As an aviation enthusiast, I can’t stand watching big screen movies about flying because they’re so dumbed down for the masses. The only exception to this (and since it’s a low volume release, I wouldn’t really throw it in with all the others already mentioned) would be the IMAx film Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag. It’s far and away the most realistic and entertaining (mainly because I wasn’t getting pissed off at all the inaccuracies) flight movie I’ve seen.

A couple of things about everybody’s “whipping boy” movie- Top gun that always chapped my butt:

Since when does the Air Staff refer to individual pilots on patrol?
The almighty AWG-9 not picking up close formation “Migs” at 15 miles?
Charlie calling his little braking amneuver a split S and can you say compressor stall?
In the final battle, while Maverick is still sitting Alert5, he reaches up and closes the scratched all to hell canopy with his hands?
Both catapults breaking at the same time with only those 2 fighters airborne?
The RIO is just an extra set of eyes / cheerleader?
How many times was he going to fire the same station 1 Sidewinder in that final battle?

The list goes on and on.

I believe “Aurora” if it exists utilises PDWE or pulse detonation wave engines. They work a little like exploding fuel in a tube with one end opened, the other closed. Apparently fuel is released in the tube, exploding out the back like a rocket. To get new airflow, the engine pauses a few milliseconds to let air re-enter the tube, the process then repeating. Supposedly responsible for donut contrails observed in mid 90s over the U.S.

You’re describing the pulse jet from the V-1. It’s really all conjecture at this point but the concepts I’ve seen when the whole “donut on a rope” picture first came out was of a design similar to what you described, but without the tube. The whole shape of the aircraft’s rear was what captured the shockwave of the open fuel explosion directly behind the aircraft.

Nice videos!

And judging by your avatar, it looks like somebody else has been playing Ace Combat 😀

I just finished AC5 last night…. all the missions under aevery level of difficulty and aquired all the aircraft. 😎

Tststs! I’ts only a fairytale, no need to fret.

But those combat radius numbers are justPOOR!

Do those figures include takeoff, climbout, transit to target, return and landing? In that case I can understand the “short” legs. I’d love to see what those figures are with 1 air refueling.

It’s tough to beat the Thunderbird ejection shot. Really, anything found here is a great shot.

Anyone watch the news report on that linked site?

Of course they brought up the 92 crash, but they went on to say the program was on hold for 6 years while the plane was re-designed making it sound like the time between the ATF competition and the F-22 test program was a result of the crash. This is horrible reporting at best and patently false and inflamatory at worst.

What is the one in the link under “Sleek!”?

It looks like they took an SU-17, removed the outer swing wings and replaced it with a fixed wing (different from the SU-7 which the SU-17 is derived from).

And the FTC-2000/JL-9 looks like a Mig-21 mutt.