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Largely correct on the F-16, but the F-117 would be COMPLETELY unflyable without FBW. During development and testing, it had the nickname "Wobblin' Goblin".

I think those of us involved in the thread are aware of that. I know I am. A direct relation, no. But I don't think that's what anyone is saying. Again, I know I'm not. Where, I still would maintain, the US remains at or near the top. Equipment notwithstanding, American combat pilots are...

Man for man, Israel has the best ground soldiers in the world. I think few would argue that. However, in terms of pilots, I truly believe (fighting back any national bias) that the U.S. man-for-man -- or pilot-for-pilot -- is at least equal, if not better than, anyone else in the world. Through...

What if C-A-T really spelled 'dog'? ;)

When one considers that NONE of the world's trainers in and of themselves really come close to matching actual operation combat aircraft, I'd have to say that it's the TRAINING that's important, not so much the TRAINING AIRCRAFT.

"Oh my God! It's Blair! Let me take that bag for you. Colonel Blair, sir, it's an honor, sir." Blah, blah, blah.... :)

M/AM is advantageous from a number of angles. M/AM uses the hydrogen of space, meaning less fuel requirements for the engines. It is more efficient, allowing for higher gun energy pools and faster shield recharge rates. And once refined, you get the unlimited afterburners.

You don't have infinite afterburner in WCIII. But that doesn't mean the Excals didn't have M/AM engines (since they DID), just that they weren't terribly refined at that point. There was apparently a lot of engine development during the time of WCIII and WCIV, as evidenced by fighter-sized M/AM...

Just to follow-up Knight's post.... F/A-18's did indeed carry out some SEAD duties during Desert Storm, as did a very few F-16 Falcons. They typically used AGM-88 HARM missiles and cluster bombs (usually Mk.20 Rockeye variants) for the task. A-10's used only the latter, as they are not...

Not in the sense that we recognize recoil. The inverse forces are created by, and absorbed into, the electromagnetic field, as they PULL th eprojectile through the barrel (as opposed to an explosive charge PUSHING it though). The barrel doesn't recoil as we are used to seeing when cannon fire --...

In the simplest terms, a rail gun is a solid weapon which utilizes electromagnetic technology to propel its projectiles up to several times the speed of sound. The "shell" itself is relatively small, but the kinetic energy imparted by the magnetic mechanism is so high such that the force of...

Robert Rusler. He was also Max, one of the preppy jerks in WEIRD SCIENCE; Lawson, the antagonist is SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK (based on a Stephen King short story); and was in one of the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET movies as well.

The great thing about the Piranha is the Stormfire. I've flown the requisite Piranha missions in WCP using nothing but the SF, and gotten through clean, scoring double digit victories. It's a fun way to fly and fight. FWIW, try the gauntlet in the simulator with the Piranha. Now THAT gets...

I wouldn't say they were stupid or ineffective. A bit of overkill, perhaps, but at range the YAMATO-class battleships would have been quite competitive with the IOWA-class contemporaries. And the YAMATO-class vessels offered better armor than the IOWA-class. Of course, the latter had the speed...

One can only be thankful that the Japanese didn't have proximity shells for the 18-inch guns. Those could have been quite devastating. As it is, I don't recall ever seeing any claims that the big guns took down any attacking planes.

Oh, boy...chance for more history lessons! First off, the HOOD was definitely hit by more than one shell (from both BISMARCK and her cruiser escort, PRINZ EUGEN). However, current evidence suggests that it was not a direct hit which penetrated armor to explode her magazines. Instead, most...

The launch tubes on the MIDWAY also have what appear to be some sort of armored blast doors. During the launch sequence, if you watch closely, just as the view begins, you can see the doors opening up. It happens very quickly, and is easy to miss.

The thing about the PLUNKETT and the HADES is that neither is a true cruiser. The PLUNKETT, for all intents and purposes, is much more akin to a battleship in terms of capabilities and operation. The HADES is really in a class all her own, a cross between a cruiser and an escort carrier. That...

The IJN named battleships Japanese provinces. Carriers were typically named for dragons or birds, though there were exceptions (the SHINANO, carrier sister to YAMATO and MUSASHI, is an example).

I've always chalked this up to an error in lengths in the Victory Streak. Historically, frigates fall between destroyers and cruisers in size -- slightly larger than destroyers, slightly lesser armed, but somewhat better defended interms of armor. Frigates are typically optimized for...