The Greatest Fighter Jet of All Time.

[FLYBOYJ]

OK GUYS! I asked a few F-16 guys before I left work. It's guns are bore sighted for a kill zone STRAIGHT in front of the aircraft. I was told by this one Tech Sargent (who was an F-16 crew chief) that the aircraft actually flies a bit "nose high" so the guns are angled slightly down, but as he put it "a gnats hair." For the most part the "Kill Zone" is right in front of the aircraft.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to meet with a couple of guys who flew F-105s and AD-1s, will post the information accordingly.....

 

[lesofprimus]

Ive met my share of fighter mechs, and I have never heard anything, or read anything, that says that the guns were adjusted downward...

And as for the whole "shoot the guns for AOA" and "confirm where a bomb will hit just by firing rounds" wouldnt u guys think that maybe theyre shooting at the enemy prior to the bombs exploding....

Its called strafing...

 

[evangilder]

Good point, Les. Much less likely for the enemy to shoot back when they have to keep their heads down.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Sounds like a bunch of hogwash to me. If you put your guns downward slightly anyhow (which they did not do) you would not get a straight shot at a target in front of you. Would make killing harder.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Our pilots are off today (Veterans Day) I did find this on the Corsair....

"F4U-2 was a night fighter version of the dash one. For reasons known only to the US Navy, instead of calling it the "F4U-1N" (a method it used on all succeeding models), they gave it the dash two designation. The dash one was transformed into the dash two by modifying the starboard wing and the radio bay in the fuselage to accept the "XAIA" ("Experimental Airborne Intercept [model] A") radar which was hand-built.

The starboard wing was modified by removing the outboard .50 cal. (12.7 mm) Colt-Browning and altering the wing to support the radar scanner. The radio was removed and placed beneath the pilot's seat and the radar set was placed in the radio bay. There were other slight modifications such as bore sighting the guns to converge fire at 250 yards (228.6 m) and were angled slightly upward so the pilot could fire without bouncing around in the target's slip-stream. There were no tracers loaded so as not to blind the pilot when firing. The engine was fitted with exhaust flame dampers. After radar installation, the aircraft weighed 235 pounds less than the standard dash one."

 

[syscom3]

Do you know if the radar had an SCR or AN number?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Upward not downward. Downward just seems not right to me.

 

[evangilder]

I think I have the number at home, syscom. I will check and see.

 

[102first_hussars]

Well its not talking about ground attack
So lets all agree to disagree.

 

[evangilder]

I want to know where the info came from. There are several of us here that know WWII era mechanics and the guns pointing downward has never been brought up. So the question is, what is the source of that info?

 

[syscom3]

Didnt the Germans toy with an attack plane that fired a cannon downward so as to easily penetrate the top armour of a tank?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Well its not talking about ground attack
So lets all agree to disagree.

No I just dont believe it.

Didnt the Germans toy with an attack plane that fired a cannon downward so as to easily penetrate the top armour of a tank?

Yes but it was different than what Hussars up there is talking about. The guns were mounted in the back of the fuselage and mounted downwards and shot out the bottom of the aircraft. But actually now that I think about it there was one that also was made to fire upward and attack bomber formations. I may be wrong that there was one pointing down. Erich might be able to help with this one.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

OK Guys - got the scoop!!

Today I spoke with one of our pilots. Lee Mazzarella (Col, USAF RET) flew F-105s, F-4s and A-1s in Viet Nam. As being a maintenance officer in the A-1H squadron, he assured me that the 4 20mm cannons WERE NOT bored downward, the same with F-105. Lee did close to 100 missions and 2000 hours in Skyraiders

Didnt the Germans toy with an attack plane that fired a cannon downward so as to easily penetrate the top armour of a tank?

Junkers J-1 of WW1 had a downward firing gun.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

And there you have it. What we all thought has been confirmed.

Thanks FBJ and also thanks for the info on the WW1 German plane. I also think there was a WW2 project also.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Adler -

 

[evangilder]

Do you know if the radar had an SCR or AN number?

I am not able to find an AN number for the radar in the F4U-2, but had read that it was developed at MIT and hand built. So they may have "prototypes".

The F4U-4N carried the AN/APS-6 radar set.

 

[SUperflanker37]

the F-4 was excellent for its time but is now totally outdated. in my opinion the SU-37 is definitly the best.. though it never went into production unfortunately.
as of now the F-22 is stastically the best overall (though also the most expensive) it is soon going to be surpassed though by the MiG 142
I'm also a fan of the F-14, but it'll be out of date by 2010 f'sure.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The F-14 is already being retired from front line service. Replaced by the F-18E Super Hornet.

As for your Mig 1.42 I do not think the Russians will develop it beyond prototype. They can not afford it.

 

[SUperflanker37]

yeah its a real shame they dont have the funding, same as what i read. the F-18E is definitly better than the F-14, but I read somewheres that the F-14D won't be officially retired until 2008-10

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

It wont be officially retired until 2008 but it will not be in front line service.

The F-18E is a great plane but does not have the capabilities of the F-14.