HammerInteresting, if you allow me a minor walk outside the core of this thread… How did the C-141 designers go about managing the take-off clearance issue after the stretch? Also if you stretch just forewards of the wings wouldn’t you end up severely compromising the whole aircraft center of gravity/balance issue?
[]s Hammer
HammerThanks Distiller,
I knew someone ought to have proposed it before! But a third fuselage center landing gear wasn’t needed for the C-141B, right?…
Why not just add a couple more wheels to the current main undercarriage bogies? And possibly a simple wing root extension a lá An-225?
Comments?
Hammer
Hammer
Weirdly enough no one has sugested here a stretched and reengined C-17 derivative. Something like the C-141A to B model “heavy surgery” in the 80´s…
Can it be done? Does it make any (operational/economic) sense?
Best Regards,
Hammer
HammerThis news has been expected for a long time, but aparently only UPI has it out yet…
Can anyone post the complete text so we know more about it?
Regards,
Hammer
Venezuela buys 24 Russian Sukhoi Su-35 “Flanker-E” fighters.
Venezuela buys Russian aircraft, tanks to boost power
CARACAS, Venezuela, Oct. 15 (UPI) — In 2006 and 2007 Venezuela’s air force purchased 36 Russian-built Sukhoi Su-30 “Flanker-C” fighters, of which 24 already are in service and the remaining 12 will be delivered before the end of 2009. However, President Hugo Chavez has also placed an order for 24 state-of-the-art Russian Sukhoi Su-35 “Flanker-E” fighters with delivery starting by 2010.
HammerDuring the last two years this has been widely seen as an exclusive face-off between the Rafale and the Su-35. Brazil signed industrial/defense cooperation agreements with both France and Russia, further highlighting these two planes.
The RFI was sent to Saab, Rosoboronexport, Dassault, Boeing Lockheed Martin and Aeritalia (Eurofighter). Apparently some major and still unclear political switch put the F-18 in the Super Flakers seat. US fighters have long been seen here as a no-run contenders because they were severely limited in terms of technology transfer, a until-now key basic requirement from Brasil.
Also the initial request excluded planes that were still not operational from consideration, this making the Gripen NG acceptance as some hard to understand puzzle.
Let’s wait for more news
Regards,
Hammer
HammerVenezuela? No. They want long-range Russian air defense systems and have just bought the Su-30MKV.
Allow me to disagree with you here SOC on this perspective.
Venezuela historicaly has had six fast jet fighter squadrons in its air force. Until recently the were 2x F-5A, 2x Mirage 50V and 2x F-16A units. The F-5s and Mirage technologicaly-wise are actualy in a greater need for substitution than the F-16 which became critical only because of US restrictions on their upgrade and spares supply.
So it is normal to assume that they need to replace these four fighter units as well and soon. Since US aircraft are out of the prospective list the russians might be the only source for this prospective 48-aircraft order.
We have heard here in South America that Chavez might be planning to purchase 24 new Su-30MK2 to be followed later on by new generation 24 Su-35.
Also, the more aircraft from the Flanker family he buys the easier and cost efective will be building a local support structure for them in Venezuela.
Finally the Venezuelan Air Force has a history of operating only single-pilot fighters, a long standing trend broken only by the acquisition of the current 24 Su-30MK2s.
Chaves has also repetedly stated that he is in the purchase line for the new Su-35 and that he’d buy them as soon as they are available for export.
China? No. They are going the domestic upgrade route with the J-11B.
I think that despite the great strides that the Chinese have acheived to this date with the J-11B indigination program the are still very much “in the market” for new hi-tech component and techology transfers from the Russian Industry. It may be a small order 48 aircraft, or something like this, but it is sure to be purchased along with the more traditional local J-11.
Do I make any sense?
Regards,
Hammer
HammerA joint Brazilian-Argentine purchase? Both want to replace their venerable Mirage-III and there were recent talks on military coordination.
Hola Rodolfo,
Brazil has already replaced it’s M III with second-hand French Air Force M2000C airframes. And probably the remaining M III airframes and spares are to be sold (donated?) to the Argentine Air Force soon.
Despite the Brazilian President’s recent declarations on his “vision” of a cooperative aerospace industry between Brazil and Argentina there is considerable doubts in the Brazilian industrial sector regarding the future prospects, strength and stability of the Argentine economy under the current Kirchener administration.
Let’s wait to see how this prospect does actualy evolve.
Regards,
Hammer
HammerI sincerely doubt that the US State Dept would really support the sale of 36 modern F-16s to Iraq, second-hand units from US stocks sound much more plausible and prudent to me.
Regards,
Hammer
HammerGlad you enjoyed it, unfortunately the English translation feature is not working properly since we upgraded to Joomla environment. 🙁
Best Regards,
Hammer
HammerInsight from a far away perspective (Brazil)…
Great topic you guys have here, but bare with me a little.
1st question to answer: How many airbases does Georgia have today? By the way, how many airports with a half decent runway?
2nd question: How many pilots do they have and how fast can they train more pilots?
3rd: Do they have sufficient (Any!) Jet A-1 fuel producing/refining/distributing/storing capability?
4th: How good are their general, military planners? Can these guys create any strategy that might catch the Russians off-base? Or even surprise them at all?
