No the short take off of the Viggen is due to the high output engine. At the time it was considered most powerful engine installed on a fighter.

Yes, way more powerful than the J79 (28,100 lb vs. 17,900 lb), I agree and stand corrected. BUT there is another important factor: the pitch control at take-off (the “roll” moment).

The Viggen uses the canards’ mobile sufaces to increase nose lift and point the nose upwards.

The Mirage/Kfir must push its tail down with its elevons, thus pointing the nose up. So it has to lose some lift to alter pitch.

JA-37 canards aren’t exactly fixed. They have little mobile profundors, acting in pitch control. Thats’s a huge difference between that and a fixed canard.

One example is the take-off and landing runs. Deltas are awful, but Viggen is great.

Why did nobody mention the Simorgh from Iran? Perhaps the double-fin layout make it far superior to all other beefed-up F-5?

btw we discussed the Simorgh already in another thread, here:
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28195&highlight=simorgh

Unfortunately, little is known about the specs and capabilities of the twin-finned Iranian F-5 derivative. So, it’s a hard comparation to make.

Anyway, this little Iranian fighter (BTW, a lovely interisting one) would be more a rebuilt aircraft than an upgrade, i.e., there are great differences between it and a F-5, it probably isn’t a F-5 anymore.

Hey F5M,

You posted a small pic instead of the video

grande abraço,

Having a big budget doesn’t mean the country has even a fair military capability. That’s the case of Brazil and other SA countries: lots of spending with personnel, fairly good training, but lots of conscripts and awfully obsolete hardware. There could be lots of improvement if the same amount of money was spent in a correct manner.

As a matter of fact, IMHO the Brazilians should see the fact of not being pushed into any weapons race as a good thing. But the military have to lose lots and lots of fat.

That was a diplomatic statement from a Frech Commander to his Brazilian hosts. Pretty overemphasized. Brazil is not ready, which is not a surprise. No war for a long time ago and ahead.