19.06.2013, 12:06
Hi,
Both aircraft are extremely maneuverable and are fun to watch at airshows.
However, in real combat the jets would be traveling far too fast in defense against enemy missiles to do such maneuvers, making such tactics useless in combat and actually would make them more vulnerable to enemy missiles.
I watched each video closely and did not see any movement of the nozzles, called thrust vectoring, but thrust change is possible by venting vertically through openings. Because I know very little about these aircraft, I can not say if this type of thrust vectoring is being used in these two videos.
The use of canard (foreplane) in combination with tailplane on the aircraft of the second video is an extremely agile combination. Experiments in the 1960s by USA manufacturers lead to the conclusion that such combination of both foreplanes and tailplanes is not needed for combat, adds to the vulnerability of the fighter, and increases drag over using only foreplanes or only tailplanes.
I speculate that the use of both foreplanes and tailplanes is a propaganda tactic for domestic morale and/ or foreign sales of Russian aircraft. :wink:
They are very fun to watch, none the less!
Clinton
Both aircraft are extremely maneuverable and are fun to watch at airshows.
However, in real combat the jets would be traveling far too fast in defense against enemy missiles to do such maneuvers, making such tactics useless in combat and actually would make them more vulnerable to enemy missiles.
I watched each video closely and did not see any movement of the nozzles, called thrust vectoring, but thrust change is possible by venting vertically through openings. Because I know very little about these aircraft, I can not say if this type of thrust vectoring is being used in these two videos.
The use of canard (foreplane) in combination with tailplane on the aircraft of the second video is an extremely agile combination. Experiments in the 1960s by USA manufacturers lead to the conclusion that such combination of both foreplanes and tailplanes is not needed for combat, adds to the vulnerability of the fighter, and increases drag over using only foreplanes or only tailplanes.
I speculate that the use of both foreplanes and tailplanes is a propaganda tactic for domestic morale and/ or foreign sales of Russian aircraft. :wink:
They are very fun to watch, none the less!
Clinton