I am not sure it’s a low pass. The louvre above teh LERX are open. But I don’t know if the pilot can manually select this configuration.

So probably a delayed TO with landing gear retraction.

Thanks for the link by the way. Really instructive.

In-country as for to increase the time per sorties and compensate the decline in raw number.

Regarding the comparison of Big Vs smaller airframe for a tanker, I had more those two in mind:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]235552[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]235553[/ATTACH]

I do understand a fairly low nbr of Il96 being purchased for the tanker role, especially for power projection (Strategic component) and long range aviation, but still I doubt of their utility at war (as explained in my post).

Anyway as we talk the Rafale deal seems to getting on track, that Dassault is meeting GOI halfway itself shows the new government was not just messing with them when the Defense Minister spoke of scraping the deal. New India means business.

Yes. And shall we remember that Rafale is an excellent plane fulfilling most of the MMRCA expectations

Don’t forget kinematics. A large fan doesn’t provide you as much possibility of trajectory than a turbojet or a small fan (hence my proposal). And a bomber is a launching platform.

Imagine the bird fitted with 4×414 having reheat for example (see above). The Buff could climb and maintains speed giving it’s weapon more range hence more safety for the launcher. That would be more difficult with a large turbo fan given the inherent limitation of such engines (AoA, G etc…).

Not speaking about a possible increase in ceiling (more range or surface for CAS).

IMOHO this is on ef the reason why the USAF has stuck so long with the TF33

While the US Government follows the FCPA, US private companies that are contracted by the US Government in order to suply military kit through the FMS have been held in corruption probes and have been found guilty on a “not so irregular base”, both on the US and abroad. On top of my head (recently) i can remember “Smith and Wesson” and “Flir Inc” having a bit of a problem with FCPA. Here in Portugal, in 2006, we stuck five chaps in prison, including one american, about some Phalanx CIWS munitions (sold through FMS) and suport.
Kudos for the US Government about FCPA, but humans are, well… humans…

Cheers

Yes very true.

But Corruption is regularly tackled by justice in the US. How often does we hear about a congress man, an officer or an attache being jailed ? It’s not the same everywhere.

Speaking abr Fr, even scandals as big as the Taiwain fregates does not incurs any jail time or consequent fines. A dozen of Engineers are blown off during a retaliation strike by an “I”ED (dixit the rumor) and still nothing happens.

So, let’s give back to Caesar and bladibladabla…

Source:
Reuters.com

er, when the F-15 loses in Korea and the POTUS takes the phone to explain the koreans they should think twice (and they all of a sudden buy the F-15), what period is that? Stone Age of capitalism?

Hummm. Those F15 are going to CAP and CAS above who’s heads? There was some strategy in it. ¨Hence Politics matters.

lol

Vey intersting Madrat.

Given the numbers, I would go for a similar arrangement as original (8x engines) but with F414. Adding rear fan (decoupled) to the inboard doublets might suffice for a TO out of reheat and cruise. Reheat on the outboard will increase TO, climb rate and in general add kinetic cap to the old bird.

A rear mounted decoupled fan arragement had been studied and tested for the Convair’s series of airliner. It’s not as eco but the added advantage of simplicity and having a similar weight and geometry vis à vis of the airframe behavior after engine swap could prove a determining factor by preventing damaging the wings (years of similar solicitation and then a major modal modification is not really good for a metal assembly)

So 8x F414 with 4 inboard having a rear Fan and two pack of twin outboard mounted straight (no fan) but keeping reheat cap.

..or something like that 😉