Geezers of Nazareth said:
I can remember a visit to the hangar at Nellis AFB in the late 80s when they'd just started on the F-16s. The tour-guide proudly explained that the TB aircraft were fully combat capable, and they they could be fully converted into front-line combat aircraft in "about 3-4 days each". He looked mightily p-ed off when I mentioned the the 'Red Arrows' could be similarly converted in about 2 hours!
Really? You thought that a 'fully combat capable' Hawk was worth mentioning in comparison to an F16? In what combat role did you envisage the Hawk or did you think that the 2 hours to load a couple of AIM-9s and the gun pod was an achievement in itself?
Help me out here, because at the moment your comment strikes me jingoistic arrogance.
LJ