@ 1)
The Hawkeye 2000 uses the conventional L3C/Randtron AN/APA-171 antenna rotating 5 to 6 times a minute:
“The antenna consists of a 24-foot rotating, aerodynamic, oblate spheroid radome that contains a UHF surveillance radar antenna, IFF antenna, forward and aft auxiliary antennas, and Satcom antenna. This TRAC-A radar antenna provides extremely low sidelobes to reduce clutter and jammer threats. The low sidelobe level is obtained by the precise amplitude and phase control of 148 dipole elements arranged in a broadside array of 10 endfire arrays, having up to 16 dipoles each. The complexity of this antenna system required that the design be accomplished by use of extensive computer evaluations, taking into account mutual coupling and radome effects . Overall, the antenna contains more than 30,000 precision parts. RF power is fed to the TRAC-A antenna via an eight-channel RF rotary joint, also designed and manufactured by Randtron Antenna Systems. This design features a main channel that carries very high RF power from the transmitter to the antenna. We have delivered over 170 units of the TRAC-A antenna system and continue to provide this important communications tool to the Navy.” – Randtron

The “RMP/Advanced Hawkeye” will use a triangle-shaped ASEA from Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems in the then stationary dome.

The E-3C used the Northrop AN/APY-1/2 RSIP.

@ 2)
They can “estimate” it by intensity and angular velocity, but the can not “calculate” it. Up there the air is thinner, so IR-radiation travels a bit further.

@ 3)
Same as above. With a single RWR you just have a vector. By analyzing the emission you might know what it is, and then again you can “estimate” how far away it is. But today you have at least two RWRs on a plane, so you can take an exact bearing. F-22 and F-35 will have starring arrays that can also do that in the IR-spectrum.

Didn’t know about that Blinder. The Tu-22 was hairy at high speeds anyway. Who would amplify that by adding a bulge? Has anybody a picture?

Shompol
OKB: NPO Vega
Shompol replaced the Sablya in service on the MiG-25RBSh. It could operate at heights from 300 to 23,000m, and its resolution was 2-3 times greater. It introduced a moving target selection mode and a combined MTS/mapping mode. Also fitted to Tu-22RDM between 1981 and 1982.

Sablya-E / Izdeliye 122
OKB: NPO Vega
SLAR fitted to MiG-25RBS. Troublesome in service. Could not operate below 17,000m, with post mission analysis required.

Re: Let’s get some trivia out… oh no… another quiz!

-1-
Names like Corsair II or Globemaster III indicate that when a nickname for an American aircraft is used more than once, a suffix is added. Not necessarily so… The following were all used more than once, name the aircraft types which fly/flew with those names.
a – Apache
> A-36, AH-64
b – Blackhawk or Black Hawk
> S-70, S-67
c – Cobra
> YF-17, P-39 (plus some that were named *something*-cobra)
d – Eagle
> P-75, F-15

-2-
Explain how a number of speed records were broken by the A-10 in the mid-1970s.
> flying backwards when firing the GAU? Loose fans passing the aircraft? Lot’s of hilarious stories about the A-10 😀

-3-
The following are all British names for American aircraft. Which ones?
a – Martlett
> F4F
b – Tarpon
> TBF
c – Washington
> B-29

-4-
Give the proper designations for the following aircraft:
a – Delta Dart modified as target drone
> QF-106 /// PQM-102A
b – Tupolev Blinder with a SLAR bulge glued to the side of the fuselage.
> Tu-22P (?)
c – Targeting version of the Kamov Hormone helicopter.
> Ka-25 Hormone-B
d – Czech-built IL-14 with glass nose for aerial photography.
> Avia 14-42
e – Intruders modified to launch AGM-78 missiles.
> EA-6A
f – Skytrain (aka Dakotas) with side-firing guns as originally delivered to the USAF.
> AC-47
g – T-28s modified by the French for COIN warfare
> Fennec
h – F-104D modified for Germany.
> TF-104G

So… on with the regular unorganised stuff.

