Classic warbirds and other aviation vids.

[LE BARON]

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐣𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞?

The main difference between a fighter jet engine and a commercial jet engine is the amount of air that bypasses the core of the engine. The core of the engine is where the air is compressed, mixed with fuel, ignited, and expanded through a turbine. The bypass air is the air that flows around the core and exits through a nozzle at the rear of the engine.

A commercial jet engine is usually a high-bypass turbofan engine, which means that most of the air that enters the engine bypasses the core and is accelerated by a large fan at the front of the engine. This type of engine is very efficient, quiet, and reliable, as it produces a lot of thrust with relatively low fuel consumption and noise. A high-bypass turbofan engine is ideal for long-distance flights at subsonic speeds, which are typical for commercial airliners.

A fighter jet engine is usually a low-bypass or no-bypass turbofan or turbojet engine, which means that most or all of the air that enters the engine goes through the core and is accelerated by a smaller fan or no fan at all. This type of engine is very powerful, fast, and responsive, as it produces a lot of thrust with relatively high exhaust velocity and temperature. A low-bypass or no-bypass turbofan or turbojet engine is ideal for short-distance flights at supersonic speeds, which are typical for military fighter jets.

An afterburner is a device that injects more fuel into the exhaust stream of the engine and ignites it, creating more thrust and heat. An afterburner can boost the performance of a fighter jet engine by up to 50%, but it also consumes a lot of fuel and creates a lot of noise. An afterburner is rarely used by commercial jet engines, as it is not economical or environmentally friendly.

 

[LE BARON]

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝟐𝟐 𝐑𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐔-𝟑𝟓 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅-𝟑𝟓 𝐉𝐒𝐅?

The F-22 Raptor is renowned for its unmatched speed, agility, and stealth capabilities. Its super cruise ability, advanced avionics, and low observability make it a dominant force in aerial combat. With superior situational awareness and the capacity to engage multiple targets simultaneously, the F-22 has a proven track record of air superiority.

The SU-35 is highly regarded for its exceptional maneuverability and versatility. Equipped with thrust-vectoring engines and advanced aerodynamics, it can outmaneuver most adversaries in dogfights. Its powerful radar and long-range missiles also provide formidable beyond-visual-range combat capability. While lacking in stealth, the SU-35 compensates with agility and a robust airframe.

The F-35 JSF, primarily a multirole fighter, incorporates advanced stealth technology and sensor fusion capabilities that bolster its air superiority. Its sophisticated avionics and networking capabilities offer unparalleled situational awareness, enabling it to detect and engage threats from beyond visual range. Although not as maneuverable as the F-22 or SU-35, its stealth and advanced sensors provide a significant advantage in contested airspace.

Each aircraft has unique strengths: the F-22 excels in speed and stealth, the SU-35 in maneuverability and firepower, and the F-35 in sensor fusion and networking. The "better" air superiority plane depends on specific operational needs and mission objectives.

 

[LE BARON]

Stealth Titans Unveiled: B-2 Spirit vs. Tu-160 Blackjack vs. Xian H-20

B-2 Spirit: The epitome of American ingenuity, the B-2 Spirit boasts unparalleled stealth capabilities and precision strike capabilities. With its sleek, bat-wing design and advanced avionics, it's a force to be reckoned with in modern aerial warfare.

Tu-160 Blackjack: Hailing from Russia, the Tu-160 Blackjack is a formidable adversary, known for its supersonic speed and heavy payload capacity. Its menacing appearance and long-range capabilities make it a strategic asset on the global stage.

Xian H-20: China's ace in the hole, the Xian H-20 is shrouded in mystery, yet its potential is undeniable. With rumors of stealth technology and a focus on strategic bombing, it promises to redefine the balance of power in the skies.

 

[LE BARON]

The F-15 is the larger aircraft, and thus; can fit a larger radar. And it takes advantage of that capability. Allowing it to have greater detection range of that of the F-16.

Second is speed. The F-15 is the fastest mass produced fighter aircraft the US has ever made. With a non-debated top speed of 1,600 MPH, compared to the F-16’s top speed of 1325~ MPH, allowing for the F-15 to have greater flexibility in maneuvering in BVR combat.

