In other words… it USED to cost less, but is NOW more expensive!

France used to have a large overseas empire. Does that mean it really still does now… even though all those colonies currently have their independence?

After all, according to Dassault, the past is the true situation, and the present is just an illusion, right?

actually, your comparison isn’t very accurate: the rafale is built in eurozone. their price in euros (the currency with which they’re built) is constant (same amount of euros for the aircraft), while the dollar has dropped (and for a good part through a deliberate policy which has nothing to do with the aviation market).

therefore, you can’t really say that the aircraft price has increased, it’s your currency that has lost its value which is not the same.

Yeah, but we’d like to see a/c capability, not pilot’s.

what it does show is that the F-14 is abviously at least in the same class as the F-15, WVR wise.

There may be some differences giving this or that advantage to this or that aircraft in a particular circumstance, but overall, they are pretty similar in their WVR performance

that’s why it would be difficult to put the pilot out of the equation and decide “this or that aircraft is better”

it’s also common knowledge that denigration of a category in general reflects personal lack of culture.. to say the least… so?

if they keep mirages 2000 which reduces the “one operational type” advantages.

while france likes to go around the globe explaining people how to live in their own countries, the aircraft supposed to serve for some 30-40 years will be pretty much worn out long before that, if they’re bought in too small numbers

I say it was a wise decision, to scrap nimrods.. it’s not like if the UK had a sea of some kind in their neighbourhood 😀

so much about “all S.A. states are allies”, no? 😀

maybe we should remember the swedish royal family doing the same for saab? 😉