Warbirds Thread
- Thread starter PsihoKekec
- Start date
Yeah it's apparently a three barreled 20mm rotary cannon as opposed to the 30mm chaingun like on the Apache or 30mm cannons on later Hind models.
Philippines apparently is planning on importing a handful of them because they wanted more firepower then their current light helicopters possessed, so it might just be a nice midtier of helicopter gunship.
BF110C4
Well-known member
That's a 20mm? Frankly from the photo it looked to me like a .50 at best, I suck at judging sizes.
gral
Well-known member
Same three-barrel gatling as the one on the AH-1.
Knowledgeispower
Ah I love the smell of missile spam in the morning
Mind you the tanker role is getting filled by the MQ-25 and I suspect a longer ranged ASW drone for the carriers is merely a matter of time
Another old Cold War warrior, this time the 4-seater S-3 Viking ASW bomber. Too bad that the F-18s and helicopters replaced them in their various roles.
Tiamat
I've seen the future...
Does strike me as a bit of a cross between an AH-1 Cobra and an AH-64 Apache.
PsihoKekec
Swashbuckling Accountant
The first version was envisioned as light recon/anti-tank helicopter based on A109, which would be similar to Lynx, but then the project got a hard reset and subsequent development was started from the ground up with AH-1 being a mayor influence.
Tiamat
I've seen the future...
Aaron Fox
Well-known member
Depending on the sort of rumors you listen to, Area 51 being a top-secret testing site for aircraft makes sense. It's well out of the way, right next to the nuclear testing sites, and it's kind of rough to get to.
It is, according to some of the rumors, where we store all the Soviet aircraft that we've acquired over the years, to test their capabilities.
It is, according to some of the rumors, where we store all the Soviet aircraft that we've acquired over the years, to test their capabilities.
Tiamat
I've seen the future...
And also the supposed home of the Aurora project, assuming it’s still around, or ever existed.
And of course….
Aliens.
Also a good dumping ground for toxic materials that would have the EPA and OSHA up in arms if they weren't hidden behind 'classified' stamps.
Aaron Fox
Well-known member
The hypersonic aircraft project? Yeah, no. Hypersonic engines are stupid hard to manufacture, largely because of the sheer stresses involved...
Aliens? Not likely, largely because just trying to work out what their tech can do will get that specific scene in The Avengers where Captain America tries to fix the duct fans of the SHIELD Helicarrier...
No, the land around it is already toxic, given that they're nuclear weapon testing grounds (why Area 51 got its name, it was the 51st nuclear testing site area).
Largely because US military doctrine is predicated on the fact they've got the best aircraft...
The shape is a bit off for that... and smaller. Remember, Vulcan bombers are huge things.Be funny if it was an old Vulcan bomber or something like that.
We do have the best aircrafy
Aaron Fox
Well-known member
Yes and no. Aircraft design and manufacture is an ever-evolving field and for the US, it needs to be far ahead of the rest of the game to stay 'competitive' given just how much its military planning and requisitions are structured around complete air dominance.
If the US slips up in this, well, it quickly falls apart.
Not really.
The AF is always ahead before we even see what they are working on
Aaron Fox
Well-known member
Here's the thing, the US is so dependent on the idea that they would have air dominance. Without that cornerstone, the US military is severely weakened.
Can't fight if you're constantly getting bombed the moment you poke your head out.
The USAF has to be several steps ahead in the RnD game just to keep their current air dominance... as nations like Russia and China understand that IADS is a requirement for the future.