Planes!

[GDS_Starfury]

150 nm range..... BWAHAHAHAHA

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Keep in mind those were the export version of very early model MIG-29s.

[GDS_Starfury]

keep in mind we have helmet mounted sights and Aim-9x now.  to be fair I think NATO training standards are what let them get what they do out of those frames.  thankfully neither the Russians or China seem to spend as much on training as we do.

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keep in mind we have helmet mounted sights and Aim-9x now.  to be fair I think NATO training standards are what let them get what they do out of those frames.  thankfully neither the Russians or China seem to spend as much on training as we do.

I agree about the training making the difference.

[Staggerwing]

The 29 was probably designed to operate from forward airfields and insure local air superiority over the conflict zone at the cost of being able to operate far into enemy airspace. For that, the russians designed the Su-27 line.

keep in mind we have helmet mounted sights and Aim-9x now. 

We have those now. We didn't back in the late 80's and 90's. Every dog may have it's day. This particular one just never got to play in it's own neighborhood when the day came.

[GDS_Starfury]

that version got its day in Iraq.   ;D


USAF F-15Es vs IRAF MiG-29s

On the opening night of the war two MiG-29s attempted to engage a flight of USAF F-15Es. One of the MiGs crashed while flying at low altitude but the other MiG pressed on. One of the F-15Es fired an AIM-9 Sidewinder when the MiG locked him up but missed. Several other F-15Es simultaneously tried to engage the lone MiG-29 but were unable to get the kill. One F-15E was actually flying past the Iraqi jet and maneuvered in for the kill but the pilot hesitated to take the shot because he was unsure of his wingmen's location and because he did not get a good tone with the Sidewinder missile.[2]

I hadnt heard about this one:


IRAF MiG-29 vs USAF F-111 and B-52G

An Iraqi MiG-29 struck an F-111 aircraft with a R60 missile, though the sturdy F-111 stayed airworthy. Several minutes later the same pilot fired a R27 missile at a B-52G on a bombing run, severely damaging it.[4]

and so it goes...


USAF F-15Cs vs. IRAF MiG-29s

Two F-15Cs, piloted by Captains Craig Underhill and Cesar Rodriguez gave chase to a pair of MiG-29s detected by AWACS. The Iraqi aircraft, one piloted by Captain Jameel Sayhood, promptly turned and engaged the two American fighters, and one of the most dramatic dogfights of the Persian Gulf War ensued. The two MiGs and F-15s flew straight at each other, each attempting to visually identify the other. Underhill was facing Sayhood's wingman, while Sayhood himself was facing Rodriguez. Underhill fired an AIM-7 at Sayhood's wingman, scoring a head-on hit and killing the opposing pilot instantly. Simultaneously, Sayhood gained a lock on Rodriguez, throwing him onto the defensive. Rodriguez dove to low altitude in order to clutter Sayhood's radar and break the lock-on, and dropped flares to counter his adversary's infra-red search-and-track. However, after seeing his wingman shot down, Sayhood disengaged and fled to the north. Considering the engagement over, Rodriguez and Underhill turned south to rendezvous with a KC-135 tanker in order to refuel, but Sayhood reversed course and set off after them, prompting them to reengage. With the now lone MiG-29 closing head-on with the pair of F-15s, Underhill gained radar lock-on, but did not fire due to a glitch in his IFF interrogator system keeping him from being certain he wasn't about to shoot down a Coalition aircraft. Sayhood sliced into the American formation, causing a classic merge. Underhill kept Sayhood locked-on and climbed, while Rodriguez committed to the merge in order to visually identify the opposing aircraft as hostile. As they passed head-on, Rodriguez identified it as an Iraqi, and each pilot turned left to engage the other. Sayhood was relying on his MiG's better turning radius to get into a firing position on Rodriguez' tail. Both aircraft lost altitude through the sustained hard turning, bringing them perilously close to the ground. Fearing that Rodriguez would obtain infra-red lock-on and shoot him down with an AIM-9, Sayhood attempted to disengage using a split-s. Rodriguez didn't match Sayhood's manoeuvre, and observed him eject just prior to his MiG impacting the ground - he'd commenced his escape maneuver too low. It is not known if he survived.[2][3]

RAF GR.1 Tornado vs. IRAF MiG-29

It has been claimed by some sources that a Tornado (ZA467) crewed by Squadron Leader Gary Lennox and Squadron Leader Adrian Weeks was shot down on 19 January by a R-60MK (NATO reporting name: AA-8 Aphid) missile fired from an Iraqi MiG-29 piloted by Jameel Sayhood,[5] however this aircraft is officially recorded as having crashed on 22 January on a mission to Ar Rutbah.[6][7]

[mirth]

Formation of Short Stirlings

[mirth]

Hellcat testing the hangar deck catapult of an Essex class carrier.

[mirth]

Different angle, different Hellcat, probably a different carrier entirely:

An F6F-3 Hellcat from Fighting Squadron One (VF-1) being launched from the hangar deck catapult of USS Yorktown (CV-10) during her shakedown cruise near Trinidad in June 1943.

I don't think these were ever used operationally.

[bob48]

I was not aware that such a thing even existed. How interesting.

[bayonetbrant]

[Windigo]

they both are very good at BSU!

[GDS_Starfury]

It would be funny if it wasnt such a depressing truth.  :-\

[mirth]

A SwAF SAAB 37 Viggen showing off its foldable tail fin while being towed out of a mountain hangar in Säve, Sweden

[mirth]

Thunderbolt Mark Is of No. 135 Squadron RAF, lined up at Chittagong, India, while being overflown by three other Thunderbolts, 1944