*** Posted by Justin ***
hello, i was looking at both these aircraft on a tape amd it looks like the 18 has a much better instentanius turn rate. But i always thought that the 16 would out perform a 18 in a dogfight. Could one of u pilots tell me if the 16 has the uper hand in a fight or not?

*** Posted by run ***
Hi

Without going into too much detail: The F-16 is superior to most others at low altitude. As soon as you go high the 2 engine aircraft like F18, F15, Fulcrum, Flanker will have an advantage.

Run

[hello, i was looking at both these aircraft on a tape amd it looks like the 18 has a much better instentanius turn rate. But i always thought that the 16 would out perform a 18 in a dogfight. Could one of u pilots tell me if the 16 has the uper hand in a fight or not?]

*** Posted by Justin ***
but i thought the 16 had a better TWR then the 18, so why would it be better at alt?
PS. im on firefly's now so i should be with front line fighters in a few years. Cant wait!

*** Posted by run ***
Hi Justin

1. TWR changes with altitude. The TWR that is most commonly listed it at Sea Level.
2. Wether an aircraft is a good dogfighter doesn't only depend on its TWR. There are a lot of other things you have to take into consideration.

Regards John Raahauge (RUN)

[but i thought the 16 had a better TWR then the 18, so why would it be better at alt?
PS. im on firefly's now so i should be with front line fighters in a few years. Cant wait!]

*** Posted by Justin ***
even though you might be to up to date on the newer blocks, do you think the 35k engine in the new block60 will provide anough power to retain it's original performance?

*** Posted by run ***
I have no idea :o)

Run

[even though you might be to up to date on the newer blocks, do you think the 35k engine in the new block60 will provide anough power to retain it's original performance?

]

*** Posted by Justin ***
when you say you havnt got any idea, do you mean it. Or are you just not aloud to say? Anyway, so would i be wrong in choosing a 16 as the plane to be in during a dogfight? Also i have staring my flying training, and as i am both American and British, which airforce do you think would best suit me after i finnish my flying training? Im doing my flying training in the UK.



even though you might be to up to date on the newer blocks, do you think the 35k engine in the new block60 will provide anough power to retain it's original performance?

]

*** Posted by run ***
Yes, I mean it. I am currently an Instructor on the AT-38 and I haven't flown the F-16 since 1999 and we flew block 15's, currently beeing upgraded with Midlife Update (MLU).
You are never wrong to go with the F-16. It is the best jet out there from a pilots perspective. Bubble canopy, tiltback seat, side stick etc. It is a dream to fly. Sure in a dogfight there are aircraft that can outperform the F-16, but 95+% of future engagements are going to be BVR or atleast over within 90 degrees of turn.
The F-16 is the Mustang of over time. It is a dream to fly.
Pick the country you like the best. Both will have great aircraft by the time you get through your training.

[when you say you havnt got any idea, do you mean it. Or are you just not aloud to say? Anyway, so would i be wrong in choosing a 16 as the plane to be in during a dogfight? Also i have staring my flying training, and as i am both American and British, which airforce do you think would best suit me after i finnish my flying training? Im doing my flying training in the UK.
]

*** Posted by Justin ***
yes but the f-16 wouldnt be aircraft of choice then in a close in engament? I always thought that the 16 was the aircraft of choice if a fight was to get close. This is because when i read current spects on aircraft, they say the 16 will outperform other agile aircraft in close such as- f-18, mirage2000, mig-29, f-15, f-14...
I ask what airforce would suit me best because USAF have f-22, JSF and will still have 15 and 16 available, where the RAF will have typhoon. I feel i will get more combat experience if i join USAF, this is because they seem to be much more involvment around the world thus, when things hot up there pilots tend to get more real combat time then the RAF.

[Yes, I mean it. I am currently an Instructor on the AT-38 and I haven't flown the F-16 since 1999 and we flew block 15's, currently beeing upgraded with Midlife Update (MLU).
You are never wrong to go with the F-16. It is the best jet out there from a pilots perspective. Bubble canopy, tiltback seat, side stick etc. It is a dream to fly. Sure in a dogfight there are aircraft that can outperform the F-16, but 95+% of future engagements are going to be BVR or atleast over within 90 degrees of turn.
The F-16 is the Mustang of over time. It is a dream to fly.
Pick the country you like the best. Both will have great aircraft by the time you get through your training.

when you say you havnt got any idea, do you mean it. Or are you just not aloud to say? Anyway, so would i be wrong in choosing a 16 as the plane to be in during a dogfight? Also i have staring my flying training, and as i am both American and British, which airforce do you think would best suit me after i finnish my flying training? Im doing my flying training in the UK.
]

*** Posted by run ***
The F16 is one of the better choices at low altitude. It also greatly depends on the pilot.
You probably have the best chance of hands on combat by joining the US Airforce, but that is a pretty vague reason for selecting the airforce you want to join.
If you want to stand a chance in the selection process you also have to put a damper on your combat eagernes. Guys that are too eager to go to war tend to be deselected.
You want to be professional about it. Be the best you can be and if you have to be a political instrument don't hesitate doing so, but it is not something you should wish for. Sure it will give you some professional satisfaction to go into combat. It is what you have trained for. But it should not be your sole motivation for selecting the job.

Regards John Raahauge (RUN)


[yes but the f-16 wouldnt be aircraft of choice then in a close in engament? I always thought that the 16 was the aircraft of choice if a fight was to get close. This is because when i read current spects on aircraft, they say the 16 will outperform other agile aircraft in close such as- f-18, mirage2000, mig-29, f-15, f-14...
I ask what airforce would suit me best because USAF have f-22, JSF and will still have 15 and 16 available, where the RAF will have typhoon. I feel i will get more combat experience if i join USAF, this is because they seem to be much more involvment around the world thus, when things hot up there pilots tend to get more real combat time then the RAF.
]

*** Posted by Justin ***
from a pilots perspective, do you think the USAF's f-22 will be all that they say it will. Do you think that it will be unbeatable in BVR and extremly agile in a dogfight? Also what do you think about the JSF? do you think it will be able to outperform other current fronline fighters in combat?

*** Posted by run ***
No telling until they actually have been on the scene for a couple of years.
They are both going to be great aircraft.

RUN
[from a pilots perspective, do you think the USAF's f-22 will be all that they say it will. Do you think that it will be unbeatable in BVR and extremly agile in a dogfight? Also what do you think about the JSF? do you think it will be able to outperform other current fronline fighters in combat?]

*** Posted by Justin ***
So is belgium gonna buy any JSF's? r they putting a 40k engine in the JSF? wouldnt this make it's turning capabilities really good, as it wouldnt lose much airsped when others would?

*** Posted by run ***
I don't know what kind of plans Belgium has. I am Danish and not very much have been decided regarding the final version of the JSF.

Run
[So is belgium gonna buy any JSF's? r they putting a 40k engine in the JSF? wouldnt this make it's turning capabilities really good, as it wouldnt lose much airsped when others would?]

*** Posted by Justin ***
i have talked to a USAF 16 pilot and he say's that the f-16 can do 3 perfect rolling monuevers. i dont know what it is called but it looks as though he pulls up and at same time puts stick to the right/left and makes the plane roll in a funny way so that it rolls up and down. He said that even modern fighters such as rafale couldnt do it, and that it could be a useful monuever in a dogfight as others wouldnt be able to follow.