"On the Russian version of the forums discussed downed Boeing missile air-to-air type R-27 (Su-27 or MiG-29). The version with the SA-11 improbable due to the absence of contrails and sound, which are difficult to hide, regardless of who produced the missile launch. United States promised, but did not provide the satellite picture rocket launch. "
I wonder if on those Russian forums they can answer some very simple question about those theories:
- who could fire that R-27 missile ? Whose plane ? Russian plane would be most likely, because the missile would have to come on head-on course so be fired from south-east (!).
- why there is no such plane on radar data, even on radar data presented by Russian side on their conference ? If ukrainian fighter was there to shoot at MH17, Russians would be first to show radar data confirming that.
- doesn't the R-27 contain a continuos-rod type warhead ? The visible damage is consistent with fragmentation warhead.
citation: "All versions of the R-27 missile are equipped with the same 39kg Rod warhead initiated by radar-proximity and impact fuses."
- Why is the R-27 discussed ? Why is it a favorite, and not some other missile like R-33 ? I guess the R-27 is favorite because it's used by Ukrainian forces too.
- No contrails from SA-11 missile, right ? And shoudn't A2A R-27 missile leave a contrails too ? In the same way as Buk missile ?
By the way, there was a picture of column of smoke that was said to be smoke of the SAM missile going into the air, as seen in direction of Shizhne minutes after the shootdown.
edit:
http://www.sat24.com/history.aspx choose date and time (17 July 2014, time 16:00 - that's 14:00 UTC) and you can see cloud cover at the very right edge of the map.