Is dogfighting dead?

[HawkerTempest5]

[quote] could someone explain the math in the ommision of a gun in the Typhoon, each plane will cost

[Ivan]

[quote]no, but then again have we really seen what it is

[denishc]

 Every ten years or so some goverment analyst says "Dogfighting is dead."  This causes a shift in air force policy that gets sadly misproven when the next war rolls around.
 As long as there are bombers or attack aircraft, either manned or UCAVs, to be attacked or protected there will be dogfighting.

[Hogans_Alley]

I hate to be a fink but real dogfighting is "dead". Aerial dogfighting is only applicable in a convential war. Convential war, soon will also be dead. Too many countries have nukes now. Suicide bombing is the "in" thing for some. Many countries have vast armies and they don't care how many of their fighters get killed. The U.S., and other western nations cannot afford a one-on-one casualty. Does anyone know how many Iraqui soldiers got killed compared to the coalition forces during the last desert war? The U.S. I believe is going to concentrate on lethal surgical strikes using unmanned weapons as much as possible. During the WWII, two nukes caused Japan to surrender. Had they erred to surrender, a third bomb was destined for Tokyo. I wonder if Japan would have surrendered had we nuked them right after Pearl Harbor. Peace to you all.

Hogans Alley

[SilverFox441]

The F-18 can "Cobra" with ease.

McAir (McDonnell-Douglas) proved it with their test article. It just requires a minor mod to the flight control software to allow the computer to permit that flight mode.

All operators of the Hornet declined the mod...it's a neat trick at airshows, but doesn't do anything in combat.

Turning radius in todays airbattle is not as important as the ability to "point the nose". No plane does this as well as a Hornet.

I should point out the Flanker is only rated for 10G in manned flight. Same as any western fighter. It don't matter what the plane can handle...the pilot is only rated for 10G.

[Ivan]

The F-18 can do the cobra, but not whitout losing a lot of height.
I haven't seen them doing it under 1000ft AGL, and the USAF disapproves the execution of the manouver on any altitude, as engine problems can develop because of the air inflow, making it a deathtrap.

Turning radius in todays airbattle is not as important as the ability to "point the nose". No plane does this as well as a Hornet

who needs to pint the nose if your missile can look 30 degrees left and right and follows your head...
The 'Archer' is the best close-range missile on the market todat

[SilverFox441]

No Hornet has the flight control mod...so if you've seen one do it the pilot was holding the override down and flying with one hand...forces him to not use throttle to fly out of the manuever.

USAF disapproves of the manuever because they diasapprove of all stunt flying with the exception of designated air demonstration pilots. Those pilots then have to have their routine approved by higher command. Higher command only ever approves manuevers the pilots were trained for in flight school.

Archer is a very good missile, but off-axis targetting assumes that the launch aircraft will get into a position behind the target. It doesn't really do anything for you with a close in target going the other way or crossing.  Most air combat is won in the merge...so that Archer is going to be part of the burning rubble and the Hornet crew chief will be painting another SU-27 shape under the canopy.