So if I understand well (euh.. not sure) PLEASE STOP COMPARATIVE THREAD (something like… Mig-23 Viggen Mirage F1 Phantom who was the better oops it was mine I apologize :p . Will never do that a second time I promise ).
The aim of Key publishing is not making comparisons between two airplanes
– first because this kind of thread is always biased by nationalistic feelings (Proud to be russian or french or serb or idiot etc.)
– second because it is totally unesefull.
air war depend from various factors, not only from performances or technical levels. Its depends from pilots skills and many things, including some which can’t be predicted.). As a consequence, a lucky Mig-21 with AWACS support good pilots etc. can shot down a lonely Typhoon driven by an idiot.
Apparently SOC is totally fed up with comparative thread which went to nothing except people insulting each others (or not admiting another thruth than THEIR thruth). Maybe people like Flogger will never post on this thread (don’t read that. you won’t like it).
A striking example is “India to retire its MiG-25” : first started as an informative thread (Well, India had no MiG-25 in its inventory since some days) in ended
in a raging, bitter and unuseful debate over the merits of SR-71 Vs MiG-25 (37 pages and still on the way).

Just one thing : a common aircraft for both RAF and RN, waiting for the JSF.
The trouble : Harrier GR9 are attack planes , not fighters like the SeaHarrier they replace. More, pilots are frustrated on both sides : RAF pilots dislike carriers landings, and RN pilots… have no fighters anymore! Aparently SeaHarrier would be sold to India…

Your questions are not dumb. There’s no dumb questions you know 🙂
1- Rafale span is not very big (about 9 meters). So, even on the small Charles de Gaulle, no need for folded wings. The Rafale have a delta wing, not “straight” wing with tail like the american fighters.
No problem with G force : american fighters with folded wings can take 7.5G or even 9G.
For the rest, others people with more knowledge will reply to you
cheers…

oops… sorry.. forget what I said :p

Wow. Only two times? what a waste (and a pity 🙁 )
Thank you for your precisions! I heard the PKA-FA is in trouble… is it right ? when this plane is expected to fly ?

http://jpcolliat.free.fr/mig144/histoire.htm
Here’s a link with good photos.
the 1.42 was the demonstrator. The 1.44 should have been the production plane but never flew. Don’t know about Mig-39 (I thought it was an upgraded Mig-29)
su-47 and 1.44 were too specialised in air superiority. More, the pointed nose of the 1.44 can’t receive a radar. What the Russian air force want is a multirole fighter, and the PFA will do it.

Try again with a Yakhont or a Sunburn… :p

Concerning the Rafale for the RN, according to Air&Cosmos last week it seems the rumor come from a eurosceptic, Conservative newspaper. They just want to bother Tony Blair’s governement…