-5-
At what base can you find the following units, with what aircraft?
a – 555 FS
> Aviano, F-16
b – 555 OKPLVP
> something Russian Navy
c – EC 04.033
> Reims and Djibuti, F.1C
d – 462 Escuadrón
> Canary Islands, F-18
e – Hiko Kyodotai
> Nyutabaru, F-15 Agressors

-6-
What were the RANCH HAND missions, and by what aircraft were they flown?
> de-foliant mission over SEA, C-123

CT’D

-7-
The following aircraft were only exported to one military customer. Name them.
a – Boeing B-47
> Canada
b – Beriev Be-6
> China
c – Buccaneer
> South Africa
d – Pilatus P.3
> Brazil

-8-
When was the first bombing raid on Berlin during WW2, by what airforce, what aircraft, what pilot and from what base?
> June 7/8 1940, French Airforce, Farman 223.4, Cpt. Dailliere, from Merignac

-9-
What aircraft was “dispatched with one shot” on April 14th 1969?
> O-1 of the 183rd Aviation Company near Phan Thiet

-10-
An easy one. The Mirage III had a bigger brother in the Mirage IV, but most other Mirage variants came both regular and king-size as well. The small ones are given, name the big one.
a – Mirage F1
> 5
b – Mirage 2000
> 4000
c – Balzac
> III V

-11-
What was remarkable about the Su-24 prototype?
> T-6-1 had no VG-wing

-12-
What biplanes are in use with what NATO countries?
> a Tiger-Moth was chasing me along a street in Greece years ago; some ex-Russians still fly An-2

-13-
The Wessex is a well-known turbine variant of the Sikorski S58/H-34. Name two other turbine-powered Chocktaws.
> Stinger, Chickenhawk, Seabat, Seahorse

-14-
Before 1962, the SH-3 Sea King had the designation HSS-2. One export customer kept using this designation throughout the operational career of this helo. Which country?
> Japan

-15-
Name all places where F-104s were built.
> USA: Lockheed
> Canada: Canadair
> Germany: Dornier, Heinkel, Messerschmitt, Siebel, Focke-Wulf, Hamburger Flugzeugbau, Weserflugzeugbau
> Netherlands: Fokker, Avioland
> Belgium: SABCA, Fairey
> Italy: Fiat, Aerfer-Macchi, Piaggio, SACA, SIAI-Marchetti
> Japan: Mitsubishi

Originally posted by Srbin
why would they need microwave oven and a toilet in there? not like they will be in the plane for days………..

Bombing in style! Russians go back to pre-revolution standards. Gold plated interior and velvet curtains. Maybe even space for a cook and butler back there …

@ GoldenDragon:
Where in heavens name do you get those dreadful paintings?

Build a Navy Raptor. Finance it through building less SSNs.

F414 has the same dimensions as the F404. Both are too thin. Closest is the Russian RD-33.

Autonomous unmanned vehicles (air – land – sea) will revolutionize combat. We haven’t even seen the beginning yet. The moment these vehicles get some sort of situational awareness and intelligence (through the use of advanced sensors, computers and large databases), humans will have a real problem on the battle field. The biggest problem today is the datalink. I’m not sure this can ever be solved, since the width of the radio-spectrum is finite and jamming will manifold. Their promise to “lift the fog of war” is not going to fullfil. But I think UAVs will evolve the same way manned combat flight has evolved in WW1 and the moment they get some sort of situational intelligence – some sort of narrow minded AI, an expert system for combat – they will show their true potential. And that will also reduce the volume of vehicle to groundstation communication.

Today UAVs should be treated like a round of ammo. And I doubt anybody would feel the same excitement killing a piece of technical equipment as when shooting a duck or partridge – or an enemy human soldier. Ain’t no sports. Perhaps later, 2029 or so, when machines have taken over 😀

Usefull they are already. And the smaller the more so I think. The job larger UAVs do, a manned platform could do as well, even if it’s dull or dangerous (that shouldn’t deter a soldier; of course there are benfits in weight and space when you leave the human at home).

I’m just waiting that somebody builds some sort of killer-UAV to shoot down enemy drones. Like equiping a Hunter or Predator with a MANPADS.