Aviation Pictures: A-Seven-th Thread--CorsAirin' Through Time and Airspace

[Fat Guy]

The Air Force released some new Raider pics.

[truetanker]

Meanwhile, in the US Marine Corps...

I'm getting Twilight:2000 vibes here...

Mmmm... BT version of Twilight:2K...

TT

[CrossfirePilot]

The Air Force released some new Raider pics.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss....

[chanman]

Dutch F-16AM 'J-015', 312 Sqn, RAF Waddingon.06.07.13
Not sure if it's one of the airframes being donated to Ukraine


E-3D Sentry AEW1 ZH102, 8 Sqn, RAF Leuchars.14.09.12


Both from photographer Alan McConnell (https://www.flickr.com/photos/153873640@N02/)

[chanman]

Sadly, I have news that forum alumnus Deathshadow passed away in his sleep early May 23, 2024. I talked to him regularly on Facebook Messenger, and when looking into why he'd been offline for an unusually long time, his IRL friends updated the rest of us on what had happened.

To absent friends, then. He always was a fan of the Viper.

[Daryk]

Absent friends...

[CrossfirePilot]

Sadly, I have news that forum alumnus Deathshadow passed away in his sleep early May 23, 2024. I talked to him regularly on Facebook Messenger, and when looking into why he'd been offline for an unusually long time, his IRL friends updated the rest of us on what had happened.

To absent friends, then. He always was a fan of the Viper.

If I am thinking of the right person, I believe he flew one back in the day.  I do recall exchanging things like reloading and brewing recipes with him about a dozen years ago.

[chanman]

If I am thinking of the right person, I believe he flew one back in the day.  I do recall exchanging things like reloading and brewing recipes with him about a dozen years ago.

Deathshadow did claim to be a former F-16 pilot at Eielson in Alaska, although he also tended towards the tall tales side of stories and I never pushed much on the gaps. Reloading sounds... possible, since he had familiarity with firearms, but wasn't actually active shooting at all. Brewing seems very unlikely, since AFAIK he never drank alcohol.

[Giovanni Blasini]

Deathshadow did claim to be a former F-16 pilot at Eielson in Alaska, although he also tended towards the tall tales side of stories and I never pushed much on the gaps. Reloading sounds... possible, since he had familiarity with firearms, but wasn't actually active shooting at all. Brewing seems very unlikely, since AFAIK he never drank alcohol.

Deathshadow was an interesting character who definitely had strong opinions on things, and no problem sharing them, even if that had a tendency to get him into trouble at times, but he was also a standup dude, and a fellow computer nerd who, like me, cut his teeth on a TRS-80 back in the day.

[chanman]

DHC-7 demonstrating some Karnov-like STOL performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG36JzigpDE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX3EME3d-5c

[Daryk]

Those are both REALLY short, but not (BT) Karnov short... ;)

[I am Belch II]

I always liked the Dash7. Neat looking quad prop. Don't see to many of those anymore.

[Cannonshop]

I always liked the Dash7. Neat looking quad prop. Don't see to many of those anymore.

They haven't been built in a few decades, though they're still (somewhat) in use.

[Fat Guy]

F-15EX photoshop. 

[truetanker]

F-15EX photoshop. 

Getting "Wingman" vibes..

TT

[ANS Kamas P81]

That and Ace Combat, yeah...

[chanman]

That and Ace Combat, yeah...

They actually just open a dimension door to the missile dimension 

[I am Belch II]

As much as l love flight simulator flying games, I have never played that game.

[chanman]

As much as l love flight simulator flying games, I have never played that game.

Simulator isn't close to the word for it. 
FWIW, I've played both Ace Combat 7 and Project Wingman (a fan-made game much like Stardew Valley is to Harvest Moon) and while AC7 is more polished in general and specially more impressively graphically, Project Wingman has much better gameplay and a better (and just as insane) plot arc. It might even have the better soundtrack, honestly.

Project Wingman Mission 11 is the entire genre in a nutshell. A single mission that can see you shooting down 80 aircraft or more in a gigantic furball.

[Hellraiser]

F-15EX photoshop. 

This is exactly how my airforce is equipped, at all times   

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Reading a book about the sinking of the Bismark right now and it got me wondering: are aircraft-dropped torpedoes still used or have they been completely replaced by missiles?

[Euphonium]

As far as I know, nowadays the only air-dropped torpedoes still in use are for anti-submarine use.

[Daryk]

Yeah, missiles are usually preferred for surface targets.

[chanman]

Torpedoes are slow and anti-ship torpedoes are hella heavy. 533mm torpedoes are in the 3000-4000 pound range. A 650mm torpedo can double that or more.

Add to that they have restrictive drop parameters. They can't hit the water too fast or too far from the target because of their internal sensor limitations and speed/range limitations.

That's why the ASW focus. A Mk. 46 or equivalent is only about 500 lb give or take. Much smaller shaped warhead. They aren't trying to snap the keel of a surface warship - just punching a hole through the pressure hull of a sub tends to be crippling or fatal. Subs don't shoot back at aircraft, unlike surface warships, so there's time and space for an ASW helo or maritime patrol craft to vector to the detected sub and make a weapons drop.

Note the absolutely abysmal casualty rates suffered by torpedo bombers in the Pacific theatre. There's a reason the Brits trained for night attacks.

[Hellraiser]

When they are used, isn't it now Helo dropped?

I don't think Fighters are mounting them anymore are they?

But I swore I've seen some Helos going Sub Hunting in the last 3-4 decades.   Doh, I'm old.

[glitterboy2098]

When they are used, isn't it now Helo dropped?

I don't think Fighters are mounting them anymore are they?

But I swore I've seen some Helos going Sub Hunting in the last 3-4 decades.   Doh, I'm old.

helicopters are the go-to platforms for ASW torps now yes. but they're also carried by ASW planes. mostly stuff like the P-8 Poseidon, P-3 Orion, and similar, but in the not so recent past you also saw them in platforms like the S-3 Viking. generally the higher speed planes carry them with containers and parachutes so they can be dropped from altitude safely, without having to do the "low and slow" wavetop skimming seen in WW2. modern airdropped torpedoes usually are 'fire and forget" with sensor suites allwoign them to home in on a target. though the specific target profile still has to be programmed ahead of time, usually using the data off sonobouys or dipping sonar. (datalinks have been a big help here, since it lets any sonar in the net provide the targeting info)

[Hellraiser]

mostly stuff like the P-8 Poseidon, P-3 Orion, and similar, but in the not so recent past you also saw them in platforms like the S-3 Viking.

Wow, good info, I had to look those up. 
I'm not sure I've ever seen the first 2 in operation. 
The Viking is vaguely familiar at least.

[worktroll]

No child of the cold war, you, it would appear. Not to recognise the Orion.

[ANS Kamas P81]

Have a Vulcan low and fast.

[Daryk]

That's a great shot! :)