In X-plane 7.0, I have reached 240,000 ft in altitude with an F-16, and
290,000 with an SR-71. Now after 80,000 where the atmosphere is thin,
apparently the jet engines with afterburner are still pushing the
aircraft with the same force (no oxygen around).

I wonder if this accurately shows the possibility with an F-16. How
high has anyone gone with one of these fighters?

Secondly, as you dive into the ground, then level off with the
afterburner burning, somewhere at 800knots, aircraft start accelerating
again as if theyre functioning as a ramjet or something. Its hard to
push an F-14/15/16/18 to beyond mach 1 at level flight at sea level,
but once you push it beyond that by diving and leveling off, it really
accelerates at level flight to 1900 knots or beyond with a strange
whooshing sound. Most airrcaft are hard to control, especially the F-22
and the F-14 at these speeds.

Is this real? Can you really push an F-16 at sea level on level flight
to beyond mach 3 in this manner?

Ghazan Haider wrote:
> In X-plane 7.0, I have reached 240,000 ft in altitude with an F-16, and
> 290,000 with an SR-71. Now after 80,000 where the atmosphere is thin,
> apparently the jet engines with afterburner are still pushing the
> aircraft with the same force (no oxygen around).
>
> I wonder if this accurately shows the possibility with an F-16. How
> high has anyone gone with one of these fighters?

Haha, no. The F16's service ceiling is just above 50,000ft, and can't
fly much higher than that. The SR71's is somewhere between 80,000ft and
90,000ft. Both planes' engines require oxygen.


> Secondly, as you dive into the ground, then level off with the
> afterburner burning, somewhere at 800knots, aircraft start accelerating
> again as if theyre functioning as a ramjet or something. Its hard to
> push an F-14/15/16/18 to beyond mach 1 at level flight at sea level,
> but once you push it beyond that by diving and leveling off, it really
> accelerates at level flight to 1900 knots or beyond with a strange
> whooshing sound. Most airrcaft are hard to control, especially the F-22
> and the F-14 at these speeds.
>
> Is this real? Can you really push an F-16 at sea level on level flight
> to beyond mach 3 in this manner?

Of course that isn't real. First, Mach 3 would destroy the aircraft and
no, it's engines would still only be good for aprox. Mach 1 at sea level.

Most sims have little exploitable flaws.

Happy sim'ing,

Randy

Ghazan Haider > wrote:
> In X-plane 7.0, I have reached 240,000 ft in altitude with an F-16, and
> 290,000 with an SR-71. Now after 80,000 where the atmosphere is thin,
> apparently the jet engines with afterburner are still pushing the
> aircraft with the same force (no oxygen around).
>
> I wonder if this accurately shows the possibility with an F-16. How
> high has anyone gone with one of these fighters?
>
> Secondly, as you dive into the ground, then level off with the
> afterburner burning, somewhere at 800knots, aircraft start accelerating
> again as if theyre functioning as a ramjet or something. Its hard to
> push an F-14/15/16/18 to beyond mach 1 at level flight at sea level,
> but once you push it beyond that by diving and leveling off, it really
> accelerates at level flight to 1900 knots or beyond with a strange
> whooshing sound. Most airrcaft are hard to control, especially the F-22
> and the F-14 at these speeds.
>
> Is this real? Can you really push an F-16 at sea level on level flight
> to beyond mach 3 in this manner?

I asked this from Austin himself and here is his answer:

it is NOT real!
look at the MAX INLET EFFICIENCY MACH NUMBER in plane-maker
i bet that whoever designed these planes entered too high a number for
that cvalue in plane-maker! (these are not planes that came with
x-pllane, except possibly the sr71)
also, be sure to use x-pane 815, which has a better jet engine model!

--
- Tommi -