The Air Forces

How do fuel gauges work on fighter aircraft?

feeds@yuku.com (Admiral Beez) — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:00:50 GMT

I was looking at a fuel gauge on a motorcycle, and realized that whenever the bike leaned, the gauge would misread the fuel level, as the float in the tank would be affected by the leaning motion. This got me thinking that on a fighter aircraft, measuring the fuel in the internal and external tanks by either a float or weight system would be even more flawed due to the changes in gravity-forces. If the fighter is upside down or turning sharply, does the tank or gauge compensate? Or, is the...

What if Sweden arms Israel's airforce instead of France?

feeds@yuku.com (Admiral Beez) — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:08:37 GMT

Israel bought Mirage fighters partly due to the refusal of other states to supply Israel with modern jet aircraft, other than France. Even France eventually closed its arms trade with Israel, giving rise to the clone Neser and Kfir. Let's say that instead of France, only Sweden agrees to provide modern jet fighters to the Israelis. How is the 1967 Six Days War and other wars affected?

In 1961 Israel ordered 72 Mirage IIIs, which were delivered in April 1962, with more deliveries...

ICBMS

feeds@yuku.com (NoOneFamous) — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:47:15 GMT

Currently the USAF controls all remaining Minuteman III ICBMs. Is there a replacement missile being considered?

Could we (US) build the F-14 again in an emergency...

feeds@yuku.com (Gunnersmate04) — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:03:10 GMT

...and what possible threat would that have to be? Does F-18 and F-35 do everything F-14 could?
GUNNER

British Fighters, why American for FAA, European for RAF?

feeds@yuku.com (Admiral Beez) — Wed, 07 May 2008 04:33:39 GMT

With tight budgets, why has Britain decided to use American JSF fighters for the FAA, while using Eurofighter Typhoons for the RAF? Wouldn't have been more prudent to simply join the JSF program for both FAA and RAF, and skip the Eurofighter group?

Missle crews

feeds@yuku.com (NoOneFamous) — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:18:25 GMT

In case you missed it, The Today Show took their cameras into a Mimuteman silo this morning. What are the requirements to be a Missilier?

No Spitfire

feeds@yuku.com (NoOneFamous) — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:08:25 GMT

Had the Spitfire not been introduced, what would have been the impact?

Happy birthday NORAD

feeds@yuku.com (NoOneFamous) — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:37:30 GMT

A round of applause for all the fine folks at NORAD.

http://www.norad.mil/50/index.html

AI.18 question

feeds@yuku.com (Zen9) — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:43:32 GMT

Does anyone have information on the AI.18 radar?

I've read a few testimonials from Sea Vixen pilots suggesting its average detection range is 20nm, would be nice to know more about the system as it was felt easier to integrate a illuminator for SARH AAMs with it and it formed the basis of the set for most of the F155T proposals.

Freeman ass* mk II

feeds@yuku.com (NewGolconda) — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:37:58 GMT

Correspondence, extracted from SPITFIRE - the history.

What do you make of the following?

July 1942 - Admiralty request access to Spitfire, Hurricane and Seafire aircraft in numbers - too and fro with the RAF and a discussion of Russian needs (roughly 200 British fighters a month to Russia in 1942). Later the same...

Could SEPECAT Jaguar operated from Stanley airfield in 1982?

feeds@yuku.com (Admiral Beez) — Sun, 04 May 2008 05:24:16 GMT

IIRC, the SEPECAT Jaguar was designed with STOL in mind. With its STOL capability could the Jaguar have operated from Stanley airfield in 1982? Did the Jaguar have air refueling capability in 1982 in order to get the planes there in time? Assuming the Jaguars can make it to the islands a few weeks prior to the invasion, you'll also need to get fuel, logistics and airfield SAM assets into the base. If we can get all that together, and assuming the Jaguars can take off and land at Stanley,...

Freeman ass mk1a (clear formatting)

feeds@yuku.com (NewGolconda) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:17:22 GMT

Try and clear the formatting.

"A fair point, let's compare this to what the RN promised before World War I,...

Alternative RAF Commanders

feeds@yuku.com (PMN1) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:12:43 GMT

Who in your opinion would have been the best choice of commander for Fighter Command, bomber Command, Coastal Command etc at the various stages of WW2 in order to get the best from the resources allocated to that command?

State of the RAF now, given no cancellations 1957-1965

feeds@yuku.com (Craiglxviii) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:39:31 GMT

Question for the board.

Where do you think the RAF would be now, assuming that TSR2, the Hawker P.1152 (supersonic Harrier, correct me if I have the designation wrong please) etc. had entered squadron service? Would we have still seen Tornado and Jaguar in the 80's? Would the F-111 have been brought in in the 70's? In what state would this have left Britain's military aviation industry by the mid to late 80's?

Please feel free to expound.

SAAB demonstrated Gripen Demo today

feeds@yuku.com (splott) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:53:04 GMT

SAAB today unvealed there development platform for Gripen Next Generation http://www.saabgroup.com/en/MediaRelations/Pressreleases/Pressrelease.htm?PressreleaseId=164618 http://www.nyteknik.se/multimedia/archive/00025/Gripen_News_Demo_080_25358a.pdf

If we build it, the USN will buy it.

feeds@yuku.com (SMS12) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:31:38 GMT

That seems to be the story for USN carrier based fighters in the 1950s. Just off the top of my head the USN had 7 different types in squadron service during the decade. (F2H Banshee; F3H Demon, F3D Skynight; F7U Cutlass; F9F Cougar and F11F Tiger). I'm not sure if the Crusader made it to the fleet by the end of '59. I know that this was a period of great advancement but still...

I must so though, they were a good looking lot of planes, especially the Cutlass. Too bad...

Best fighter today to face against F-22 Raptor?

feeds@yuku.com (Admiral Beez) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:27:55 GMT

Barring early introduction of the F-35, which fighter aircraft of today stands the best chance against the F-22 in either a single one-on-one dogfight or as a larger six-on-six engagement?

A few picks that might stand a chance....

Mikoyan MiG-35 (albeit, more than just one will need to be built)
JAS 39 Gripen
Dassault Rafale
Sukhoi Su-35
Eurofighter Typhoon
Chengdu J-10

I believe that none of these aircraft will have the comparable...

Wilfred Freeman - another light blue jackass?

feeds@yuku.com (NewGolconda) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:02:07 GMT

An exert from "Wilfred Freedman - the Genius behind Allied Air Superiority" Written by a post war RAF fighter pilot.

Bear in mind that the period he is referring too is the twelve months that included;

MiG-19 vs. the Best European Fighters of 1956

feeds@yuku.com (Admiral Beez) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:32:03 GMT

When the MiG-19 entered widespread Soviet service in 1956, how would it have compared in combat against the best European fighters?

With the Dassault Super-Mystère not entering service until 1958, France would have to send its Dassault Mystère, which entered service in 1954.

The Hawker Hunter entered service in 1956, and may be the best choice to tackle the MiG-19.

The Saab A32 Lansen could also give a credible fight, having also entered service in 1955/56. Too...

Some UK aviation what ifs?

feeds@yuku.com (PMN1) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:57:07 GMT

If DH hadn't scaled down the DH121 and the Medway enters service, what other applications, civilian and military does it have potential for, does the Spey get developed and if not what are the implications of this?