Maybe but not as wide reaching, unless they broadcast the answers over the radio, which really doesn't change the format of the program other than you can better screen your questions
Blackhawks.
- Thread starter Swanson10
- Start date
Maybe but not as wide reaching, unless they broadcast the answers over the radio, which really doesn't change the format of the program other than you can better screen your questions
You probably have something there - a hybred type show - local radio and live online Q&A to go with it.
Maybe 30 years ago it might have. The F-14 is/was a relic that would have it's *** waxed by pretty much any 3rd gen fighter airframe in any inventory these days. Inability to carry the AIM-120 is only the first on it's long list of issues.
It's a pretty plane, though. I'll give it that.
According to wikipedia, Iran still has roughly 20 operational F-14s.
F-14 Tomcat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I love flyovers.
However, nothing beats a jet flying over head. I love how freakin loud they are. Didn't a couple of F-18's fly over a couple years ago?
However, nothing beats a jet flying over head. I love how freakin loud they are. Didn't a couple of F-18's fly over a couple years ago?
Black Hawks flying above isn't boring, like, at all. The most recent flyover that I saw was at a race in Newton this year and it still gave me chills. When I was deployed, I saw them everyday. Never once did it get old. Once, I was driving out on the perimeter of our base in a HUMVEE and an Apache had just taken off and was flying straight at us. He was about 30 feet off of the ground and he pulled up just as he was approaching us. I damn near lost my mind with how bad *** it was. The loudest flyover I ever experienced was when the Marines were leaving, so naturally, they were taking their Harriers. Well, they decided that it would be cool to fly over the base in formation, insanely low and at a high rate of speed. I was sitting in an all concrete and basically empty room with a large open door when they did this. I can't even try to explain how loud it was. I'm honestly surprised that my ears didn't start bleeding. It was awesome.
Nothing beats an F-18 flying low over head unless you're in bed trying to sleep in on your Friday off and they're flying low and slow on final approach over your apartment at 7 a.m. :no:
Any other time, they're freak'n sweet
Nope still waiting. I had a long service break came back in to join the fun in 2006. Usually AGRs will only go if their unit is being deployed that is one of the reasons I took this position at Brigade. But spent 5years in an aviation unit in Korea. I never got tired of seeing those birds fly. And those Jar heads always had all the fun.
I see. I know you've told me before, but what unit are you with?
Isn't it funny how you can see those things every single day for months or years in your case and still be in awe when they fly anywhere around you?
Since I see you with the REDBULL Patch I am sure you are in my Brigade. I am with the Brigade S-4 Logistics. not to be confused with cooks we are one step smarter.
Outstanding. Hopefully, that order rolls out soon. I keep hearing that it will be. Within a week or two. We'll see.
Are MiG 29's 3rd generation? Because the book I read on the F-14 citied cases of just that happening during Desert Storm.
The same book also noted it outperformed the F-15 in air combat simulation, which is why Iran bought them over F-15.
The reason they were retired were their maintenance costs and they were beyond their operational lifespan. Their turnaround time on carriers was also much poorer than that of the F-18's.
The same book I read doubted wikipedia's note on the Iran planes, citing the last evidence they flew was shortly after the Iran-Iraq war. It noted that Iran does not have the capability to produce or acquire critical parts for the plane. At best it said there may still be a few that could be airworthy.
Yea well I am tired of holding my breath. Get it done and over so we can move to the next step.
Truth. Our BC told us about it last June during AT. He said it would be Oct 2010. So far, that still pretty much seems to be the plan.
I believe their primary role of long range interceptor / fleet protection was no longer needed quite so much with the fall of Russia, and it spent its last years filling roles it had been adapted to, ,rather than the role it was designed for
And to keep Iran from getting critical parts, the F-14's are being shredded
I meant current 4th Gen fighter (typo when I typed it earlier). The AWG-9 (or APG-71 for that matter)/AIM-7 combination was very long in the tooth and not that great in the first place compared to modern radars. Any reasonably upgraded 4th Gen fighter (F-16, F-15, Mig-29, Su-27, F-18 etc) would kick the F-14s butt all over the place by shooting either AIM-120s or AA-10s. The F-14 is a gigantic target, both in RCS and IR.
Desert Storm is a pretty awful place to compare relative aircraft performance. The IAF was flying outdated aircraft with very poorly trained pilots, Mig 29s or not. At any rate, 35 of the 39 confirmed kills were by F-15Cs. One F-14 was shot down (by an SA-2), and the only F-14 kill of the war was on an Mi-8 helicopter. F-14s were not allowed to shoot, for the most part, due to the radar not being able to interrogate IFF.
The F-14 and F-15 are designed for different missions (fleet defense vs. air superiority). The F-14 has a bit of a weapons system advantage over the F-15 in terms of being able to carry the AIM-54, which is why Iran bought it (and a whole bunch of AIM-54s as well). However, that missile isn't really a good option in combat with another fighter for a whole variety of reasons. It's designed for knocking bombers carrying AS-x's out of the sky at long range, not for shooting down fighter-sized, maneuvering targets at long ranges. The AIM-54 has no confirmed kills by the US (though Iran claims quite a few).
The book I refer to (can't remember the name) was about modern warplanes, written just a few years back, because it referred to the retirement of the plane.
In simulated combat, it had the top scores. In actual service, it noted it had a lack of targets as I mentioned before. Its radar was unique, and scared off most potential targets.
Defensively, it wasn't a dogfighter, but it could essentially outrun most missles and other planes. It was a lot more nimble than it looks due to its design.
The book mentioned that it is believed the Iranians did have success with the plane, judging from the Iraqi's reaction to its radar during Desert Storm.
The conclusion this book had was until the F-22, it was the most feared bird in the sky, partly due to it never being challenged.
The problem with simulated combat is that you don't take into account how horrible the missiles actually can be, especially in DACT. The AIM-7 (the primary BVR weapon against fighter-sized targets on the F-14) has (had) a pretty abysmal track record, and if the F-14 was in close enough to shoot AIM-9s, it was generally at a disadvantage to everything smaller than it (F-15 included) especially the older F-14s with TF-30s. The AIM-54 was alright against non-maneuvering large RCS targets (i.e. tankers and the like), but nobody in their right mind would be actually using them against a fighter sized target at close range.
Every radar on every plane is unique. Some are more capable than others. The F-14s was great for it's time, but it's long range, as you noted, could often be a detriment as well.
Had the F-14 carried AIM-120s, it's maybe a different story. Without that missile available to it, though, it's going to lose every time against an AIM-120 equipped aircraft in a no-holds-barred BVR engagement.
Being able to outrun other missiles is great, but if their launch range is greater than yours (which was the case once the AA-10 showed up in the early 80s), you're always going to be running, especially when you have to support a shot like you do with the AIM-7 and you can't just launch and leave.
Of course I'm comparing F-15Cs, F-16Cs and the like against the F-14, not the older A models which probably were pretty comparable to the F-14 in a lot of ways, especially when they both carried nothing but AIM-7s. The F-14 would probably have a bit of an advantage with it's long look (at least as long as he was below the guys he's shooting at, since look down/ shoot down wasn't a strength of the F-14).
