flag has its own flavor, and in this case it was of interest to note that no F-22s were involved, and three US Army Patriot batteries were deployed on the range as part of the Blue Force, with more units deployed “virtually.” Red Air continues to evolve, with Red Flag 2015-1 featuring F-15E Strike Eagles on Red Air strike missions, and 2015-2 featuring T-38s flying Red Air missions, as well as select missions flown by the B1-B and EA-6B on Red Air. It is anticipated that a Red Air will continue to be supplemented with various active units moving forward. These units will not be required to learn “Red Air” tactics as such (primarily limited to those Red Air assets in the Air to Air role), but will be given familiar mission profiles to complete within the context of representing Red Air. For those who have enjoyed the F-15Cs with their colorful Aggressor paint, this will likely be the final Red Flag that the F-15C is utilized in the Red Air Aggressor role (many of which had carried over to the 64th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS) after the 65th AGRS was disbanded in 2014). The action is certainly not limited to air-to-air and air-to-ground combat units. Rescue personnel participated in the missions with the Guardian Angel, HH-60G, and HC-130 out of Moody AFB, GA. Major Goodale 38th Rescue Squadron described what is typically seen as a rescue role to encompass a much broader mission set of “Prepare, Locate, Support, Recover and Reintegrate US and Coalition personnel.” No doubt flight crews fly with great confidence knowing and experiencing the capability set these specialists bring to the fight. Maintenance personnel are challenged to overcome unique obstacles such as, working with limited spares, adapting to critical equipment that is deemed inoperable or limited access to the aircraft given the base comes under “simulated attack.” The crews must think on the fly to adapt, overcome and achieve their mission. Tactics continue to evolve, and participants must be calculated and wary about their approach to unfolding situations. A solo F-16C Aggressor was recently “captured” fast and low on the “Blue side” of the range, and it was noted that the aircraft was trying to lure Blue Air into a pursuit to lead them subsequently into a Red Air ambush. Not simply a scripted exercise, innovative, dynamic activity challenges reactions and creates tremendous learning experiences in a safe environment. Each day hosts a unique scenario, perhaps a response to an international Superpower that seizes a small neighboring nation, defending an attack, addressing a hostage situation, or localized regional conflict initiated by a rogue nation. In any case, the exercises represent the reality of the world that confronts us today. One of the Red Flag days I visited the NTTR where I witnessed activity that appeared to mimic real world deployments taking place today. Blue Air F-16s in numbers attacked from the east and engaged Red Air over the southern portion of the range. With Red Air controllers calling intercept vectors, B-1Bs flew through contested air on strike missions above 20,000 ft. Missile shots, kill calls, and intercept vectors were continuous. Aircraft had to break away for air to air refueling by one of the orbiting KC-135s, or to regenerate and re-enter the fight. Meanwhile in the north two pairs of UAE Mirage 2000s circled over northwestern ranges in a pattern that appeared to be combat air patrol (CAP). Supported by the UAE Mirage 2000s and just a little further to the north, two B-52Hs from Minot AFB flew racetrack pattern, periodically breaking away for what were likely weapons runs on targets on the northwestern ranges. While the B-52s dropped no live ordnance during Red Flag, they were configured to carry everything from conventional, to smart and stand-off weapons tailored to their specific mission profiles. 90 – 120 minutes of intense action came to an end quietly as aircraft with missions complete returned to Nellis AFB. Exercises such as Red Flag bear a close resemblance to the way modern conflicts are addressed, as coalitions involving integration of a broad number of specialized and international assets. In such cases Red Flag training is critical to prepare for such real world deployments. The objective of Red Flag has been to provide participants with 10 “combat mission” experiences before entering combat, and as such greatly increase the performance and survivability of participants. This approach has demonstrated tremendous success in ensuring US and coalition forces are the best trained, most prepared military forces on the planet. Special Thanks MSgt USAF David Miller 99th ABW Public Affairs and the entire 99th ABW PA Team. Todd Miller lives in MD, US where he is an Executive at a Sustainable Cement Technology Company in the USA. When not working, Todd is an avid photographer of military aircraft and content contributor. http://theaviationist.com/2015/03/16/red-flag-15-2-goes-virtual/