4 ms·

So what's the "vintage Linux ThinkPad" of fighter aircraft -- capable, maintainable, affordable, and no-nonsense? F-16? (I'm going to start thinking of my big

by neilv 2y ago

So what's the "vintage Linux ThinkPad" of fighter aircraft -- capable, maintainable, affordable, and no-nonsense? F-16? (I'm going to start thinking of my big ThinkPad T520 as an F-15E.)

olelele 2y ago
Being a bit proud of where i grew up I will posit the JAS 39 Gripen as a contender. Developed since the seventies and still in active production after six? revisions or so.
- ohgr 2y ago
  Glorious bit of kit that. Any engineer would tip their hat towards that fine piece of engineering.
- nradov 2y ago
  The Saab JAS 39E Gripen is fine for what it is, and perfectly capable of limited missions like homeland defense. But it's not survivable for penetrating strikes into defended airspace (i.e. Russia). And it's quite small which, while an advantage in some scenarios, means that if you load it up with external fuel tanks and ordinance for a long range strike mission then performance and efficiency goes to crap. The Gripen is powered by the US-made GE F414 engine, so any purchases can still be vetoed by the US government and buyers will be dependent on US supply chains for maintenance.
ohgr 2y ago
From a European perspective, the Panavia Tornado. Was heavily involved in that project from an avionics perspective. To this day I learned more on that than I did at any startup, tech company or bullshit merchant. It was engineering at its finest.
- nradov 2y ago
  Tornado production ended in 1998 and it has been retired. It's not an option any more.
bigyabai 2y ago
Gripen has already been mentioned, but I've never heard a fact about SAAB's AJ-37 Viggen that didn't make me smile ear-to-ear: > The aircraft was also designed from the beginning to be easy to repair and service, even for personnel without much training. > The digital central computer was the first of its kind in the world, automating and taking over tasks previously requiring a navigator/copilot > The airframe also incorporated a thrust reverser to use during landings and land manoeuvres, which [...] enabled operations from 500 m airstrips with minimal support. > By the mid-1980s, Swedish Viggen fighter pilots [...] had managed to achieve radar lock-on with radar on the SR-71 on numerous occasions. Despite heavy jamming from the SR-71, target illumination was maintained by feeding target location from ground-based radars to the fire-control computer in the Viggen. All around one of the coolest fighter jets ever made. Swedish engineering makes me eat my big fat American heart out every time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_37_Viggen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_37_Viggen
- dingaling 2y ago
  However it used an engine based on the P&W JT8D which made it subject to US export approval. For this reason,for example, it lost a big export order to India. SAAB had originally considered the British Olympus engine for the Viggen, which would have had higher fuel consumption but faster responsiveness and no export tangles.

by neilv 2y ago

So what's the "vintage Linux ThinkPad" of fighter aircraft -- capable, maintainable, affordable, and no-nonsense? F-16? (I'm going to start thinking of my big ThinkPad T520 as an F-15E.)

olelele 2y ago

Being a bit proud of where i grew up I will posit the JAS 39 Gripen as a contender. Developed since the seventies and still in active production after six? revisions or so.

ohgr 2y ago
Glorious bit of kit that. Any engineer would tip their hat towards that fine piece of engineering.
nradov 2y ago
The Saab JAS 39E Gripen is fine for what it is, and perfectly capable of limited missions like homeland defense. But it's not survivable for penetrating strikes into defended airspace (i.e. Russia). And it's quite small which, while an advantage in some scenarios, means that if you load it up with external fuel tanks and ordinance for a long range strike mission then performance and efficiency goes to crap. The Gripen is powered by the US-made GE F414 engine, so any purchases can still be vetoed by the US government and buyers will be dependent on US supply chains for maintenance.

ohgr 2y ago

From a European perspective, the Panavia Tornado. Was heavily involved in that project from an avionics perspective. To this day I learned more on that than I did at any startup, tech company or bullshit merchant. It was engineering at its finest.

nradov 2y ago
Tornado production ended in 1998 and it has been retired. It's not an option any more.

bigyabai 2y ago

Gripen has already been mentioned, but I've never heard a fact about SAAB's AJ-37 Viggen that didn't make me smile ear-to-ear: > The aircraft was also designed from the beginning to be easy to repair and service, even for personnel without much training. > The digital central computer was the first of its kind in the world, automating and taking over tasks previously requiring a navigator/copilot > The airframe also incorporated a thrust reverser to use during landings and land manoeuvres, which [...] enabled operations from 500 m airstrips with minimal support. > By the mid-1980s, Swedish Viggen fighter pilots [...] had managed to achieve radar lock-on with radar on the SR-71 on numerous occasions. Despite heavy jamming from the SR-71, target illumination was maintained by feeding target location from ground-based radars to the fire-control computer in the Viggen. All around one of the coolest fighter jets ever made. Swedish engineering makes me eat my big fat American heart out every time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_37_Viggen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_37_Viggen

dingaling 2y ago
However it used an engine based on the P&W JT8D which made it subject to US export approval. For this reason,for example, it lost a big export order to India. SAAB had originally considered the British Olympus engine for the Viggen, which would have had higher fuel consumption but faster responsiveness and no export tangles.