And lastly, armament. The F-15 has been accurately described as a bomb truck. It carries every type and munition and a lot of them, a flying arsenal if you will. The F-15 can carry theoretically up to 20 missiles, massive compared to the F-16’s 9. Missiles can miss, be miss directed by ECM, not fully kill the enemy, or just fail; meaning that the more missiles you have the greater advantage you have in any air combat situation.

These are just three of the many reasons the F-15 is superior to the F-16 in BVR combat,

 

[LE BARON]

I put the comments below the pic
A bit long (first person) but interesting

Just one sortie away from those magical USAF wings.

As Second Lieutenants, our salary was $18,000 per year.

We were young and indestructible — the luckiest guys in the world.

My class ranking was not that impressive. I was in that half of the class which makes the Top 50% possible.

In the #2 aircraft was my best friend, Charles (Chuck) Jenkins.

Everyone had a nickname. His was Up-Chuck. My nickname is not suitable for polite company…

Chuck was Top Dog in our class. He was (and is) a naturally gifted pilot. Good hands.

He would soon get an F-15 to Spangdahlem, Germany.

Like a great catcher, he would give me signals.

In that IBM Brain of his, Chuck could instantly calculate the energy state of the entire flight. He would signal me. I would then lead the 4-ship into the next maneuver.

Pilots constantly “talk” to each other using hand signals — like deaf kids at Disney World. Many real-world attack missions are executed in complete radio silence.

When I gave the signal Go Tactical, Chuck just shook his head no.

He resembled a weary parent.

In the photo above, the red arrow points to the rear view mirror. This mirror is identical to the one in your car.

At 500 MPH, tailgaters are irritating.

Chuck taught me to place a tiny black X on the windscreen. If your flight lead stayed just above the X, you were stabilized at the proper angle.

Just one problem…you can be at the proper angle and still be closing on the lead aircraft. In other words, you can have perfect geometry and still crash.

Once again, Chuck helped me out. He taught me power management and “fluttering” the speedbrakes.

Some private pilots are not aware:

𝑰𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆.

There is a big irony in flying formation as a student (a.k.a. Stud or Studley Do-right).

The safest students are guys like me. No sudden movements. No hair-raising rejoins. Instructors loved flying with a Steady Eddie. They knew they were going home that night.

However…

As Jay Snyder mentions in the Comments section, instructors would not tolerate excessive safety. If you were too cautious, the instructor would say: Get your ass back in there.

Aircraft occasionally tap each other — not a big deal. The bigger danger is an unsafe rate of closure during a turning rejoin. That is serious and leads to immediate intervention.

Formation flying is the most dangerous part of training. You must prove yourself to make it that far. Many people did not make it.

Everyone flew emergency simulators. The evaluator would start with something minor. Maybe icing on the pitot tube. After the student had demonstrated the appropriate responses, the evaluator would give you something else. Maybe an engine fire.

Everyone knew what was coming. The EP would keep giving you emergency after emergency. Many were compound emergencies where he threw the book at you.

The important thing was to maintain your composure. A pilot succeeds when he makes logical decisions in the correct order — like a human computer.

Radio failure

Engine fire

Rudder malfunction

Icing on the wings

Thunderstorm

Lightning strike

Hail storm

Bird strike

Nose wheel failure

Complete landing gear failure

Complete hydraulic failure

Complete electrical failure

Complete instrument failure

Complete engine failure

Split flaps

No flaps

Smoke in the cockpit

Loss of all pressurization

Structural failure
A USAF pilot must stay 100% calm when faced with multiple emergencies.

 

[LE BARON]

Read below pic

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅-𝟑𝟓 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐈?

The Rafale fighter jet is a French twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft produced by Dassault Aviation. It is designed to perform air superiority, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike, and nuclear deterrence missions. It has been in service with the French Air Force and Navy since 2004 and 2006, respectively. It has also been exported to Egypt, Qatar, India, and Greece.

The F-35 Lightning II fighter jet is an American single-engine stealth multirole combat aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin for use in air superiority and strike missions. It can also perform electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. It is the result of the Joint Strike Fighter program that involved the United States and eight other countries: the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Italy, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Japan. It has been in service with the United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps since 2015, 2019, and 2015, respectively. It has also been exported to Israel, South Korea, Belgium, Poland, Singapore, and others.

