Sid Boyce wrote: > Josh Babcock wrote: >> Roberto Inzerillo wrote: >>>> Clarification: I was referring to the vertical "hover" for the MiG 29. The >>>> Harrier can hover horizontally very nicely, and can "bow", or hold another >>>> stable pitch attitude, and while hovering it can also be rotated about a >>>> vertical axis, under control. Yes, that gives it capabilities like a >>>> helicopter, in some ways. Still, is that really useful in air-to-air >>>> "dogfighting", or in preparing to launch a missile while beyond visual >>>> range, beyond the range of the enemy's missiles, and while not closing the >>>> distance to the target aircraft? >>>> >>> I think the Harrier potentials in hovering and vertical takeoff/landing >>> are not for dogfighting but for strategic reasons. The Harrier can >>> takeoff/land without standard airfields, which makes them usefull even >>> when enemies destroy nearby airfields. The Harrier can takeoff from very >>> small carriers too. >>> >> Yes, that was the justification for doing it in the first place, but in >> the Falklands RNAF pilots developed an air to air tactic for reversing >> dogfights called "vector in forward flight" that is partly credited for >> their extreme air superiority in that war. Of course, they were mostly >> fighting Pucaras, with a small number of Mirages thrown in, but the >> point is that the pilots were definitely using the hovering capabilities >> in dogfights. >> >> Josh >> > > That's exactly my recollection from the extensive news coverage. I also > remember the reports of air-to-air missiles said to be exocets and > thinking it was strange as they were more noted for air-to-ship > operations, it could have been a reporting error. > Regards > Sid.
I just read last night that navy lynx helos were used in the Falklands as decoys for Exocets, and that they were safe as long as they stayed above the maximum programed altitude of the missiles, which was about 200'. I also vaguely recall reading somewhere that there is an air to air version of the Exocet, but I'm having a hard time giving that credit. It may have been an air to ground version. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys - and earn cash http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV _______________________________________________ Flightgear-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/flightgear-users
