"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (6 Viewers)

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

Glider said:
I cannot see Ukraine getting more modern aircraft and infrastructure in place before the Spring and have been bitterly disappointed by the slow response from all nations, to such an obvious need. With luck by spring some of it will be in place, but the excuses being trotted out by nations hardly hold water.
Click to expand...
Even if Ukraine had a hundred fourth gen strike fighters such as F-16s or Gripens on top of their ninety-odd MiGs and Sukhois I can't see them surviving long over the SAM-rich Russian front. There's a reason most of NATO is moving to the stealthy F-35.
 
buffnut453 said:
Hate to question a fighter pilot but isn't that a FLANKER rather than a FULCRUM? The long, slightly drooping nose and the additional frame on the canopy look more like the Su-27 to my eyes.
Click to expand...
No sweat. I'm talking about the plane in the background, of which only a small portion is visible.
 
Admiral Beez said:
Even if Ukraine had a hundred fourth gen strike fighters such as F-16s or Gripens on top of their ninety-odd MiGs and Sukhois I can't see them surviving long over the SAM-rich Russian front. There's a reason most of NATO is moving to the stealthy F-35.
Click to expand...
To a point I agree with you. However its' a long front and Ukraine is a big country, and I am confident that there will be places where Ukraine can get through. Even if they cannot I am confident you agree that an F16 is a more capable fighter than the Mig 29 Ukraine are currently relying on, and almost by definition, will be able to achieve more than they can currently do.
I would also expect the F16's to be more reliable, and that alone will help the Ukraine Airforce.
 
The advantage that the F-16 brings (IMO) is its ability to push back the aerial front line. It doesn't have to dogfight nor strike over SAM rich enemy territory. The F-16 is a missile chucking, bomb tossing platform that will maximize the performance of Nato munitions. It works much better with AGM-88s than the cobbled up MiG-29 mountings. Its electronics can sync up better with Nato assets (not that there are any, of course). The A2A missiles it carries offer a much longer range than what the MiG-29 can carry. I forgot the nomenclature of the missiles but the Nato models have about twice the range? The VVS stuff is said to be longer ranged but not by much. That will push the VVS farther behind its own lines. That might allow Ukraine to start moving its own anti-air assets closer to the front. BTW the further back Russia launches a missile attack the more time counter fires have to track and target.
Of course that's a MiG-29 in the background.
 
Last edited:
GTX said:
Check out the missile under the wing - AGM-88 HARM:

View attachment 732749
Click to expand...
MiG-29 with same:

F22o_-tWUAACCvD?format=jpg&name=medium.jpg
 
buffnut453 said:
Hate to question a fighter pilot but isn't that a FLANKER rather than a FULCRUM? The long, slightly drooping nose and the additional frame on the canopy look more like the Su-27 to my eyes.
Click to expand...
Here is an interesting comparison. Picture on the left courtesy of GTX, shows two planes of which one has its tail number blurred out (SU-27). Picture on the right courtesy of GTX again, appears to be from the same shoot, different angle, as it has the same Fulcrum and now the Flankers tail Number.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1262.jpeg
    IMG_1262.jpeg
    1 MB · Views: 10
  • IMG_1261.jpeg
    IMG_1261.jpeg
    162.4 KB · Views: 11
GTX said:
MiG-29 with same:

View attachment 732949
Click to expand...
Interesting shot. The MiG-29 has the ability to take off on rough or unprepared surfaces. It has a door in each intake that drops down to close that path to air. On top of the strake / wing root area are four or five rectangular panels with red Xs on them as seen in this picture. Those "doors" open like Venetian blinds to let air in. In an actual fight with them those doors will open to let additional air in and often have vapor forming around them. It makes them appear to be blinking open and closed while maneuvering with the power up.

Also note is the extended forward edge of the vertical tail. This houses flares in most MiG-29s. Behind the pilot at the base of his canopy you can see the bulkhead I mentioned earlier. The pilot is wearing what appears to be Russian helmet and harness but definitely a US made flight suit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 7 (members: 3, guests: 4)

Similar threads

M
All V-22's Grounded
Replies
2
Views
917
GTX
GTX
M
All This For The Low, Low Price of .....
Replies
19
Views
1K
MIflyer
M
M
The Wrath of KAAN?
Replies
3
Views
662
Snautzer01
Snautzer01
M
The USAF V-22 Mishap of 2023
Replies
2
Views
128
Thumpalumpacus
Thumpalumpacus
M
What Is The Point Of This?
Replies
3
Views
477
SaparotRob
SaparotRob
Back