Based on these characteristics, it can be said that the Rafale fighter jet has some advantages over the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet in certain areas. Some of these advantages are:

- Greater payload capacity: The Rafale can carry more weapons and fuel than the F-35. The Rafale has a maximum takeoff weight of 24.5 tons and can carry up to 9.5 tons of external load. The F-35 has a maximum takeoff weight of 31.8 tons and can carry up to 8.1 tons of external load. The Rafale also has more hardpoints than the F-35: 14 versus 10. This gives the Rafale more flexibility and versatility in different missions.

- Longer range and endurance: The Rafale can fly farther and longer than the F-35. The Rafale has a combat radius of 1,850 km and a ferry range of 3,700 km. The F-35 has a combat radius of 1,200 km and a ferry range of 2,200 km. The Rafale also has a higher service ceiling than the F-35: 18 km versus 15 km. This makes the Rafale more suitable for long-range operations or deployments.

- Better maneuverability: The Rafale can perform better maneuvers than the F-35. The Rafale has a higher thrust-to-weight ratio than the F-35: 1.13 versus 1.07. The Rafale also has a lower wing loading than the F-35: 326 kg/m² versus 428 kg/m². The Rafale also features a canard delta wing design and a fly-by-wire system that enhances its agility and stability. The Rafale can perform maneuvers such as high angle of attack maneuvers, cobra maneuvers, and supercruise

 

[LE BARON]

The B-52 is a legendary bomber that has been in service since 1955 and is expected to fly for a long run. The B-52 has eight engines, four on each wing, that provide it with thrust and power. The B-52 can carry nuclear or precision-guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.

The B-52 is a remarkable feat of engineering and design, and it has a loyal fan base among aviation enthusiasts and travelers. However, there are some facts and secrets about the B-52 that are not widely known or publicized. Here are some of them:

The B-52 was originally designed to carry six nuclear bombs, each weighing 10,000 pounds, in an internal bomb bay. However, the development of smaller and lighter nuclear weapons allowed the B-52 to carry more bombs externally on pylons under the wings. The maximum number of nuclear bombs that the B-52 could carry was 24, each weighing 1,100 pounds.

The B-52 has a unique feature called the wet wing, which means that the entire wing structure is used as a fuel tank. This gives the B-52 a huge fuel capacity of about 300,000 pounds, which enables it to fly long distances without refueling. However, this also makes the B-52 vulnerable to fire and explosion if the wing is damaged or punctured.

The B-52 has a special escape system for the crew in case of an emergency. The pilot and co-pilot have ejection seats that can be activated by pulling a handle between their legs. The other four crew members have a capsule that can be ejected from the lower rear of the fuselage by pulling a ring above their heads. The capsule has parachutes, survival kits, and flotation devices.

The B-52 has a secret compartment behind the cockpit that can be used for various purposes. The compartment is accessible by a ladder from the lower deck and has a hatch that can be opened from the inside or outside. The compartment can accommodate two people and has a toilet, a sink, a bed, and a window.

 

[LE BARON]

Crazy fast looking airplanes, huh? Yet none made into production. Why? Propellers are severely mach limited. When the airplane approaches (and by that I mean to within about 70%) of supersonic speed (mach 1) the propeller (especially the tips) must be going faster than supersonic. This causes all sorts of problems among them a dramatic drop in efficiency, so it takes a doubling in power to go just a few knots faster, and another doubling to go a few knots faster still. Things get really really loud also. (Hence the name “Thunderscreech”). Supersonic flight using propellers for thrust is effectively impossible. It has been done, but only in a dive and the penalties are horrendous.

 

[1st Vette]

 

[1st Vette]

 

[1st Vette]

Lucky ! Wow .

Video shows jets clip wings in Florida

Wild video from Florida show the moment that two jets clipped wings during an airshow in Fort Lauderdale.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[Murray20c8]

Lucky ! Wow .

Video shows jets clip wings in Florida

Wild video from Florida show the moment that two jets clipped wings during an airshow in Fort Lauderdale.

www.ctvnews.ca

It'll buff out!

 

[1st Vette]