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Subject: World's best multirole?
Kodiak    7/10/2003 8:38:39 AM
F/A-18 Superhornet. For any role-specific comparison,
you can find a better plane to compare to the Hornet,
but I submit that there is no better plane for any given
situation that pops up than the F/A-18.
 
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Aussiegunner    RE:World's best multirole?   7/10/2003 9:05:22 AM
The F-15E is truely multi-role, even if it is classed as a strike aircraft, and is probably more capable than the Hornet. The Rafale would have to be up their too, as would the multi-role SU-30 variants. Not to say that the Hornet is not a great plane though, and is probably cheaper to buy/run than the F-15E. It would be interesting to compare multi-role types dollar for dollar, as nations choose multi-role aircraft for economic, as well as operational reasons.
 
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Kodiak    RE:World's best multirole?   7/10/2003 9:14:22 AM
I agree with you that the F-15E is highly capable (I will not give any credit to french birds, I hate delta wings, they've never impressed me, but maybe thats just the yank in me) but as true multiroles go, you have to consider that the hornet is carrier capable, which is basically something that the f-15 can't compensate for, and really lends itself perfectly to the mulitrole concept.
 
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Aussiegunner    RE:World's best multirole?   7/10/2003 9:26:06 AM
Valid point on the carrier capability bit, invalid on the French Delta one. I'm not a big fan of the French, but they do make good aeroplanes. The Rafale is better in Air to Air combat than the Hornet, is a versitile air to ground platform and is carrier capable. The only potential downside is the cost. It has to be in the running
 
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Kodiak    RE:World's best multirole?   7/10/2003 9:33:04 AM
Air to air maybe at high speeds gives the rafael an advantage, but can't out-turn a hornet close and slow, and hornet can carry a much heavier strike loadout than a rafael, even from a carrier.
 
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Hellfire    RE:World's best multirole?   7/10/2003 9:46:15 AM
>>I will not give any credit to french birds, I hate delta wings, they've never impressed me, but maybe thats just the yank in me. The mirage-2000 is in every way comparable to the F-16. It has even a longer range. That with 20% less thrust-to weight ratio. The mirage 4000 was also comparable to the F-15.
 
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Kodiak    RE:World's best multirole?   7/10/2003 9:48:17 AM
Delta wings just don't have the manueverability necessary to be a premier air-air fighter, IMHO
 
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Aussiegunner    RE:World's best multirole?   7/10/2003 9:56:16 AM
"Air to air maybe at high speeds gives the rafael an advantage, but can't out-turn a hornet close and slow..." Actually, the South Korean Airforce wanted the Rafale over its recent purchase of American fighters, because of it's superb manouverability. I'm not saying the Hornet isn't a great plane, but it is clearly not in the same league as the Rafale in the Air to Air scenario. Yes, it does have a bigger air to ground load, but precision weapons make that less important these days.
 
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Kodiak    RE:World's best multirole?   7/10/2003 9:59:58 AM
even w/ precision weapons, larger loadouts allow for more hits on secondary targets and targets of opportunity, thus making for great sortie efficiencies.
 
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Kodiak    RE:World's best multirole?   7/10/2003 10:01:32 AM
again, the arafael may have an edge i air-air, but I just think that the hornet is a better multirole, all things considered
 
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Aussiegunner    RE:World's best multirole?   7/10/2003 10:06:30 AM
Depends on the needs and budget of the air-force concerned, I guess.
 
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Thomas    RE:World's best multirole?   7/11/2003 2:43:41 AM
My modest proposal is the F-16. 1. It is affordable. 2. It's air-air capability is excellent - others may have better figures; but they are not so much better that a proper pilot can't even them out. 3. It has air-ground, and with precision weapons load-carrying is less important. During the Nato-fighter sale (the sale of the century) it was up against the mirage F1E and the Viggen. The 2 latter are now being withdrawn, the F-16A (updated) can serve til 2015. The F-15 as a striker was build faute de mieux. The F-18 has limitations in it's intended role. Great plane; but.. The multirole characteristics of Raphale and Gripen might or might not be hype - anyway they are 25 years late - any Air Force with brains are looking to the next generation. In the mean time buy second hand F-16A - you know - have a squadron at the price of 2 (or in the updated case, of a flight). In their era: F4 No really great multi-role plane springs to mind in the 1950'ies and 60'ies Mossie
 
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B.Smitty    RE:World's best multirole?   7/11/2003 6:54:52 AM
I second the vote for the F-16 as the best multi-role fighter. The latest rev. F-16C/D Block 60 gives you the most capability for the buck, period. The F-15E is more expensive to buy and operate - you can almost buy two F-16s for the price of one F-15E. The Mirages don't have the same level of integrated avionics or weapon selection, and the F-18E is expensive and only a so-so dog fighter.
 
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Aussiegunner    RE:World's best multirole?   7/11/2003 7:12:39 AM
Yea, if the arguement is framed around bang for your buck, your probably pretty close to the mark with the F-16C. The F-18 was the best in the mid-80's, due to good radar, avionics, BVR sparrow capability and marked target seeker/infra-red combo, but the latest models of the F-16 are right up there. The Euro's and F-15E are more capable, but not so much so that they justify the price tag for most air-forces, and the F-18E has limitations in the Air to Air role. The F-16A is probably more in the bargin basement class nowdays, along with the Mig 29. I'm going to start another thread on that.
 
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Hellfire    RE:World's best multirole?   7/11/2003 7:26:40 AM
The 2000 is as manoeuvrable as the F-16. The rafale and Eurofighter are both more manoeuvrable than any one of the teen fighters. On the contrary, I think the delta wing is the best, if you know how to build a excellent delta wing aircraft. - it's faster with a lower t/w ratio. - you can put a lot of fuel in the wings. - the delta wing enables to have pylons in tandem, which reduces drag. The best example of the delta wing is the F-16E. It was extremely good for its price. It was capable of supercruise with a smaller t/w ratio than the F-16A, carried twice the load, faster and 80% further on internal fuel. It was even more manoeuvrable. The F-15E was chosen mainly because the Air force wanted to keep the F-15 in production, and because they already had the F-16C on the board. But the F-16E/F was truly excellent.
 
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Hellfire    RE:World's best multirole?   7/11/2003 7:31:22 AM
I agree. The block 60 is pretty much the same concept as the 22 year old F-16XL. It proves that delta wings provide an excellent bang for the buck.
 
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