http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416085913&o=ext

interesting article about the rafale p 42

Yes, it is interesting, because for the first time, the reason invoked for the 90kN is “WEAPONS LOADINGS”, and not hot weather…

For the case you didn’t know you can select targets on the HLD by touch.

Are you sure ?

The HLD (Head Level Display) is collimated to infinity (in fact, i remember of 20 or 30 meters). This is what Arthuro explains :

The main tactical display is not a traditional LCD screen but a kind of window where you can see the tactical situation as if it was a huge screen situated at a couple meters from the pilots head…

This is what makes it so comfortable to the eyes when the pilot constantly look at the screen, outside, and to the screen again etc. The eye doesn’t have to accommodate, it’s exactly like if the tactical picture was projected on the sky.

I was told at Thales that only the side screens are touch screens (even the small ones on the very side).

What war is safe ? 😀

Rafale isn’t a stealth plane, so, it has to avoid detection as much as possible. Its reduced RCS and ground clutter may help.

Standard and laser guided rocket…

I can’t read the rest.

The ECO technology program, designed to demonstrate new technologies that could reduce operating costs and increase dispatch reliability, was completed at the end of 2007. It also aimed to study the feasibility of increasing the engine’s thrust without changing its weight or fuel consumption.

http://www.snecma.com/spip.php?article719&var_recherche=eco&lang=en

But it also ruins your RCS.

Maybe…
So they re-shaped the aircraft, put sawtooth everywhere, used radar-transparent material, RAM, and some special paint to lower the RCS as much as possible, and finally, they ruined their job with the fixed fuel probe…:D

By the way, about the lines i prefer the fixed external probe to the varice you can see here. 😀

Arthuro, excellent first hand information.
Can you please ask the Rafale pilots about type of night vision gear used with current Rafale? Do they still rely on CN2H-AA night vision goggles like Mirage crews or do they have something better by now?

If there is some possibility to see night vision gear, please make few pics for me. Thanks.

They should use this :
http://www.wilco-international.com/pages/f4949.html
But not yet.

On Rafale, you choose between several profiles, and sensors (radar, irst etc) are used accordingly.

So yes, it’s very well integrated. The only thing you demonstrate is that you start from an invalid opinion (IRST not integrated), an go on with invalid arguments (you believe the pilot’s comment matches your opinion).

New IR missiles use imagery, and can search tracks by themselves, it was already possible with the Magic II (M2000N/D pilots used them so as to find tankers because they had no A2A mode on the radar).

I see no reason why you call the Mica IR story a joke, since it’s also integrated (whatever they find can be correlated by other sensors).