Shadow

The Navy is in an even worse spot with no ASW platform now that the S-3 is gone, and no long-range fleet defender with increasingly more capable adversary aircraft as well as anti-ship missiles that the Super Hornet and F-35 could face in the not distant future.

Plus it would still have taken a bit to get to get down as I'd imagine they needed to maintain a safe speed in their decent.

I haven't been this intrigued by an Ace Combat game since AC Zero. Looking forward to this one.

Laughed at the aftermath of pulling 10+Gs in the Tomcat.

On 12/27/2018 at 11:19 PM, kalvasflam said:

Oh man, I see the Boeing hand could be problematic,  Shanahan, the former Boeing exec, I wonder if he has divest all of his interests in the company.  Don't get me wrong, I think having a 4th gen missile truck loaded for bear is an excellent thing.  It could replace some of the existing F-15C, and possibly fill in the gaps for the F-22s in some ways.  I just hope they don't mire this in some dirty politics.  I hope they end up with a fleet of a few hundred.

I do have to say, all the talk about command and control platforms when they talk about the F-35s does leave me to wonder where the shooters are going to come from in the future.

I think the intent is to fill gaps, particularly those coming to the F-15C/D squadrons in the Air Guard as those airframes are retired. The Super Hen would be a force multiplier since the possibility of building additional F-22s is pretty much dead and turn the F-15 into a 4++ Gen aircraft. I agree with your point that I hope shady politics aren't involved and it's adopted cleanly.

I'm actually hoping this becomes a thing, although I could never see any of these entering a combat zone carrying 22 AMRAAMs just due to the extra drag alone. I'd also assume these would be using the GE F110 engines like the F-15SA.

Initially turned my nose up at this movie but the more that comes out, the more curious I am to check out.

Off topic, are there even any airworthy F-14s outside of Iran? I've kind of hoped a private outfit would pick a few up. Companies like Draken Intl use A-4Ks and the Kfir. Having a few F-14s as aggressor aircraft would make for good adversarial scenarios.

The only F-14 airshow demo you'll get outside of Iran. My ears ached with joy.

Seems all the more likely Canada could give the Gripen NG or Typhoon more serious looks.

Keep checking back each year with the WRC hoping to see a new person to take the driver's title only to be disappointed again. On the other hand, Toyota has won it's first constructor's title since 1999.

Yes it's just a simulator but still enjoyable.

VMAQ-2 completed it's final deployment with the EA-6B Prowler. It's alittle hard to believe the Prowler bested the A-6 by 21 years or that it's been that long since the Intruder was retired.

https://theaviationist.com/?p=63856

https://theaviationist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/VMAQ-2-Lajes-1.jpg

More concepts of an F-23A.

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/24911/this-is-what-a-northrop-f-23a-wouldve-looked-like-if-lockheed-lost-the-atf-competition

On 11/7/2018 at 11:12 AM, kalvasflam said:

You mean like the F-23,   Don't worry, China will rescue the design from its undeserved fate... at least partially.  

You have to admit, the J-20 superficially looks a little like the F-23, even though a lot of the details on the J-20 supposedly came from the F-35.  Then there is the J-31 that is slowly going to come on line, given enough time, China will build a strike version of that, and we'll have the equivalent of the FB-22 design.  Then your dreams may start to come true.

The only thing China needs now is a good engine.  Do you think P&W will be able to help there?  Because obviously the stuff from Russia is garbage.  

To me, the J-20 bares a much stronger resemblance to a Mig-31 with its stretched airframe. Showing it to be much more of an interceptor I think compared to an air superiority fighter. The J-20 is an AWACS-killer from my impression of it.

Hopefully we'll see the YF-23 design live on in Northrop's 6th generation fighter.

Also, it's alittle off the course of the F-35 but found this to be a neat analysis of the fiction MiG-31 Firefox.

18 hours ago, F-ZeroOne said:

But won't the B-21 handle the "Deep Strike" role?

As a heavy bomber? Yes. But you don't always need or want to use such an expensive asset. What I was referring to is a medium bomber/interdiction aircraft. Something the Air Force has really needed since retiring the F-111. The F-15E has done okay but still lacks some of the range. The Russians have certainly filled this role with the Su-34.

Seems more apparent going into the future axing concepts like the FB-22/FB-23 is going to bite if there is a need for a deep strike aircraft that can operate farther while carrying a heavier internal loadout than the current F-35.

14 hours ago, Sildani said:

I suspect the 35’s gun is computer-targeted, like the MiG-29’s was supposed to be. Basically, it won’t fire until you have a gun solution that’s almost guaranteed to hit. And if that’s true, a couple rounds will be all that’s needed to knock down anything that flies. 

I'm kind of curious about this as well. From what I've read, the M61 Vulcan with its bullet spread functions almost like a long-range shotgun. That being said, I still think the AF should have opted for the 25mm gunpod that carries 220 rounds.

1 hour ago, Dobber said:

What is that from?

Chris

Patlabor 2: the movie.

Quote

Or a Pak-Fa with swing-wings, more powerful engines and tweaked for lower RCS. 

So a Navalized carbon copy of the YF-23.

I'd rather  the Navy focus on developing 6th generation heavy fighter that takes alot of inspiration from the proposed ASF-14 that can formally replace the Super Bug down the line while offering longer range, speed and stealth.

Going back to the F-14. Here is some neat footage from the early 80s.

Wasn't too impressed with season 5 to be honest. Hoping they can do better in filling in some of the plot holes for certain characters. One of the things I hope they also return to is better combat sequences like what they had in Season 1 -3.

18 hours ago, David Hingtgen said:

Just from the teaser pic, that doesn't look like a B model, based on the antennas (lack of) under the glove and ahead of the vanes.  Not a D either, for similar reasons.  I'll have to look to see if any early-build B's looked like that, but that looks like a "final" scheme of VF-102. 

::edit::  At least the fuselage nibs look right, a far more important part. 

Been following this module development. The developers acknowledged that it's still a WIP. The cockpit in the trailer was from an A model as they're still working on the cockpit for the B which would have the ALR-67 RWR and the updated gauges at the lower left handside. It's supposed to be a mid to late 90s spec F-14B with the LANTIRN pod so no Sparrowhawk HUD.

The controversy has largely kept me away from SC in recent years. That being said, I'd love to see the original Wing Commander 1 and 2 remade using this engine.

I know what my next module purchase will be.

Larger displays but they won't upgrade to the F414 EPE engines with an additional 4000 Ibs of thrust each over the standard F414.