MIG-29 OVT - My favourite jet fighter. What's yours?

[Vix]

I think my favourite is the SU-27, after seeing them in air shows being chucked around the sky. I've got some great pics (on film) where you would swear they are touching.

I live near Lakenheath and Mildenhall too, and never get tired of watching the F15s.

I'd love to see the Vulcan fly

 

[Alibaba99]

Anybody who was at the recent Farnborough or Fairford airshows will undoubtedly have seen the very impressive MIG-29 OVT with thrust vectoring engine nozzles. What this basically means is that the engine nozzles at the rear of the plane can turn in such a way that it dramatically improves the maneuverability of the plane - particularly in low-speed flight from what I could see in the demo.
It means the plane can perform forward-rolls, tailslides, endo's D) and other similar acrobatic stunts.

But in modern combat is there any real need for this? We are in an age where warfare is increasingly done from long-distance missile firing and so on. Is there still enough demand for a jet with good dogfighting ability? Is stealth technology, as seen on the F-22 Raptor, more important than being able to showboat?

Anyway, enough ramling. The jet itself is bloody gorgeous IMO - here's a couple of pics from Airliners.net:

The Eurofighter is designed to be highly manoeuverable at supersonic speeds, which is why it doesn't used vectored thrust. The F-22 Raptor follows similar design considerations to the Mig to be manoeuverable at sub-sonic speeds so also has vectoring.

 

[Digital Punk]

So many great jet fighters out there.

Saw the Mig29 and Eurofighter Typhoon at Farnborough and they're both high on my fav list.

English Electric Lightning was impressive when I saw it many years ago, and if you've got the cash you can go fly in one at Thunder City in SA.

However, I just love the shape and design of the Sukhoi Su33 'Flanker', its a definate favourite, but alas I've never seen it in action.

All time favourite jet bomber is the Vulcan without question.
Really hope they get that baby flying again next year.

 

[Pumpkinstew]

It means the plane can perform forward-rolls, tailslides, endo's D) and other similar acrobatic stunts.

But in modern combat is there any real need for this? We are in an age where warfare is increasingly done from long-distance missile firing and so on. Is there still enough demand for a jet with good dogfighting ability? Is stealth technology, as seen on the F-22 Raptor, more important than being able to showboat?

Well, the JSF (Now called Lightning II) also has thrust vectoring fitted on the VTOL and STOVL variants, but this is mainly to assist with take off and landing I think.

I've worked on stealth materials for almost a year and frankly it's bitchin' hard trying to hide an aircraft when you consider all the shiny flat panels (the aerodynamics team insist wings and tails are essential), dihedrals (apparently every missile must have a nosecone) and cavities (jet engines have big intakes) that send a nice fat ping back to air defence radars. The rear aspect is ohhhhhh, at least 5 times worse though
Don't get me started on the IR signature.

I'm not really involved in operational analysis but the biggest threat to multirole aircraft from poorly equipped militias may well be personnel carried SAM's. Often launched comparatively from close range a quick twitch of the stick may be more effective than chaff or ECCM.
(I'm speculating. Pilot's don't flame me if this is BS. )

I'm also working on a small UAV where the only control method is a single thrust vectored jet engine (with a few clever tweaks.)
So it's not just for wowing the crowds at air shows

There are Typhoons plastered all over the walls where I work, and frankly I'm sick of looking at them.
There's a A1 print of one of these in the lobby that I love though.
Gripen:

Like most people the Harrier was the first jet to make me go 'Wooooooowww' like a wide-eyed 9 year old (which I was). My personal favourite though is the Bristol Beaufighter, but alas no jet engines, so I'll save it for another time.

 

[KizZ]

MIG-29 and ME-262

 

[Mobius 1]

Always loved the shape of the YF-23. Shame it got beaten by the F-22.

 

[Zip]

I think my favourite is the SU-27, after seeing them in air shows being chucked around the sky. I've got some great pics (on film) where you would swear they are touching.

I live near Lakenheath and Mildenhall too, and never get tired of watching the F15s.

I'd love to see the Vulcan fly

This is coming from a girl

Btw you can use an Avater now

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

The Sukhoi S-37 "Berkut" (Golden Eagle)

Just look at it!

/me drools.

 

[Mobius 1]

The Sukhoi S-37 "Berkut" (Golden Eagle)

Just look at it!

/me drools.

Aye, lovely plane posted it a few pages back

 

[VeNT]

Triple redundancy in the systems I belive. They are damn tough.

I saw a documentary about those bad boys and they were recalling a story from the first Gulf War. An A10 was strafed by anti aircraft fire and was beaten up pretty badly. When it limped back to base they found that the only thing missing was the seat cushion. The pilot joked it was because he was puckering up!

EDIT:
From Wikipedia
As nails tbh!

that must be SOOO annoying to shoot at, like in planetside when your shooting some other guy in an aircraft, you KNOW your hitting but he JUST WON'T DIE!

 

[Skii]

The mighty banana jet - doing what it did best

God we made some great planes

 

[zenith10]

always loved the f14 tomcat

 

[Vix]

This is coming from a girl

Btw you can use an Avater now

Yeah I feel a bit out of place when I go plane spotting. Went to see the Blue Angels at Lakenheath a few months ago and was the only female there :/

When they get female avatars, I'll use one

 

[Digital Punk]

Always loved the shape of the YF-23. Shame it got beaten by the F-22.

Yeah, always I preferred it to the YF22 as well.
It actually looked different with its diamond shape to the wing and wide tail fins and was more 'sexier' than the Raptor, which just looks like a souped up F15 to me.
I believe the YF23 came out slightly better in most of the testing too.
Shame they gave the contract to Lockheed instead.

 

[Stolly]

Its iconic...

but my favourite ever....mig 15.

Ah, the Mig-15, 1940's British engineering at its finest.

 

[Efour]

ACHTUNG ME262

 

[malfunkshun]

Ahh yes, the Fulcrum-Plus for my money too, its what the MFI might have been had funding not been pulled.I am impressed with the SU-47 (S-37), its a pity that its likely to only be used as a tech demonstrator for Russian 5th gen fighters, and the loss of the forward swept wings will hurt its performance possibilities.

 

[WolfR1der]

I'm almost certain I saw a Eurofighter last week while away on a ship. We were standing on deck when there was a massive roar and looked over the side to see (what i'm almost certain from the wing shape was) a Typhoon climbing away and waggling it's wings. Not sure what it was doing so far from land buzzing tall ships though

Have to say the Harrier is very impressive however. Saw one at an air show when I was younger, showing off the 'hover' (damaged the runway apparently). Remember it being awesomely noisy though

 

[Overlag]

Ah, the Mig-15, 1940's British engineering at its finest.

huh?

Its engine was a British design, given to the russians... The engine was called the Klimov VK-1.

Other than that its a 100% soviet plane.... and you could argue even the engines was Soviet... seeing we GAVE them the tech (instead of them stealing it for once)

 

[manoz]

The F/A-18 Hornet has been my favourite jet fighter for as long as I can remember. I also like the B2 Stealth bomber(not a fighter) for such a phenomenal shape.[Below]