Stupid questions about Naval Aviation (Pt 2)

[Harrier Dude]

Even assault support helo guys stand alert. I've never been tasked with Alert 5 (you are sitting in the aircraft, rotors turning, awaiting launch order) but I have stood Alert 30 for CASEVAC (taxied in less than 15 - booyah!). I'd say the two most common we do are 30 and 120.

Do you add in the obligitory "phrogs are always 15-20 minutes late" on top of this, or is that already factored in?

 

[HighDimension]

Which aircraft has the best air-conditioner?

Clarification: I'm only really interested in the Navy side of things.

 

[MasterBates]

So far? The T-45s for me.

Have flown:
T-34, T-44A/C, T-45A/C, SH-60B/F

AC Capes (best to worst in my opinion):
T45
T44
TH57
SH60
T34

 

[Cron]

Has Harrier's thrust vectoring ever been utilized in combat to some extent (ACM and/or A/G)?

...and I don't mean t/o's and landings. :icon_wink

 

[HAL Pilot]

Not Navy, but the B-717 has the best ball AC I've ever experienced. No Gold Bond powder here....

 

[Harrier Dude]

Has Harrier's thrust vectoring ever been utilized in combat to some extent (ACM and/or A/G)?

...and I don't mean t/o's and landings. :icon_wink

By the USMC, no. Unless you count join up and avoiding the dreaded underrun.

By the Brits,.....don't know but I highly doubt it.

 

[Flash]

By the USMC, no. Unless you count join up and avoiding the dreaded underrun.

By the Brits,.....don't know but I highly doubt it.

I have read several accounts that the Brits use/used it in ACM, they call it VIFFing. I can find no accounts of it beingused in combat though. And the veracity of their claims seems to be a topic of debate at several other forums.

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-3877.html

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/archive/index.php?t-6442.html

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=107232&page=27

I think we will have to rely on an RAF or an RN Harrier type, or exchange guy, to give us the real answer.

 

[Harrier Dude]

We do it during training to some extent, it just hasn't been used in combat by the USMC. Then again, we've done ZERO A/A in combat in the USMC Harrier world anyway, so it's kind of a moo point.

 

[insanebikerboy]

...so it's kind of a moo point.

It doesn't matter....it's moo.

 

[Cron]

I always assumed VIFFing could aid in puling off some interesting maneuvers - not to the extent of the F-22's thrust vectoring maybe, but just enough to tighten your rate of turn or to cause your opponent to overshoot, etc. Would be kinda neat to see.

Don't you wish the Harrier (or the real F-35 for that matter) could do all of this too? :icon_wink

 

[HeyJoe]

... just enough to tighten your rate of turn or to cause your opponent to overshoot, etc. Would be kinda neat to see.

There's always a trade. We fought Sea Harriers on multiple occasions and even went aboard to share in their libations. When we brought up VIFFing, they laughed as according to them, only people boasting about it were BAE BD folks and British writers. Like delta wing fighters, a Harrier using VIFFing can trade energy for a tight turn big time, but then they are ripe for plucking. It would certainly be neat to see from the pursuing fighter's point of view...what's your move now you've depleted your energy package?

 

[Harrier Dude]

TVC (the Brits call it VIFFing), works to one degree or another, but like HeyJoe said, it's a "big city move" that had better work. You are selling the farm when you do it. If you don't get a valid shot out of it right away, you're fooked.

 

[HuggyU2]

If you don't get a valid shot out of it right away, you're fooked.

Can you say "strafe rag"?

 

[phrogpilot73]

Do you add in the obligitory "phrogs are always 15-20 minutes late" on top of this, or is that already factored in?

Nope - we don't account for it. It's a special skill set we reserve for the boat to piss the suck-and-blow guys off

 

[bert]

Nope - we don't account for it. It's a special skill set we reserve for the boat to piss the suck-and-blow guys off

Yeah, but can you miss by 2-3 years like the the 1 hr/1 bomb types can?