eurofighter typhoon

[Darren]

according to airforces monthly all the european orders are being slowed mid you the austrians have now agreed to take some.

As for the cannon i'd say watch this space. Heard a little birdie talking something about weight distribution and the flight control system and mods to the software being more expensive than the gun

[rabby]

Regards the weight distribution. The solution to that is simply not to alter the software, but simply fill the nose with concrete. Simple.

[Darren]

i mentioned that be there was comment about mass and differences in mass over the length of the canon and weight distribution. all ove my head wether its someones wishful thinking or a descrete change in policy we shall see.

[mattt_h]

cant they just stick to KISS its like that yankie space pen vs russians using pencil

[Jason The Argonaut]

By GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON
Deputy Political Editor

DEFENCE Secretary Geoff Hoon is poised to scrap the Eurofighter warplane because it’s useless.

Military experts reckon the jet — jointly built by Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy — cannot be used either as a fighter or a bomber.

Now Mr Hoon is on the brink of axeing orders for 177 Eurofighters to ensure taxpayers are not left with a white elephant costing £30billion.

The move risks infuriating our three EU partners.

But Mr Hoon believes RAF pilots will be placed in grave danger if we do not back out.

The planes, called Typhoons, will not carry air-to-air missiles or precision-guided air-to-ground weapons.

One source said: “The British taxpayer should not end up with a machine that looks pretty at air displays but can’t go into action. Geoff won’t sign up to future phases unless it is fit for going to war. And under current plans, it’s just not up to the job.”

Ministers have already written off £7billion on the first batch of 55 Typhoons.

Pulling out of future orders would cost around £2billion because of penalties in the contract.

Italy, Germany and Spain are all dragging their heels over funding.

Germany has refused to fork out the extra needed to equip the jet with up-to-date weaponry.

The RAF have only taken delivery of four aircraft.

They were four years late and will not be ready for action for another two years.

The project has been plagued by delays and cash overruns since its design 20 years ago.

Experts blame EU-loving ex-Defence Secretary Michael Heseltine for lumbering us with the project.

Well if this happens what a waste of money an time and what a cock up.

[Aldo]

Jason, isn't that article from the Sun? If I'm right then I wouldn't take it as gospel or anything, the amount of crap that comes out about the EF2000 is getting ridiculous. We can't scrap it even if we wanted to, it would be a huge cost to do so and would leave our pilots with the jaguars and F3s for the next how ever long it takes to get a new fighter.

[Jason The Argonaut]

Jason, isn't that article from the Sun?

Yes that's the one Aldo, I know it comes from the Sun, and you can't really believe much of what is printed. We can back out of the project, but it would cost us about £2 billion .

[Aldo]

That and a pretty big bollocking from the other partners. There's another rumour now about us selling 18 to austria, I doubt it's true but since we only really need about 120 to replace our F3s and Jaguars I'm not too worried about cuts in the number.

[rabby]

Lads, for once the Sun is talking out its arse.

The fact that they say it cannot carry air to air or air to ground weapons is complete gobs***e.
For one the Eurofighter is already been tested with the ASRAAM short range air to air missile, and the new Meteor testing to begin shortly (to be incorporated with the Tranche 2 aircraft). The first aircraft will also be able to use AMRAAM's (Medium range missiles) and upgraded short range Sidewinder missiles.

As for air to ground, it is able to carry free fall bombs, 2 types of precision guided munitions and the ALARM missile for suppresion of enemy air defences. It will carry the Storm Shadow cruise missile as used in the recent Gulf war by our Tornados. Not only that but it can carry the Brimstone anti-armour missile. The Tranche 2 aircraft can take the JDAM, Paveway II and Paveway III and the meteor I stated above.

Lads we are getting the world's finest aircraft, that is swing role and excels in all areas, whatever the Sun journalist was smoking when he/she wrote that article I want some!

[El Prez]

Oh Rabby, yes you! Come down from your indignant cloud. Can said new heavier than air machine land on a carrier? Nah, no, nein, niet, nil points.
Can the F16, Yes, can the F16 Bomb, dogfight, air to air missile launch etc etc etc, Yes.
No argument really.

[Aldo]

Actually it wouldn't be too difficult to make a carrier version since the French did it with the Rafale and that's pretty much the same air frame. It is still the best aircraft after the F-22 and maybe F-35 in the western world, doesn't matter because we're getting the F-35 aswell

[rabby]

The Eurofighter can bomb, dogfight air to air missile launch etc etc etc better than the F16, by a LONG WAY!! :fadein:

As for the F16's being able to land on carriers, I don't think they can, There was a development of F-16N's in the late 80's to do just that but they were all grounded a few years later as they suffered fatal stress fractures....

[Aldo]

Aye, the F-18s and 14s are the only US aircraft to be able to land on carriers.

[Jason The Argonaut]

I'm lead to believe that there are meant to be 3 versions of the Eurofighter, fighter, bomber and another role. That's the info I got of a programe about the Eurofighter. Right or wrong ?

[Mr Grimsdale]

The Eurofighter can bomb, dogfight air to air missile launch etc etc etc better than the F16, by a LONG WAY!! :fadein:

As for the F16's being able to land on carriers, I don't think they can, There was a development of F-16N's in the late 80's to do just that but they were all grounded a few years later as they suffered fatal stress fractures....

The F-16N was used by the US Navy Aggressor squadrons in the late 80's. It was essentially a standard F-16C block 30 airframe with some additional gizmos added to simulate missile launches, ACMI I think is the acronym. It was never capable of landing on a carrier, although it has an arrestor hook - but that was for emergency landings on concrete. The undercarriage would never take the battering of a carrier landing.