I’m gonna go get some popcorn and some Reese’s Peices before the show starts; anyone want something to drink while I’m at the counter?

And if the show starts and I’m not there, be sure to holler. I dont want to miss this.

WOW! Probably the best F-15 shot I have ever seen (Helps being an F-15 ACTIVE/IFCS 🙂 ).

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/Aircraft/Civil/ActiveF15Climbing.jpg

Ah, in that alternate universe wherein the F-15ACTIVE is equipped with a full combat fit and put into USAF service alongside the F-22… I want to live in that reality. 🙁

Seriously, what an amazing jet.

It looks like they stuck a harpoon on the end of that plane. Either they’re hunting for whales or their doing a little friendly air-to-air Jousting. 😀

Oh and wonder what LoofahBoy‘s diagnosis is about the above emoticons…..

You are experiencing so much unsurpassed joy that your brain literally degenerated to that of a clapping circus seal, and you are now worshiping Star49. 😮

My take on the whole TVC / Super/Hyper/Uber/Pwnagemanuverability thing lies somewhere in the middle. I know that most combat takes place at long range, but there will still come a time wherein things fall into close quarters; desert storm proved it, I think. Yeah, the new missiles are incredibly agile; but the guy with the thrust vectoring STILL has a better chance at dodging that thing than the guy who doesn’t, if only a little. Every little bit helps.

And besides, thrust vectoring has uses other than just dodging missiles. Like hyperwarp said, it helps you get into attack position faster, as well as improving high altitude controllability and take off performance on the runway. And if you can turn towards the threat faster than he can at BVR, you can fire off the missile first. So thrust vectoring is even good at long range.

But I don’t think Thrust Vectoring alone will decide the fight in the grand scheme of things. Look at the Super Hornet. What it lacks in zippiness it more than makes up for it in terms of cutting edge avionics and full usage of the dreaded AIM-9X. Making the super hornet just as deadly or even deadlier than some thrust vectoring jet. And a fighter jet is just one part of a system. Theres AWACS and a whole other list of elements at work in a fight that decide the outcome of the battle; none of this one-on-one red baron stuff which some fanboys seem to think. I think they’ve been playing too much Ace Combat. :diablo:

And cost will ALWAYS be the prime reason whether or not supermanuverability is implemented in a design, imo.

The thrust vectoring talk is exactly the same as when they started emphasizing speed and avionics over dogfighting and guns in the 60s. There were those who were proponents of guided technology making dogfighting obsolete, and I’m sure there were those who believed otherwise. Time would tell which would prevail. The same will show whether supermanuverability is the way to go or not. Every new revolution carries with it controversy, in this case.

Or maybe, pilots are just an argumentative bunch and like to fight with each other. 😉

China has its own 5th Gen fighter program and has never actively participated in Joint development with any country aside from the US.

Oh yeah, that Super-7 thing, right? Didn’t the JF-17 evolve from the remnants of that program?

Which is the Ye-8.

Give it the cranked delta wings of the later J-7 family and decent radar and you would have one hell of a fighter. It’s a pity the Ye-8 never made it into service.

If were talking about pure performance, I would emphasize thrust over range and make it a point-defense fighter like the lightning.

Regarding the Saturn image, I’ve heard a rumor that it’s only intent was to show a “possible” engine configuration by Saturn. Anyone else know anything about that?

If that’s true, then the Saturn configuration might be bust. I’m still hopin’ though, cause I really like how it looks. Looks like a raptor/tomcat hybrid. :diablo: