kinney@mailer.cc.fsu.edu (Mark A. Kinney) (03/13/91)
From: Mark A. Kinney <wku_unix!kinney@mailer.cc.fsu.edu> In response to William Daul's question about Project Aurora: I heard that it was supposed to be the SR-71 follow-on. It was supposed to be hypersonic and use stealth technology. Official reports I've heard say t that the project doesn't exist. I know this will sound somewhat political, but I think cancelling the Blackbird was a really bone-headed move on the part off the DoD. In response to davidl's post on the F-14: I heard on the news about a week ago that the F-14 was not going to undergo another update. The YF-23 is the ATF version I've been seeing on every news program about it (including something on the Financial network :) ) so I think it's the chosen one. I hope Navy picks it up, because the FA-18 simply is NOT capable of the long range intercept mission of the F-14. Cancelling the Tomcat in favor of the Hornet would cut our carrier defence radius dramatically. In response to Steve Williams' post about the F-111: The RC-111 is the recce version. It's called the Raven (thank God it wasn't cursed with "Aardvark"), and is used by Australia as well as the US. The EC-111 Electric Fox is the ECM version. sources for F-11 info: _Encyclopedia of World Military Power_, Bishop, for RF-111, _Concise Color Guide:Modern Combat Aircraft_ for EF-111. MArk K Mark Kinney kinney@wku.edu
scott@graft.Berkeley.EDU (Scott Silvey) (03/14/91)
From: scott@graft.Berkeley.EDU (Scott Silvey) wku_unix!kinney@mailer.cc.fsu.edu (Mark A. Kinney) writes: |> I think cancelling the Blackbird was a really bone-headed move on the |> part off the DoD. I agree. Or at least I would if I thought they didn't already have something to replace it. Remember how long the F117 was around before we really found out about it (of even what it was called!). |> I hope Navy picks it up, because the FA-18 simply is |> NOT capable of the long range intercept mission of the F-14. Cancelling the |> Tomcat in favor of the Hornet would cut our carrier defence radius |> dramatically. Ack! Where'd you hear this one? This is highly improbable. Not only does the F18 not have the range or speed, it has significantly inferior radar, no visual acquisition system, no weapons/radar officer (GIB ... "Guy In Back" as somebody recently put it), and no Phoenix capability. The best the Hornet has is six Sparrows, two Sidewinders, and a fuel tank. I'm not even sure all the wing hardpoints carry Sparrows. /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Scott Silvey | Ronald Reagan to surgeons in emergency ward after | | scott@xcf.berkeley.edu | being shot: | | | | | Flames to /dev/null | "Please tell me you're Republicans." | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/
stan@gatech.edu (Stan Brown) (03/18/91)
From: emory!Dixie.Com!stan@gatech.edu (Stan Brown) wku_unix!kinney@mailer.cc.fsu.edu (Mark A. Kinney) writes: >From: Mark A. Kinney <wku_unix!kinney@mailer.cc.fsu.edu> >In response to William Daul's question about Project Aurora: >that the project doesn't exist. I know this will sound somewhat political, but >I think cancelling the Blackbird was a really bone-headed move on the part off >the DoD. I strongly agree. I wonder how many comanders wished they had anytime photo recon from the SR-71 in Iraq? I wonder if we could have gotten th mobile SCUD launchers this way? -- Stan Brown P. c. Design 404-363-2303 Ataant Ga. (emory|gatech|uunet) rsiatl!sdba!stan "vi forever"