i've been to warton and it looks very nosey.

ftrplt

I'm sure we know each other, were you in Oman with 5 on Saif Sarea?

I've flown the Typhoon. It is a phenomenal airframe/engine combination, way ahead of anything else flying. The radar works very well. It has fired AMRAAM and the first shot totaled the Mirach. Its also, still, a fraction of the price of an F22.

As for ASRAAM, its an amazing air to air weapon. The range is considerable, the fly-out speed is awesome and it is smokeless. It also has some very clever modes to counter flares and the like. I'd choose ASRAAM over any model of Sidewinder.

Yes, AUS should buy some Typhoons.

And while I said 'no helmet' the same helmet IS now flying on Gripen, so it's not far away.

And the Meteor is looking good, too. Meteor promises to be a considerably more effective BVR weapon than AIM-120, and while a new US BVR weapon will almost certainly arrive, it's equally certain that the Yanks will export a much-'capped' version and will be as tight-@rsed about actually letting any out of their grip as they have been with AMRAAMs -

The F-111 replacement part of the Aussie requirement is a tough one, but Typhoon will meet it as well as JSF, and a Typhoon with conformals etc. may go even further towards getting all the necessary 'ticks in the boxes'.

Maybe this will help...
 

Sir Jock Stirrup - RAF Chief of Air Staff
"I have been looking forward to it for a long time and it was hugely impressive - if I had a message for RAF personnel it would be 'if you can get on Typhoon - get on it!'”

Wg Cdr David Chan - OC 17(R) Sqn
”…..I am pleased with our progress under Case White since flying got underway, and look forward to getting into the full exploitation of the weapons system. But as a pilot, I have to say that its a pity that I'm coming to the end of my time flying fast jets - the young men and women now joining the RAF will have a ball flying Typhoon!"

Sqn Ldr Will Hockenhull - Flight Commander 17(R) Sqn
“Typhoon clearly shows much more potential as a weapon-system than F3; it climbs effortlessly to 40,000'+ in Max Dry power. The application of Reheat is noticeable by a near-instantaneous 'push' in the back”

Case White? Wasn't that the code word for the German invasion of Poland in'39?

Sssshhhhhh! No-one's supposed to mention that!

(There is, of course, also the [apocryphal?] tale that the name 'Cyclone' was mooted for the aircraft. 'Good idea' said everyone, until the German representative pointed out the connotations of translating this into German.... Back to the drawing board).

Re Typhoon/F15E/F111 and the RAAF.

Bearing in mind the primary deterrent role of the RAAF, there is nothing available to match F111 capability in terms of payload/range: survivability is another matter. However, Typhoon with SS and conformals would be capable of reaching Australia's traditional 'high agenda' target in a Hi-Hi profile. F15E would probably (?) be similarly capable. In other words, whilst neither Typhoon nor F15E have the legs of F111, their legs are quite long enough. And so what, given the RAAF's continued and improving AAR capability.

Typhoon is, in overall terms, cheaper than F15E, and significantly outlasses it in the A/A role. What, then, provides better value in terms of both capability and $?

Jacko, do I detect that you have modified your view that Gripen is a viable option for the RAAF?

Jacko,

"All of the F-22 operators I've spoken too are extremely enthusiastic about the aircraft's potential and promise as a weapons system, but not one of them has offered any praise of the aircraft as it is today as a flying machine"

None of those you spoke with praised it (as is is today) as a flying machine? That, to understate it, surprises me.

Mind you, I don't know what your exact definition of 'as a flying machine' is - do you mean in a pure 'poling' sense (BFM, Hi AoA, handling etc)?

All the best :-)

MT

Mobius,

So was I. So was I. And yes, I suppose I do.

Smarty,

To an extent, though I think the aircraft would be useful as the 'low' element in a high:low mix both here and in Australia. Unless you need to operate from a carrier deck, the Gripen strikes me as an eminently sensible machine. Now flying with the Typhoon helmet, soon to have Meteor, and with some clever tricks planned to dramatically increase fuel capacity, the aircraft is the dog's doodads if you want a cheap, deployable, cheap-to-operate multi-role fighter.

And I gather that young Magnus does a mean demo flying the aircraft onto a deck in the Gripen sim..... ;)

Archimedes - sorry, I made up the 'Cyclone' tale....

't Bungling Baron invited all and sundry to lunch at 't werrks and the topic of a name "Fer 't new aeroplane" came up.

'Tempest' and 'Hurricane' were unacceptable due to certain memories. So 'Cyclone' or 'Zyklon' was suggested, to continue with the 'wind' theme of Tornado. This was received well - until it was quickly realised that such a name, particularly for the 2-seater B model, would have been rather unfortunate....

'Typhoon', it was pointed out, had been used for both the German Me 108 and the British Hawker Typhoon. So that was OK then. They all had a drink over the idea - and 't Bungling Baron beamed merrily.

Watching the burner climb capability of the Warton Typhoons coming off the tanker was very interesting. Nothing the RAF has ever had went that well - straight up to around FL500 after filling to full! The pilots will love it.

Straight up to Angels 50 after filling to full. Then calling High Key and setting up for the PFL!

Only joking, but I understand our new wonderkite is a little short on the old internal go-juice. Still if you let a bunch of Lightning pilots loose on a project ............

They better get on with this soon, I've worked recoveries of to many JAS with only fumes in the go juice tanks.
And...during Joint Winter in march, the Swedes launched last......and landed first, even when the F-16 did not have AAR. :E

BEagle,

That's interesting - as you'll have seen from my bracketed remark, I was unsure of the exact provenance...

Since first I encountered the tale via someone who firmly believed it to be true , and since it has subsequently been recounted to me by someone on a JOCC, you may have started an urban legend!