Has there been any more info on the higher than expected radiation levels? I hope they can get the bugs worked out.

PliotGHT is a very proud man which is to be commended, theres nothing wrong with it. Unfortunately he is also convinced that France stands alone as the naton that gets it right first time every time and never makes any mistakes which is not to be commended. He also has a limited grasp of the subject matter which only weakens his arguments more.

Well I could quite happily see the Royal Navy using the Rafale M, it would be even better if they gave it folding wings. I can’t see it though, it’ll more than likely be the CATOBAR version of the F35, the geared lifting fan on the STOVL version is still a turkey imho. They won’t go to the expense of developing a naval Typhoon even though I think it would be a good aircraft if they did.

My worry is that if they specialise the infantry or other ‘teeth’ services too much will they be able to fight conventionally if they need to? On a large scale? On their own? The MoD seems to be introducing too many ‘certainties’ and I worry that if we do have to go it alone, however unlikely, we will not be in a position to do so.

As for the Typhoon? well I think it was always going to happen but 88 aircraft!? That is alarming, it means we will get 144 aircraft and if 130 are on active service then we have a poxy 14 aircraft strategic reserve. They really need to put more thought into that. I can accept 180 aircraft, that would make more sense but not a mere 144.

Yeah, and all Americans sound like D1ck van Dyke in Mary Poppins? You idiot! You come to Britain and find any body outside one of those exclusive London clubs that refers to anybody as ‘Old Boy’! Watch a bit of UK TV and and listen to the accents!

Now steady on old chap what what?

Anna who are you calling a trout?

😀 😀

Sorry mate, never accept gifts from strangers – and although there are a lot of strange types round here, none of them have offered me a burger yet. Ask Dartie if he’d like it instead?

I know I’m gonna burn in hot stuff for this but here goes:

Do you fancy a sausage instead?:D 😮 🙁 :confused:

The euro canards are cold war relics.

I’m not sure how you meant this but I don’t think that just because these aircraft were ‘born’ in the cold war that they are in anyway obsolete (please remember I’m not sure if thats what you meant). If you agree with that point of view all current combat aircraft a Cold War relics. The Su Flanker series, the Mig29s of the world and of course the F15, F16, F18, JAS39 and even the F/A22 is a Cold War relic because they were all designed and/or built during the Cold War. Yet the F16 and F18 are still finding customers and not just outside the USA. Why? If they are relics and ergo obsolete then why are they still in production and why is the host nation still buying new examples?

None of them are relics and they are far from obsolete.

As for the argument big/small, war/peace there is a precedent with the Hurican and the Spitfire in 1940. Okay they were of similar physical size but their manufacture and performance was very different. The Hurricane was based on an existing design with established manufacturing techniques whilst the Spit’ was an all new design using new techniques of manufacture. Even in 1940 the performance comparrison was reasonably stark, the Spitfire was better pure and simple at least in the air to air role.

So what we have is a better performance aircraft which may be roughly analoguous to the large heavy weight criteria of modern times versus the Hurricane which for my example is analoguous to the small/lightweight mix in the fighter force.

And the result? Well, there were more Hurricanes flying with the RAF in 1940 than there were Spitfires and as a result they hurt the Lufwaffe harder in the BoB. I wasn’t sure where I was going with this so I’m not sure which point I am defending. You will have to draw your own conclusions if you catch my drift.

🙂 🙂

Hay! I’ve been reaped!:D

Oh. Okay. Never mind……………..:(

Mibbe it should call itself MacDonalds instead ?

As in “I was never able to do the MacDonalds”:D ?

Okay you are right I know but……………..we are always going to shorten things even if it is only local dialect that is doing the shortening. Is ‘maths’ short for mathematics or is it short for ‘arithmetic’?

Renfrew I will ascend to your judgement as I happen to know the English language was spoken colloquially (now I know I’ve spelt that word wrong) in Scotland, before it was being spoken in England.