Production commenced in 1979 SA but it does not prove that system was ahead or better than MIG-29 HMS. MIG-29 was supplied to operational units since 1983/84 but it does not mean that HMS development track is related to MIG-29. It could have been tested on other aircrafts and seeing Soviet Union system it usually taken longer to bring idea into production.

Precisely. V3A was in 1976. Please read my post again. It was deployed. I stated nothing about comparative data with other countries systems, especially as there weren’t any systems in other countries.:dev2: (The US system had already been withdrawn as unsuccesful) At roughly the time when the Soviets were first deploying their first systems, the second development system with V3B was in service already and was used in combat at around that time. The V3A system was a decade old already. Development had moved on, as with all systems, to improve upon the basic concept and parameters.

This does not invalidate the Soviet effort, nor indeed any others.

Certainly Helmet Mounted Sights/Displays are now here to stay.

I thought it was South Africa in 1979?

It appears that the US navy managed to get a system in place just before South Africa. I’m not sure how operational the system was or how effective it was at it seems to have died. The South Africans appear to have put the first successful HMS in operation with their V3 missile series. I also read a report that when the South Africans managed to inspect a Russian HMS, they were amazed at the similarities with their own. The rumour being that of espionage around about the time of the Dieter Gerhard spy scandal. Not sure of that. Either way, South Africa seem to have been able to maintain being in the leading pack as witnessed by their involvement with the Eurofighter helmet as described below.

Aerospace & Defence
World-leading SA system for world-leading fighter

By: Keith Campbell
Published: 15 Jun 07 – 0:00
South Africa’s world-leading optical helmet tracking system (HTS), developed by Denel Optronics, has had a R200-million contract with UK aerospace and defence giant BAE Systems activated. In terms of this contract, Denel Optronics will, over the next four to five years, manufacture 450 HTS for installation in the new Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter.

This, the latest generation of Denel’s HTS technology, was designed and developed specifically for, and is currently the only HTS offered on, the Typhoon. An HTS is essential to operate the aircraft to its full potential.

The design and development contract was placed in 2003, and it and the now active production contract – both placed by BAE Systems – are part of the UK group’s defence industrial participation programme in return for South Africa’s purchase of 24 Hawk lead-in fighter-trainers and 28 Saab Gripen light multirole fighters. Since then, evaluation systems have been delivered to the Uk on a regular basis.

Only a handful of helmet tracker systems are available worldwide, and the South African system is unique in that it uses optical technology – the others are magnetic-based systems, which need to be recalibrated each time new equipment is installed in the cockpit. This does not apply to Denel’s HTS, which is also unaffected by direct sunlight. Denel’s predecessor agencies began working on helmet- mounted sighting and tracking systems in the early 1970s, these first-generation systems then entering service with the South African Air Force.

The high-speed South African system is made up of three sensors (basically, tiny video cameras) in the cockpit, which detect a number of light-emitting diodes mounted on the pilot’s helmet; the data from these sensors is communicated to a head tracker processor, which calculates the position and angle of the pilot’s head. The resulting information is used to correctly position vital symbology on the pilot’s helmet-mounted display.

This symbology conveys critically important information on the flight, and from the instrumentation, navigation, mission, weapons, and defensive systems, to the pilot.

Because this information is displayed on the pilot’s visor, right in front of his or her eyes, the pilot can always look outside the aircraft, and need not be distracted by having to glance down at the instrument panel. The head tracker sensor also drives external sensors and missile seekers, so they are always looking in the same direction as the pilot is.

Denel Optronics is currently part of the State-owned Denel defence industrial group.

However, in March, Denel and Germany’s Carl Zeiss Optronics signed an agreement in terms of which the German company will acquire 70% of Denel Optronics, with the Denel group retaining the remaining 30%. The final required approvals for the deal are expected in the near future.

The Typhoon has been developed by the European consortium, Eurofighter, jointly owned by the continent’s biggest aerospace groups: BAE Systems, EADS, and Alenia. The Typhoon is a large, twin-engined, highly agile, swing-role, advanced fighter, and was developed to form the backbone of the UK Royal Air Force (RAF), German Luftwaffe, and the Italian and Spanish Air Forces during the first part of the twenty-first century.

Austria became the first country outside the four Eurofighter partner nations to order the aircraft, signing a contract for 18. Saudi Arabia is expected to confirm an order for 72 Typhoons in the near future.

This will take the number of the aircraft on order to about 700, of which more than 100 have already been delivered to the four original partner air forces, and the aircraft will shortly be declared operational for air-to-air missions by the RAF. All will almost certainly use the Denel Optronics HTS.

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=110452

Gammon, roast beef, roast chicken, roast lamb. Roast potatoes. Various vegetables and sauces / gravies. Various desserts. Finished off with wine and cognac.:)

Now here’s a question for those of you who are ‘old timers’. Back around 1960 I recall reading a book on rockets & missiles and their technology which had a long section on (mostly German) liquid-propellant rockets. For each, there was a detailed diagram of the propulsion system, showing the flow of the fuel and oxidiser from the tanks, though the turbopumps, and into the combustion chamber. The accompanying text gave an event-by-event description of the engine-startup sequence.

I’d love to re-read it, but have totally forgotten the name of the book and the author. Does anyone recognise it from my description?

Mercurius Cantabrigiensis

I’ve just finished reading “Cracking the Sky” by Desmond Prout-Jones and I think he describes a book from the 1950’s that closely fits the description you have just given He states that it is a definitive benchmark book that helped him with his rocketry. I’ll have a peek tonight to get the title. I hope it’s the same book…

As I said earlier, I spoke to Ian Smith about 3 months ago. He was living in a home in St James, which is a seaside town next to Muizenberg on the outskirts of Cape Town. I had never met him before, but my father had met him a few times as he has friends out that way.

I’m sad to say that I did not enquire about his war service from him.

Smith joined the Royal Rhodesian Air Force during World War II. After he had completed his flying training, he was seconded to the Royal Air Force in the rank of Pilot Officer. He served with distinction in the Royal Air Force at RAF Pembrey, Pembrey, Wales. On 4 October 1943 his plane crashed on takeoff, burning Smith’s face. He received plastic surgery and half of his face remained paralyzed. Once he recovered he returned to active service in Italy. German anti-aircraft fire shot down Smith’s Spitfire during an attack on a railway facility. He parachuted safely from his aircraft, landing behind enemy lines. Italian partisan and French resistance groups gave him refuge. He reached Allied lines.

The above is from wiki.

No, despite such claims, the Su-27 did not offer such range. The Su-27 did enter service from ~1988.

The SU-27 entered VVS service in 1984, with large numbers in service by 1986. Its range was adequate to operate from Eastern Europe on sweep missions to allow Blackjack/Backfire missile release.