What has happened to Tom Clancy?

[Habu]

I think the Arrow would have come into its own in Viet Nam. There was no plane in the world that was even close to it in performance.

It could carry 4 air to air missiles in its belly and could have been configured for all sorts of other weapons systems and photo reconnaissance.

Its two engines would have gotten many pilots home and its high speed would have outclassed any migs the North had. It would have been the perfect plane for the deep penetration missions into the north.

[Furious]

Originally posted by Habu
I think the Arrow would have come into its own in Viet Nam. There was no plane in the world that was even close to it in performance.

It could carry 4 air to air missiles in its belly and could have been configured for all sorts of other weapons systems and photo reconnaissance.

Its two engines would have gotten many pilots home and its high speed would have outclassed any migs the North had. It would have been the perfect plane for the deep penetration missions into the north.

What???

You are saying all of this about a plane that never saw any service.  By these standards of utility, the LW would have won WW2 with the frikking Ho229.

What it does sound like you are describing was the F4 Phantom II.  A real plane actually used.  Not pretend.  Not make believe.


F.

[Pongo]

Originally posted by Habu
I think the Arrow would have come into its own in Viet Nam. There was no plane in the world that was even close to it in performance.

It could carry 4 air to air missiles in its belly and could have been configured for all sorts of other weapons systems and photo reconnaissance.

Its two engines would have gotten many pilots home and its high speed would have outclassed any migs the North had. It would have been the perfect plane for the deep penetration missions into the north.

Deep penetration raids with what..its air to air missiles?
All the thing could do was get to bomber quick and shoot them down..Not much use against an enemy with no bombers.
How is that better then the Phantom? At least the Phantom could dog fight, sling mud and had a back seat to run the old vacum tube radars they had to use.
I predict that the Cf105 would have scored about ummm 0 kills in Vietnam..the big potato.
The US had allready cancelled the Fighter version of the Sr71...Do you maintain the Arrow would out perform that?

[Boroda]

Originally posted by StSanta
Boroda, when was that? Any references?

I dunno if this:



would be able to defeat AWACS, F-14 Tomcats, the new F/A-18 AND the SAM missile screen. Would really like some references.


Click here for more info on the SU-24.

http://legion.wplus.net/news/kittyhawk.shtml
http://www.agentura.ru/timeline/2000/oblet/

October, 17th and November, 9th, 2000.

The CV was Kittyhawk, it happened duiring American maneuvers in Japanese sea.

The planes were Su-24MR, covered by Su-27 fighters. Su-24MR is a tactical recon plane, with weapon systems removed.

Hehe, here we go again, "who stole who's design".

[Habu]

Yes the Phantom. With its smoking engines (look here I am shoot me) and lower speed it was a real match for the Russian Migs. Plus with the maze of fuel lines all around the engines even one small caliber ground fire bullet was enough to bring them down if it hit the engine.

Do you know that every second ejection seat in a Phantom was used? Think about that. Out of 100 planes 100 ejection seats were used  (since each plane had two of them).

It was a good plane and very versitile but the Arrow would have been able to do many of the missions that Phantoms were doing up north and  would have had a lower loss rate.

The Arrow was big and in its first configuration was strictly an air to air interceptor. However like all programs it would have evolved to adapt to its changing missions. It would not have been good down low but it would have had a place in that war.

You could put anything in that bomb bay it had. Even percision guided weapons and Cruise missles. With its thin delta wings and shape I am sure it had a low radar signature as well.

[Thrawn]

Originally posted by Pongo
Deep penetration raids with what..its air to air missiles?
All the thing could do was get to bomber quick and shoot them down..Not much use against an enemy with no bombers.

The Starfighter was suppose to be a high speed, high altitude interceptor.  The RCAF turned them in very successful low level attack planes.

[Pongo]

Exaclty Habu. Like the previos poster said, How can you compare an AC that went through the attrition hell of vietnam and stats like numbers of ejection seats used are available for with a plane that was a prototype. How do we know how its fuel lines would stand up. How do we know.
You seem facinated with absolulte max speed. How often does that matter?

The 105s wing was way to large to be able to be a low level interdictor like the 104 was. It was the small wing of the 104 that made it less vulnerable to wind gusts down low that was its most redeeming feature in that role. The huge wing of the105 would have absolutly precluded it being used that way.
And you could buy 3 104s for the cost of a 105.
The only mission that the 105 would have been usefull for was recce. And they had the sr71. Would it do better then the sr71?

If they had targeted the design and manufacture of a multi role fighter or an Air superiority fighter they would have had a plane worth bankrupting the country for. But a heavy interceptor with no enemy to intercept was a waste of money. No matter how cool a plane it was.

[Furious]

Boroda,

Were they making up for toejamty Kitty running over a victor??



hehehe.  USS Kitty Hawk, ASW by braille.


F.