Russian Nuclear Bombers over Guam

[Subnuts]

Noted communist sympathizer and left-wing fifth columnist Ronald Reagan let this happen constantly as well.

[AVGWarhawk]

Just another day of I'll show you my toys and you show me yours.

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by Subnuts

Noted communist sympathizer and left-wing fifth columnist Ronald Reagan let this happen constantly as well.

Actually "IS" is the code for Keflavik, Iceland the USAF used to have F-15s there though seeing as it is Icelandic airspace that intrusion can be blamed on Bjork.

Here is a closer photo from that same mission:

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by eddie

...what else would you expect from a neocon.

Don't be so political. Yubba gives neocons a bad name.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

Holy hell Dowly's sig just blinked. Maybe I'm behind the ball, but I was scrolling down and I saw it. Scared the crap out of me.

I first noticed it awhile ago. Now every time I see his post I have to sit and watch until she does it. It's become an obsession.

Noted communist sympathizer and left-wing fifth columnist Ronald Reagan let this happen constantly as well.

But he had no recollection of those events.

[Herr-Berbunch]

I only clicked the link because I thought it said freebacon.com.

[Jimbuna]

These used to be our answer...

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

These used to be our answer...

Isn't that a MiG-21 knock-off?

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

Isn't that a MiG-21 knock-off?

The Lightning's design predates the MiG-21 by a year, and they both went into service the same year.

Sorry, only funny when it's true.

[AVGWarhawk]

Who is answering the phone in the middle of the night?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

Isn't that a MiG-21 knock-off?

You may well laugh but have a look at how she performed/compared against the F-15 and U-2....and such an old girl at that

The Lightning possessed a remarkable climb rate. It was famous for its ability to rapidly rotate from takeoff to climb almost vertically from the runway, though this did not yield the best time to altitude. The Lightning's trademark tail-stand manoeuvre exchanged airspeed for altitude; it could slow to near-stall speeds before commencing level flight. The Lightning’s optimum climb profile required the use of afterburners during takeoff. Immediately after takeoff, the nose would be lowered for rapid acceleration to 430 KIAS before initiating a climb, stabilising at 450 KIAS. This would yield a constant climb rate of approximately 20,000 ft/min. Around 13,000 ft the Lightning would reach Mach 0.87 and maintain this speed until reaching the tropopause, 36,000 ft. on a standard day. If climbing further, pilots would accelerate to supersonic speed at the tropopause before resuming the climb.
A Lightning flying at optimum climb profile would reach 36,000 ft in under three minutes. The official ceiling was kept as a secret, although low security RAF documents usually stated 60,000+ ft (18 000+ m). In September 1962 Fighter Command organised several supersonic interception trials on Lockheed U-2As at heights of around 60,000-65,000 ft, which were temporarily based at RAF Upper Heyford to monitor Soviet nuclear tests. For the trials operations were carried out by the AFDS temporarily moved to RAF Middleton St George. Energy climb techniques and flight profiles were developed to put the Lightning into a suitable attack position. To avoid risking the U-2, The Lightning could not be permitted to close any closer than 5,000 ft and definitely not fly in front of the U-2. For the actual intercepts four Lightning F1As were used on eighteen solo sorties. The sorties proved that, under GCI, successful intercepts could be made at up to 65,000 ft. Carried out to the backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis, the flight targets were deliberately not listed in the pilot log books. RAF Lightning pilot and Chief Examiner Brian Carroll reported taking a Lightning F.53 up to 87,300 feet (26 600 m) over Saudi Arabia at which level "Earth curvature was visible and the sky was quite dark", noting that control-wise "[it was] on a knife edge".
In 1984, during a major NATO exercise, Flt Lt Mike Hale intercepted a U-2 at a height which they had previously considered safe from interception (thought to be 66,000 feet). Records show that Hale also climbed to 88,000 ft (26,800 m) in his Lightning F.3 XR749. This was not sustained level flight, but in a ballistic climb or a zoom climb, in which the pilot takes the aircraft to top speed and then puts the aircraft into a climb, trading speed for altitude. Hale also participated in time-to-height and acceleration trials against Lockheed F-104 Starfighters from Aalborg. He reports that the Lightnings won all races easily with the exception of the low-level supersonic acceleration, which was a "dead heat".
Carroll compared the Lightning and the F-15C Eagle, having flown both aircraft, stating that: "Acceleration in both was impressive, you have all seen the Lightning leap away once brakes are released, the Eagle was almost as good, and climb speed was rapidly achieved. Takeoff roll is between 2,000 and 3,000 ft [600 to 900 m], depending upon military or maximum afterburner-powered takeoff. The Lightning was quicker off the ground, reaching 50 ft [15 m] height in a horizontal distance of 1,630 feet [500m]". Chief Test Pilot for the Lightning Roland Beamont, who also flew most of the "Century series" US aircraft, stated his opinion that nothing at that time had the inherent stability, control and docile handling characteristics of the Lightning throughout the full flight envelope. The turn performance and buffet boundaries of the Lightning were well in advance of anything known to him.

[AVGWarhawk]

Do not spar with Jim and aircraft. Since he started collecting Corgi diecast hs is a walking encyclopedia. You can't win!!!!

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

Isn't that a MiG-21 knock-off?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Do not spar with Jim and aircraft. Since he started collecting Corgi diecast hs is a walking encyclopedia. You can't win!!!!

LOL...the facts can't be denied