Comments on: Time to Start Worrying

By: Wilko

Wilko — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:57:09 +0000

Betcha we could take him in our L-29.
…at least until he learns to *fly* an Alpha.

The Delphin sports only a pickle button these days, which doesn’t scare too many people.

By: Kevin R.C. O'Brien

Kevin R.C. O'Brien — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:15:10 +0000

An Alpha Jet was used as the high chase for SpaceShip One re-entry and maneuvering for landing. Possibly this same a/c. Mid and low chase were handled by a Beech Starship (to the vexation of then-Beech-owner, Raytheon’s, lawyers) and Extra 300 respectively.

At some point of course, nothing air-breathing could chase the rocket, which peaked at almost Mach 4 (3.7? 3.9? Can’t remember, sorry) and at suborbital space altitudes.

By: BillT

BillT — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:02:17 +0000

“Alpha Jet” and “fighter” should never be used synonymously…

By: Jules Crittenden » Long War’s Reach Extended

Jules Crittenden » Long War’s Reach Extended — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 03:33:13 +0000

[...] for dismantling our national defense, to include being no where near Syria. Neptunus Lex looks to online advertising as a revenue source for naval aviation should lean times befall the United States [...]

By: Chunk

Chunk — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:03:48 +0000

well, there’s always this option!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3138/2973701485_5e90753779_b.jpg

By: hajo-hi

hajo-hi — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:26:45 +0000

“The official nickname is NATO-Moped. That neatly summarizes its capabilities”

The above quote is from the discussion page of the German Wikipedia entry of the Alpha-Jet. I remember the saying “Two weak to hurt, to slow to run away.” You know, it doesn’t even have with a build-in cannon. Now, the early F-4 Phantom II did not have one either and that plane was beloved in all air-forces which operated it. So there must have been something else about the Alpha-Jet. Another entry on the same page delves into deep (the translation is of my own):

“The Alpha jet was initially not designed for the additional tasks he was ultimately requested to do because of “Luftwaffe conformity”. Small and maneuverable, he was to provide ground attack and combat air support, at which he did an excellent job. A job, that ripped the heart out of the raised psyche of the Luftwaffe pilots. It was to circle above the battlefield and, lead by a forward air controller, to destroy assigned tanks. For elitist reasons an unwelcome job, which was seen at the pitied helicopter pilots of the Heer (German Army). See Fairchild A-10.

As the procurement could not be torpedoed, the Luftwaffe invented additional requirements and equipment which needed to be sub-optimal for reasons of technical compromise. These were then responsible for the negative image, but were based on a personal point of view.

The Alpha-Jet missed the features that made a pilots heart beat, but which he did not need for his mission:

* Climbing into an elevated cockpit via a ladder, which puts him firmly above the level.
* Mass of air-plane, power, acceleration and noise of after burning engines.
* Supersonic speed.

Whoever joins in the Luftwaffe pilot’s song, compares apples to oranges. A moped has its justification in traffic and nobody will want to compare its capabilities to those of a truck.”

I believe the last word should have been V8.