5th: Is Georgia SO important (, “relevant”, “sexy”, “whatever”…) in the current strained geopolitical scenario that the US (and European countries to a lesser degree) would be willing to let themselves be drawn into a real shooting war with the Russian Bear?
6th: Would European aero manufactures/governments trust the “mighty” Georgian military (specially after such a truly pathetic military reaction to the Russian intervention…) willing to risk “sharing” all their prized military high tech hardwares and softwares inbeded inside the latest Gripens, Rafales, Eurofighters with a new Russian blitzkrieg-style attack focused exclusively on geting these “jewels” for first hand experimentation and exploration? Don’t think so!
These are the VERY Key questions that ought to be inside the Georgian leadership’s mind. None of them positive at all for the Georgians…
Let’s see how long does it take for Abkhazian or SOtian “freedom fighters” to take out completely (over and over again) the all-important Russia-bypassing oil pipelines?
Georgians should have remained quiet, and not have been irresponsible to star an all out war with the Russians.
Returning to the topic there is NO fighter force adequate for Georgiain face of the absurd Russian military superiority.
The only way to keep the Russians “at bay” would be to host permanently in Georgia at least some 40-60 US-manned F-15E and some 10 KC-10s and some 6 E-3 Sentries. Anything else is just a waste of time and money. Attacking these assets would basicly amount to the start of WW III… So I ask again, is Georgia that “valuable” to the West?
Comments?
Hammer
HammerHi guys!
The first time I heard that there were israeli personel working inside Georgia the first thing to cross my mind was “What if the Israeli attack against Iran originated, not from an Israeli airbase but instead from a base in Georgia? It would possibly catch the Iranmian air defence totaly off guard. Imagine the fighters arriving inside a large freighter ship, disguised as “Wheat” or “Iron Ore”… They could return to Tbilisi, and be left behind as goodwill gifts to the countries airforce after the conclusion of the raids or instead meet up with air refuelers in the Arabian Sea for the long flight home. I think I’m seeing too many James Bond Movies! 😉
On the Indian point of view, I believe they should (at least secretely) support the Russian attack. Why? Because any nation that invests as much money on it’s military services CERTAINLY desires the prior precedent of other nations taking matters in their own (military) hands. It is quite pointless to have a major military force and at the same time not having the political/geopolitical freedom to use it as the national leadership sees fit.
Other nations, such as New Zealand, for instance, certainly would think about this in a completely oposite manner since they DO NOT have the powerful military establishment to start with.
Do I make any sense?
Best Regards,
Hammer
P.S.: About Russia becoming a “Pariah”, a “Rogue nation” after the Georgia attack, I always remember how the whole world turned its back on India and Pakistan after the similtaneous nuclear blasts some years ago, now, apparently no one recalls these grim days… Nothing like a day after the other… Also in 2003 the US decided by itself, against the will of the UNSC and most of its member nations to invade Iraq, what was the EFFECTIVE political price payed by the US? Hardly any. It is stil in the G8, in the IMF, the WTO, in the World Bank, etc, etc. In the end the big players have a free hand as long as they operate inside they’re respective areas of influence.
HammerReminder!
There is a automatic translator for converting the text to English and French on the lower left of the home page!
Enjoy!
Krav: Glad you liked the pictures!
Regards, Hammer
HammerFlygrevyn is what I read when in Sweden.
Pretty decent magazine in my opinion. Also covers some Civil aviation in Scandiland.
Thanks a lot, Entropy!
Regards,
Hammer
HammerMy friends,
This news has rivveted the atention of Brazilian forums in the lasta day or so…
But I sincerely doubt that the Russians would be interested in bringing Brazil into the PAK-FA program without a prior 24-48 unit order for new-build Su-35…
The Brazilian Air Force is currently operating a mix of Mirage 2000C/D (12) F-5EM (40+ locally modernized) and Embraer Aeritalia Aermacchi AMX (53)
All of them have to be replaced in the next 15 to 20 years. So in fact, in order to keep our force at the same quantitative level, assuming this is the main idea, we’d need some 110-odd new fighters in the above time frame. I don’t believe that we might be able to fund all of them as PAK-FA airframes, the cost might prove to be prohibitive, that is why I think that we may purchase a mixed fleet. The Russian Air Force is also going towards a mixed fleet, right?
The agreement also focuses on GPS-type satellites (Glonass system participation?) and a new family of satellite rocket launchers to be fired from the Alcantara space center in Brazil.
Who knows, maybe Embraer’s main slice of the PAK-FA is to make it more palatable to countries more used to US-Western fighters and post-sale support structure and services… They sure know how to do all this very well!
Comments?
Regards,
Hammer
HammerThe USAF upgraded from the narrow body KC-135 to the much larger and more costly KC-10 using the expeditionary warfare strategy as a background reasoning. Few airforces around the world need widbody sized tankers because they generaly don’t do major (squadron-sized) fighter deployment to other countries… For that reason I think that there should be a KC-135/707 sized next generation cargo/tanker with two fuel efficient hi-bypass engines. Immediately the 757 comes to mind but the fact that it is no longer in production may move the spotlite towards the 737 and A320 airliner families. Ibelieve that if Boeing and Airbus move quickly they may be able to preempt the A-400M and the possible Embraer KC-390 bid to take over this budding market. the Il-78 is a dark horse that might be able to please some russian-confortable clients but with limited perspectives over at the “western-first” purchasing crowd.
Do I make any sense?
Regards
Hammer
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