Originally Posted by
John Farley
I wonder if those who write off the whole significance of this manoeuvring so far as combat is concerned (thanks to radar/stealth/BVR issues etc) ever stop to think that perhaps an organisation that can engineer what went on at Paris actually understands these other issues as well.
Oh, I wouldn't doubt that. I found the sustained climbing Turn Performance at that speed and AoA truly impressive.
More so that some of this falling Leaf stuff.
Also acceleration was really excellent. A huge plus,
If I were a Pilot facing one of these I would be much much more concerned about the amazing energy conservation capability and SEP also at low Speeds than most of the Display 'donut's' to be frank.
In which case stand by for puzzlement when your target at the last moment unbelievably nips out of the lethal range of the missile you just used.
Of which it will not so much be capable beacuse of the TVC induced nose pointing than energy conservation capability in hard maneuvers.
That post stall nose pointing doesn't really help much to change position in space. In These admittedly spectacular maneuvers the trajectory of the Jet hardly changes. Therefore that doesn't really help shrinking the opponents missile's NEZ.
Again much more worrying also with regard to NEZ is the obviously excellent EM capability of this Jet.
In my pov that thing would be 99% equally lethal w/o tvc.
From a design perspective I absolutely love this thing. But for somewhat other reasons than probably most of the spectators.
I would love to know the STR at 15kft with 45 minutes fuel. Should be super impressive.