On 12/20/04 16:38, in article ,
"Ed Rasimus" wrote:

On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 22:11:59 GMT, "Frijoles"
wrote:

John, Ed -- enough already...
...the thread was about the relative performance of two prominent US
fighters, not the relevance of BFM in multi-bogey environments.

BFM training still goes on -- the Hornet is the best BFM platform in the US
inventory (pre-F22, pre-AIM-9X etc). Properly used, its ability to "point"
negates the Ps advantage resident in some other jets, including the B/D
Tomcats.

BFM is always relevant to a greater or lesser degree, but if you want
to talk "relative performane" you've got to throw in a lot of
stuff--T/W, rate/radius, endurance, range, weapons available and don't
forget the ROE.

When you get to the "teen fighters" there isn't a whole lot of
difference in the basic numbers. Vipers, Eagles, Toms and Bugs all do
a pretty good job and on any given day, one or the other will reign
supreme.

Pride in your system is good, but there aren't many absolutes in
discussion of "The best BFM platform in the US inventory".

Now, there was that day on the White Sands Missile Range that I caught
a pair of early vintage Hornets mucking about at low level over the
Trinity site. Got about 35 feet of film in my AT-38 without them
apparently even knowing that they were becoming movie stars.

IMHO.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org

Ed,

You're right about absolutes to a point, but in the teen series fighters,
the F/A-18 has better high AOA ability. Its ability to point the nose when
slow and to force the defender to acknowledge its presence makes it slightly
superior. Add the new "departure resistant" PROM 10.7 FCC software, and
you've got a better jet.

I'd like to believe I'm a better pilot that the Viper drivers I've got video
of, but I'm really not. I have a jet that will just do things that their
airplanes won't.

At the risk of getting batted around by John again, I'll say it: With the
same skill-level pilots, the closest thing to the Hornet's BFM ability is
the F-16 big mouth.

It's not pride in the weapons system. It's matter of record.

--Woody