Thread: New Russian Fighter

Originally Posted by PSi

The current Sukhoi's strong suit is its amazing agility, great for wowing the crowds at air shows.
Is this ability relevant in a modern air battle?
The last two wars that had any air-to-air element showed that superior look-first-shoot-first capability won the day. Part of that look-first ability comes from outside the fighter aircraft, like the AWACS and JSTARS.
Sukhoi vs US planes may turn out to be a kungfu expert vs sniper kind of comparison.

You have hit the nail on the head,the Americans rely on superior electronics to guide the battle to thier likeing and to thier advantage,trouble is the other side doesn't play the game the way they want them to.If I was going up against the Yanks the first thing I'd do is attack thier comunication lines and radar network so they loose their eye's and ears and get my fighters in close for a good old fashion dogfight,thats were the Sukhoi's amazing agility would come into it's own.The Russians made it with such high agility to break radar lock from the firing plane as well as being able to out-turn the missile itself.Any plane that can fly at stall speed 80 degree's from the vertical is going to be a tough thing to fight. Pat

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

The U.S. Marine Corps owns the Harrier now. They bought the design from the Poms when the Poms could not afford to update the aircraft, particularly the electronics and were going to consign it to the scrap heap. Agree with all preceding comments regarding range. We are a big country between two big oceans and range is possibly the most important design factor.

In spite of all the hype written about the Spitfire its range was its Achilles heel. It was strictly a home defence fighter and the early Marks could only stooge around over northern France for 20 minutes before having to head home to bases in southern England which were not much more than a short walk and a swim away. No chance of it ever escorting bombers to Strasbourg, let alone Berlin.

The channel has and always will be Englands first line of defence.It's one of the amazing things about the Battle of Britain,both sides were handicapped by thier fighters short legs yet neither side did anything to address it.It is funny to sit here now and think that the outcome of the war could have been totally different by nothing more than adding a 50gal drop tank. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

The channel has and always will be Englands first line of defence.It's one of the amazing things about the Battle of Britain,both sides were handicapped by thier fighters short legs yet neither side did anything to address it.It is funny to sit here now and think that the outcome of the war could have been totally different by nothing more than adding a 50gal drop tank. Pat

Didn't the Yanks add drop tanks to the Mustang fighter in WW2, so that it could protect the B17 bombers all the way to their targets?, I would have thought that would have been a great effect on the outcome of that war!!

Originally Posted by Ausfree

Didn't the Yanks add drop tanks to the Mustang fighter in WW2, so that it could protect the B17 bombers all the way to their targets?, I would have thought that would have been a great effect on the outcome of that war!!

drop tanks were added to virtually every fighter, even the spitfires, but it didnt mean much once the fighting started, jettison the tanks, get as many kills as you can and beat feet for home, landing on fumes

The Mustang was a flying fuel tank on Berlin missions,they had the main tank behind the engine,another behind the pilots seat and two drop tanks. Pat

Originally Posted by Sprint

drop tanks were added to virtually every fighter, even the spitfires, but it didnt mean much once the fighting started, jettison the tanks, get as many kills as you can and beat feet for home, landing on fumes

I've never seen a photo or read anywhere where drop tanks were used in the battle of britian.Only the PR spitfires had them that early. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

I've never seen a photo or read anywhere where drop tanks were used in the battle of britian.Only the PR spitfires had them that early. Pat

never said they were used during the BoB, just that spitfires were, after a while fitted with drop tanks....

Originally Posted by Chucaro

I remember what the Argentinian pilots have done in the Malvinas with their old planes

care to elaborate?

Sprint,[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_air_forces_in_the_Falklands_War"]here [/ame] are some info about the Malvinas war.

Admiral Sir John Forster "Sandy" Woodward from the UK navy aknowledege the skills of the Argentinian pilots as well

Try to get some books from Pablo Carballo a Jet Fighter Pilot who made history on that war just because his skills.

Cheers