The next HBO/Spielberg/Hanks WW2 miniseries is a go...

Stealhead · 01-21-13, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red October1984

I'm not even in the air force yet and it drives me crazy. YOU CAN'T REPLACE HUMAN PILOTS!!!! Even jet combat from miles away is slightly annoying. I wish air combat never changed from WW2. That was the REAL flying.

It's sad.....I would've volunteered in a heartbeat for a job as a WW2 Fighter Pilot

You think it is easy today? Hardly there is a lot of task saturation in a modern fighter.The cut off point was the 2nd generation jet fighters(F-86,F-80) many guys that had even flown combat in WWII just could not do the same tasks at higher speeds.

Old time combat seems romantic but it was very hard.Modern air combat (not drone) is extremely demanding trust me I have seen pilots step out of the cockpit after missions they usually look like they just went 12 rounds with Ali in his prime.

You need to speak with some Hog pilots they do things up close and personal I have a buddy that did fabrication and once saw an A-10 that had over 200 holes it many of them from AK47 rounds you don't get AK rounds from miles away.They even found a few 7.62x39mm slugs in the air frame.

It will take a while before drones take over fully they are a very long way from having the payload of a manned aircraft.

What do you mean you are not in the Air Force yet and it drives you crazy? You'll never even make it past basic training then get ready to fold your underwear and socks and follow a ton of rules.You are in for rude awakening good thing your not about to join the Marine Corps.

Oberon · 01-21-13, 11:47 PM

Fly DCS: A10C, just getting the damn thing off the runway requires a degree in computer literacy. Then you've got to wrestle with the TCP to line your shot up, all the time being warbled at by the RWR because some sod in a Buk is trying to find you on his radar screen. Then, when you do fire, you have to make sure that you don't screw your laser up by holding it on too long, or that you've painted the right point otherwise your nice big laser guided bomb is going to make a hole NEXT to the T-72 you were pointing it at.
By this time the Buk operator has woken up and you have two SAMs making pretty smoke trails in the sky by your cockpit, so you have to get out of dodge, whilst avoiding every Tom, Ivan, and Mohammad with a weapon throwing lead at you, and God help you if they vector in a fast mover, you have two AIM-9s to throw but after that, well you'd better hope they are stupid enough to wander in front of your GAU-8, failing that, fly no higher than the height of the grass so they lose you in the ground clutter.

So, what about the fast movers overhead? They have it easy, right?

Errr...no... Since they're flying high, the Buk operator gets a nice picture of them once he's burnt through the ECM, then there's MiGs waiting with BVR missiles to ruin your day, you've got to constantly keep an eye on your fuel gauge because everytime you turn on the burners it just eats fuel. You've got to figure out which one of those dots on your forward radar is the swine that just shot at you, and try to return the favour.
Fortunately AWACs is around the clarify the picture a bit, and your RWR can tell you roughly what is where, but unless you're laying the beat down on the sand people that prefer to bury their MiGs rather than risk flying them, it's a tough job, and even on an easy day, try pulling a few gees in a tight turn, and having to do all of the above whilst feeling like an elephant has sat on your chest.

They make it look easy because they've been bloody well trained, but a quick mess around in a competant simulator will tell you how tricky it is, and that's without the whole motion, gee force, and dead is REALLY dead things to worry about.

I must admit, there are elements of WWII aircraft that are much harder than todays aircraft, navigation, lack of zero/zero ejector seats, a lack of knowledge about the effects of very high speed on an aircrafts controls and airframe (particularly towards the end of the war as jets became to come in), however those difficulties have been replaced by new difficulties in the modern jet age.

Try air to air refueling some time...

Sailor Steve · 01-22-13, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stealhead

You'll never even make it past basic training then get ready to fold your underwear and socks and follow a ton of rules.You are in for rude awakening good thing your not about to join the Marine Corps.

I always remember my last three days before the sent me to Vietnam. Last day at NTC San Diego, I was up at 0600 and assigned to spend eight hours "policeing" the yards; picking up trash and cigarette butts all day long. The next day we were flown to Travis AFB. After a night in the barracks there we were awoken around 0900 by an airman who said "Your flight isn't until late this afternoon. Want to see the base?" We spent a hard day looking at airplanes and hangers, and mostly just lounging around.

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01-21-13, 11:47 PM	#2
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	Fly DCS: A10C, just getting the damn thing off the runway requires a degree in computer literacy. Then you've got to wrestle with the TCP to line your shot up, all the time being warbled at by the RWR because some sod in a Buk is trying to find you on his radar screen. Then, when you do fire, you have to make sure that you don't screw your laser up by holding it on too long, or that you've painted the right point otherwise your nice big laser guided bomb is going to make a hole NEXT to the T-72 you were pointing it at. By this time the Buk operator has woken up and you have two SAMs making pretty smoke trails in the sky by your cockpit, so you have to get out of dodge, whilst avoiding every Tom, Ivan, and Mohammad with a weapon throwing lead at you, and God help you if they vector in a fast mover, you have two AIM-9s to throw but after that, well you'd better hope they are stupid enough to wander in front of your GAU-8, failing that, fly no higher than the height of the grass so they lose you in the ground clutter. So, what about the fast movers overhead? They have it easy, right? Errr...no... Since they're flying high, the Buk operator gets a nice picture of them once he's burnt through the ECM, then there's MiGs waiting with BVR missiles to ruin your day, you've got to constantly keep an eye on your fuel gauge because everytime you turn on the burners it just eats fuel. You've got to figure out which one of those dots on your forward radar is the swine that just shot at you, and try to return the favour. Fortunately AWACs is around the clarify the picture a bit, and your RWR can tell you roughly what is where, but unless you're laying the beat down on the sand people that prefer to bury their MiGs rather than risk flying them, it's a tough job, and even on an easy day, try pulling a few gees in a tight turn, and having to do all of the above whilst feeling like an elephant has sat on your chest. They make it look easy because they've been bloody well trained, but a quick mess around in a competant simulator will tell you how tricky it is, and that's without the whole motion, gee force, and dead is REALLY dead things to worry about. I must admit, there are elements of WWII aircraft that are much harder than todays aircraft, navigation, lack of zero/zero ejector seats, a lack of knowledge about the effects of very high speed on an aircrafts controls and airframe (particularly towards the end of the war as jets became to come in), however those difficulties have been replaced by new difficulties in the modern jet age. Try air to air refueling some time...