Quoted:
Originally Posted By KC-130 FLT ENG:
[b]A squadron of FA-18s against an air wing of F15 and F16s is just not a fair fight[/b]
You are correct sir!
Poor zoomies wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell against the finest.....Navy/Marine Corps Aviation.[:p]
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That's funny. A Lawn Dart flight would eat them up, and any rational observer would agree.
F/A anything just can't be the best at either F or A.
I am partial to the Navy Aviators, but reality is what it is. Oh, BTW; the Army/AF have Patriots.
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When it comes to Vipers vs. Super Bugs, (or regular bugs, for that matter), the determining factor is the skill of the pilot, and most importantly, the skill he demonstrates in keeping the fight within the parameters that favors his bird best. The F-16 is a rate fighter, meaning that its turn rate is one of its design strengths, while the F/A-18 is a radius fighter, meaning that one of its design strengths is its tight turn RADIUS. The two would SEEM to be closely related, but they're not. Reason is, the F-16 is capable of sustaining a full NINE gee's if it has sufficient energy (forward velocity) for the flight control surfaces to operate at their maximum efficiency, while the F/A-18 is limited to 7.5 gee's, max.
It's this additional 1.5 gee's capability that gives the Viper the edge in a turning fight. Also, the Viper has an advantage in raw power and can out-accelerate an F/A-18.
The F-16's nickname and reputation as a "lawn dart" is largely due to the fact that its 9 gee limitation has allowed more than one pilot to G-LOC himself right into the ground (Gee-induced Loss Of Consciousness), while this is less likely to occur at 7.5 gee's. If you remove the known and probable G-LOC induced crashes from the F-16's record, you get a safety of flight record that is comparable to if not better than any other fighter in service.
I gather that an update to the F-16's flight control program will keep the plane from flying uncontrolled into the ground. It is a relatively simple thing to do this on a plane that has a computer in the loop between the pilot and the control surfaces. We have some planes that can fly through canyons at 100 feet constant relative altitude at mach 1 plus on autopilot, so technically, keeping a plane from crashing into terrain isn't that much of a challenge.
As for the Eagle vs. the bug, that's another story entirely. I don't know how that would turn out, but I can say that practice engagements between Eagles and Vipers results in the F-16 winning a large percentage of the time. I think that of the three types, F-15, F-16, and F/A-18, the best place to be is in the F-16 if it's going to be a down and dirty dogfight at close ranges.
CJ