MigBuster

Good point - would need to check but I think Dogfights mentions Colonel Tomb - but to be fare to it - it was before Istvan Toperczer went over to Vietnam and got the records and actual pilot names.

http://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/html/Years/2013/December/lewiswhyldPlaneCockpitLabeled/index.html

They received 69 x single seat Su-25K (B export version) in 1986/87 which saw extensive use in the final years of the war according to the new Sukhoi Su-25 Osprey book (No I don't work for them) But the good news is that you have a back up yes ?

You are kidding - Is there no key to call over a guy to pull you backwards?

Yeah go with whatever - TK uses the osprey books - hence no missiles Although you get a good graphical representation with Dogfights - you have to say its unlikely to be the exact object placement from a pilots memory in the heat of battle under stress. I've no doubt that Clint Johnson saw objects at some point - and the Dogfights pilot narration normally adds up for me................but anyway

I wonder what year that was because his kills are all 1972 - which is when J-6s were about so anecdotal evidence could have got them confused. There is a NV photo of a J-6 in the Osprey book with an AA-2 launch rail at least!

I have the series - but you have to wonder whether they were drop tanks coming down (Besides there being a MiG-21 about) - because firing down at that altitude with those missiles surely would be futile against ground radiation. Typically the encounter is in the US Navy A-1 Units Skyraider book with accounts from Greathouse and Hartman - but they don't mention the missiles. But of course if it was a MiG-21 - then the first operational MiG-21F-13s were not supposed to be up until Feb 66 (this was June 65, 90 miles south of Hanoi) Johnson says they look like SAMs in Dogfights - they most likely could have been.

Well according to Fox - nothing elsewhere on this http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/13/chinese-naval-vessel-tries-to-force-us-warship-to-stop-in-international-waters/ A Chinese naval vessel tried to force a U.S. guided missile warship to stop in international waters recently, causing a tense military standoff in the latest case of Chinese maritime harassment, according to defense officials. The guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens, which recently took part in disaster relief operations in the Philippines, was confronted by Chinese warships in the South China Sea near Beijing’s new aircraft carrier Liaoning, according to officials familiar with the incident. “On December 5th, while lawfully operating in international waters in the South China Sea, USS Cowpens and a PLA Navy vessel had an encounter that required maneuvering to avoid a collision,” a Navy official said. “This incident underscores the need to ensure the highest standards of professional seamanship, including communications between vessels, to mitigate the risk of an unintended incident or mishap.” A State Department official said the U.S. government issued protests to China in both Washington and Beijing in both diplomatic and military channels. The Cowpens was conducting surveillance of the Liaoning at the time. The carrier had recently sailed from the port of Qingdao on the northern Chinese coast into the South China Sea. According to the officials, the run-in began after a Chinese navy vessel sent a hailing warning and ordered the Cowpens to stop. The cruiser continued on its course and refused the order because it was operating in international waters

Death by mortar round? - doubtful but why not - maybe they dressed him in clown outfit http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/kim-jong-un-executes-official-mortar-article-1.1192003

MiG-17s with AA-2s - I dont have anything conclusive on that - Yefim Gordons book mentions MiG-17Fs used them from 68 - but a better source only has cannon kills and no mention of Atolls being used (even the last kill in 1972 was cannons only) and there are no photos from operational bases in Nam carrying them. Add to the potential confusion between the J-6s that arrived in 71.

The VSF A-4Bs had the port cannon removed and replaced with ECM gear

Thought there was only one http://combatace.com/topic/80118-interview-with-jsf-aggie/ Some people dont like to brag I guess

mmm - have avoided the Steam experience myself also - reminds me of Compuserve in the 90s - suppose its convenient for some. Surprised the games on steam are not available separately (DCS is) - I would check the developers website if there is anything there. Racing crikey - last had Grand Prix 97......back in 1997 on Playstation - so cant help you

What - all the info is on Wikipedia what are you on about? Actually had no idea this stubby Space Shuttle thing existed till now

Good luck with the Op - make sure they draw on the right one

Suppose this type of PR is normal if you live in 1950s communist state http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25359939 Cant imagine the NK tourist board are too happy

F-16 has no fuel dump - and the EF is just a twin engine copy of that The old adage that you only have too much fuel when you're on fire I suspect

The USAFE - could start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Forces_in_Europe

Yeah best to do any intel before heading out when changing your waypoints The A-7 and Harrier GR1/3 do have moving maps at least in their cockpits.

