Flares would actually be much worse, and probably easier to aim (though still pretty hard). There's a reason we have a "no flares if adversary approaching guns" BFM training rule.
The T-45 engine has to be one of the easiest to FOD out though.
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F-16 ramming a 757?
- Thread starter ChunksJR
- Start date
Flares would actually be much worse, and probably easier to aim (though still pretty hard). There's a reason we have a "no flares if adversary approaching guns" BFM training rule.
The T-45 engine has to be one of the easiest to FOD out though.
Just daydreaming here, but I think I might try for a nose to nose pass and put the wing through the vertical stab. Physics being what they are, unless you accidently T-boned the vertical stab straight through the cockpit, only took off enough tail to not matter, or blew up because of fuel in the wings, I think it would be a pretty survivable crash with a high probability of the desired results. Still a lot that can go wrong. I'm not unhappy that it wasn't my choice to make.
And what if you snuggled up next to the empennage and started pushing on it?
And what about all those air defense missiles around DC that all the nuts talk about?
And what if you snuggled up next to the empennage and started pushing on it?
And what about all those air defense missiles around DC that all the nuts talk about?
Meh... I don't think that'd work. There are some pics floating around of an E-6 with most of it's vertical stab missing during flight tests. From what I hear they didn't even notice it until someone on the ground said "hey ya'll that don't look right". I'll post them if I find them.
I think I remember reading a while back about a BUFF that lost it's vert stab and lowered the gear to get a little yaw stability from the gear doors. But I bet the crew had a bit more time in type than the guys at the controls of flight 93.
There was also a smoking hole in Queens in Nov 2001 when an AA A-300 lost its vertical stab. I think for most airliners, especially one being flown by a terrorist with minimal flight training and no time in large jets, taking out the vertical stab would be a "kill".
No argument here. Did the stab just come off on the scarebus or did it come off, cause some other failure, which then lead to the crash? One thing I didn't take into account is that the E-6 can operate with no hyds. It's not optimal, but we won't lose control of the jet. Would the loss of a large hydraulic component like the rudder cause a complete loss of flight controls for you guys Hal?
I think this might be the one you're talking about.
http://www.airwarriors.com/communit...ly-thats-an-e-6b-not-ea-6b.33589/#post-596842
Yup, that's it.
Let's start warning some people.
I would have to agree, I don't think such a maneuver would have a good chance of success.
Vertical stabilizers are designed with the worst-case scenario in mind, meaning they are designed to balance an aircraft flying with only half of its engines, all of them on the left or right wing, running normally. This means they are generally much bigger than is needed for stability when all engines are operational.
I don't have time in a cockpit, but I do have some time flying a flight controls book or two.
Depends entirely on the aircraft. It's been a long time since API Aero, but aircraft with shorter fuselages need more vertical stab area for directional stability, and vice versa.
It might fly fine straight and level, but if you didn't know you lost your vert stab and put in too much lateral stick, the adverse yaw could depart the jet. Considering the amount of over-engineering that goes into most aircraft, I'd bet that you'd have to lop off a solid amount of stab to seriously degrade its directional stability.
Let's be real. Your odds of a perfect slice with 15' of wing, beak to beak with 1000kts Vc? Pretty damn bad.
It might fly fine straight and level, but if you didn't know you lost your vert stab and put in too much lateral stick, the adverse yaw could depart the jet. Considering the amount of over-engineering that goes into most aircraft, I'd bet that you'd have to lop off a solid amount of stab to seriously degrade its directional stability.
Let's be real. Your odds of a perfect slice with 15' of wing, beak to beak with 1000kts Vc? Pretty damn bad.