TopAces F-16s

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Originally Posted by dead_pan

Hmm not really, its a tactic as old as trade itself - lining up a customer or two before you have to fork out on the goods. If you've done any trade brokerage in your time you'd have done this all the time.

I'd have thought that this early model F16s would have been super-easy to acquire, and that Uncle Sam would have no problems with them moving between allies?

Hmmm not really, it’s dishonest marketing. Just because others do it doesn’t make it right. This has nothing to do with trade brokerage or the sentiment you speak of. They’ve been telling customers they’ve got F-16s, done deal, no problem, we will give you demonstrations - when it quite simply isn’t the case. For reference, see the brochure Duck Dodgers presented.

I think you’ve argued your own point in your second paragraph; you’d have thought it was easy to move the jets around. It’s not and that’s been the problem and they’ve been caught out.

[dead_pan]

Originally Posted by Foghorn Leghorn

Hmmm not really, it’s dishonest marketing. Just because others do it doesn’t make it right. This has nothing to do with trade brokerage or the sentiment you speak of. They’ve been telling customers they’ve got F-16s, done deal, no problem, we will give you demonstrations - when it quite simply isn’t the case. For reference, see the brochure Duck Dodgers presented.

I think you’ve argued your own point in your second paragraph; you’d have thought it was easy to move the jets around. It’s not and that’s been the problem and they’ve been caught out.

Hmm let's agree to disagree.

This behaviour pretty much par for the course in aerospace/defence - I've encountered all kinds of shysters and bluffers at the likes of DSEi, Farnborough, Le Bourget etc. It didn't take much to uncover their BS back then, and will be even easier now. All any savvy customer would need to do would be to request a demo, and their whole story would have collapsed. If any were mad enough to pay for a demo etc without some rudimentary due diligence, more fool them.

Anyhow it looks as if the deal may finally be done so lets see if they can do any business with their shiny old F16s.

[DuckDodgers]

Originally Posted by dead_pan

Anyhow it looks as if the deal may finally be done so lets see if they can do any business with their shiny old F16s.

I'll believe it when I see an aircraft at their so called F-16 ACE in Mesa, an entry on the FAA Registry, an actual Special Certificate of Airworthiness in the Experimental Category from the FAA, and perhaps above all else a MFR from the USAF TAA at Wright-Patterson AFB.

[chopper2004]

En route to Mesa

Hot off the press lol : the Former IDF/AF birds are en Route to Mesa laughingly watching the old western movie 3:10 to Yuma so thought aptly 3:10 to Mesa.

cheers

[ExAdvert]

So, finally Top Aces/ DADS delivers....

A third Gen fighter, 8 years later than promised, in the back of a former Soviet transport aircraft.

Oh, the irony....

[DuckDodgers]

I will say congratulations and caveat it with a few words noting the TPT insisted on removal of the IDF technical mods along with some interesting provisos. The hard work now begins for them to make what is comparably a Block 15 OCU jet into something that is useful; one hopes they start with replacing the original APG-66 which might just about get you a contact at 30nm against a manoeuvring F-15, certainly wouldn't get a TQC until about 20nm. It's going to be challenging for them especially given timelines, and it certainly won't be cheap, however I do sincerely wish them the very best of luck.

[chopper2004]

Slightly digressing it was great to see their Scooter again few weeks back at RIAT (my pic below from Saturday)






and sadly looks like they fall victims of ransomware

https://www.aviacionline.com/2022/05...omware-attack/

I believe they have all migrated to the Marineflieger Nordholz base now

cheers

[DuckDodgers]

Originally Posted by chopper2004

Slightly digressing it was great to see their Scooter again few weeks back at RIAT (my pic below from Saturday)






and sadly looks like they fall victims of ransomware

https://www.aviacionline.com/2022/05...omware-attack/

I believe they have all migrated to the Marineflieger Nordholz base now

cheers

Did the patches cost you $28,000 per flight hour 🤷🏻‍♂️