Happens on all campaigns & missions - or just ones you have modified? Is this custom single mission or game created single mission?

Interesting - how did you come about that?

The first Eurofighter Typhoon of the so-called Tranche 3 standard, has started its flight tests at BAE Warton, UK. Tranche 3 is the latest version of the Typhoon which embedded hundreds of modifications to make the combat plane more attractive to current and potential export customers. Even if little has changed from an aesthetic point of view, the aircraft has a number of small panels on the fuselage that are there to accomodate the fitting of CFT (Conformal Fuel Tanks). A new internal structure in the nose secion was designed to accomodate wirings, power, cooling and electronics for the new E-Scan radar. Next-gen Typhoon features Hi-speed Data Networking capabilities, Fibre optics weapons bus and more computing power. The first Tranche 3 has been produced for the RAF by the Eurofighter consortium and assembled by BAE Systems. Under the Tranche 3A contract signed back in 2009, a total of 112 aircraft have been ordered by Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, with 40 examples for Royal Air Force. The 400th Eurofighter Typhoon was delivered to the German Air Force during a special ceremony held at Cassidian’s Military Air Systems Center in Manching, Southern Germany, on Dec. 4, 2013. http://theaviationist.com/2013/12/09/tranche-3-eurofighter/#comments

These deficiencies were settled when a more advanced MiG-25 development, the MiG-31, entered in service in the 1980s: the Foxhound was armed with a missile very similar to the US AIM-54 Phoenix, the R-33 (AA-9 Amos as reported by NATO designation). This weapon was ideal not only for shooting down the American bombers, but also to intercept and destroy fast reconnaissance aircraft, such as the SR-71. This statement was dramatically confirmed in Paul Crickmore’s book Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond The Secret Missions. In this book one of the first Foxhound pilots, Captain Mikhail Myagkiy, who had been scrambled with its MiG-31 several times to intercept the US super-fast spy plane, explains how he was able to lock on a Blackbird on Jan. 31, 1986: “The scheme for intercepting the SR-71 was computed down to the last second, and the MiGs had to launch exactly 16 minutes after the initial alert. (…) They alerted us for an intercept at 11.00. They sounded the alarm with a shrill bell and then confirmed it with a loudspeaker. The appearance of an SR-71 was always accompanied by nervousness. Everyone began to talk in frenzied voices, to scurry about, and react to the situation with excessive emotion.” Myagkiy and its Weapons System Officer (WSO) were able to achieve a SR-71 lock on at 52,000 feet and at a distance of 120 Km from the target. The Foxhound climbed at 65,676 feet where the crew had the Blackbird in sight and according to Myagkiy: “Had the spy plane violated Soviet airspace, a live missile launch would have been carried out. There was no practically chance the aircraft could avoid an R-33 missile.” After this interception Blackbirds reportedly began to fly their reconnaissance missions from outside the borders of the Soviet Union. But the MiG-31s intercepted the SR-71 at least another time. On Sept. 3, 2012 an article written by Rakesh Krishman Simha for Indrus.in explains how the Foxhound was able to stop Blackbirds spy missions over Soviet Union on Jun. 3, 1986. That day, no less than six MiG-31s “intercepted” an SR-71 over the Barents Sea by performing a coordinated interception that subjected the Blackbird to a possible all angle air-to-air missiles attack. Apparently, after this interception, no SR-71 flew a reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union and few years later the Blackbird was retired to be replaced with the satellites. Even if claiming that the MiG-31 was one of the causes of the SR-71 retirement is a bit far fetched, it is safe to say that towards the end of the career of the legendary spyplane, Russians proved to have developed tactics that could put theBlackbird at risk. The Mig-31 is still in service, but the SR-71 successor, dubbed SR-72 and capable to reach Mach 6, should be quite safe at hypersonic speed. http://theaviationist.com/2013/12/11/sr-71-vs-mig-31/

nooo - the shame of getting had by a biplane!