well DACT will be fun for the fanboys when the f-35 slaps the phoon in a dogfight
i read it has the same envelope/performance as the f-22 up to supersonic

yes, its all a con, the major air forces and goverments of a ~dozen countries havent got a clue what they are doing

should we make a list of those that have chosen the f-35 over the phoon ?

you dont really want me to go and get quotes on whether A&C is taken as absolute and they wait for a second source, that i have read from blogs and forums
you know how hard it is for me to google in french and find them again 😮

yes, there are some good posters on french forums, you get none of the nonsense you get here
not all the french are deaf dumb and blind 😀

ps, the A&C that is often quoted here is considered a weekly rag and taken at face value and isnt taken as seriously as a source

the problem is that the air inlets won’t allow sufficient airflow for 9t thrust, so, if you want a beefier engine, you need to redo the inlets on the airframe.

the thrust doesn’t come out of nowehere… you need to feed the engine somehow 😉

i read that the air flow of the current inlets will sustain 8.3 ton, so thats half of the increase and perhaps is a good compromise if that can be achieved within the dimensions and weight of the current m88

Heard about the new 9ton class M88 being proposed for the UAE purchase and the proposed UAE Rafale’s strike configuration of three SCALP, one under each wing and one under fuselage. Sounds optimistic.

i find it doubtful it will proceed, the added weight and engine length changes the center of gravity and it needs a new airtake system
this may not sound like a big deal but it is a basic redesign, as a new plane would and full testing program would have to be undertaken

as the m88 is an old design, it would be easier and better to design an entirely new engine with the modern tech to work within the constraints of the frame
there was also talk with india as to engine development, so a new engine may have export potential

there is a discussion here about it
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.air-defense.net/forum/index.php%3FPHPSESSID%3Dd3t2bn7dq2sqjhch6s746kf4k1%26board%3D9.0&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dair%2Bdefense%2Bnet%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DtD5&rurl=translate.google.com

issue of AW&ST (July 5) says that Navy is NOT showing interest in the upgraded F-414 engine w/ a 20% increase in total thrust. Sales of the new engine will be aimed at the export market

looks like the usa wont have the best SH airshow