Dogfights!

[shiva2999]

Has anybody watched this amazingly cool new show on the History Channel?

They use computer animation to recreate famous aerial dogfights through history.

As a guy who has spent more hours than I'm willing to admit playing with air combat sims, this stuff is fascinating.

My personal favorites are online ww2 sims.

There is NOTHING more intense on the internet than climbing into your virtual Spitfire and wading into a 25 plane furball or chasing someone at 400 mph twisting and turning 50 feet off the deck.

And that includes porn.

It's on in my market at 8 pm on Mondays.

If you get a chance you should check it out.

[uppy]

I always wondered how the US bombers didn't shot down each other with all the Ma 2d
gunners firing at fighters

[Gibby]

I always wondered how the US bombers didn't shot down each other with all the Ma 2d
gunners firing at fighters

1) Except for B-24s our bombers were the toughest planes assembled by any belligerent in that war. Watch the documentary "The Memphis Belle" They were designed to take a licking and keep on ticking

2) They were crewed by aviators trained in formation flying designed to minimize just such a risk

3) For all its power a manually operated fifty cal is not all that accurate

4) Redundant systems from control surfaces to gas lines.

[Gibby]

Has anybody watched this amazingly cool new show on the History Channel?

They use computer animation to recreate famous aerial dogfights through history.

As a guy who has spent more hours than I'm willing to admit playing with air combat sims, this stuff is fascinating.

My personal favorites are online ww2 sims.

There is NOTHING more intense on the internet than climbing into your virtual Spitfire and wading into a 25 plane furball or chasing someone at 400 mph twisting and turning 50 feet off the deck.

And that includes porn.

It's on in my market at 8 pm on Mondays.

If you get a chance you should check it out.

Do they have any simulations of Ivan Kozhedub's Lavochkin La-7?

You know Kozhedub who was the leading allied ace of that war who shot down three ME 262s and by accident a P-51

[Bellowing4DaBills]

Dang, I thought this was a Michael Vick related thread.

Regarding the History Channel, I'll watch it when they start broadcasting in HD.

[ticatfan3]

1) Except for B-24s our bombers were the toughest planes assembled by any belligerent in that war. Watch the documentary "The Memphis Belle" They were designed to take a licking and keep on ticking

2) They were crewed by aviators trained in formation flying designed to minimize just such a risk

3) For all its power a manually operated fifty cal is not all that accurate

4) Redundant systems from control surfaces to gas lines.Sorry gib but the lancaster out flew anything you guys had. Carry more and fly farther and were able to do night jobs. I have seen many of those show,the best so far is the japanese suicide pilot show.

[Gibby]

Sorry gib but the lancaster out flew anything you guys had. Carry more and fly farther and were able to do night jobs. I have seen many of those show,the best so far is the japanese suicide pilot show.

Although the Lancaster had a bigger payload I would not want to fly it in daytime precision bombing raids and oddly enough neither did bomber command. Remember night missions only encountered flak batteries and the occasional night fighter attack whereas American planes had to overcome flak and fighters en masse and quite often, until the P-51 came into service they had to fly great distances unescorted and furthermore, while dehousing was certainly demoralizing to the average kraut it did not destroy German industry and much later the right target of oil quite in the way daylight bombing did. Do not get me wrong the Lancaster was a great high payload, long range bomber but I gotta take the B-17 or the B-29 over it any day of the week for daylight precision bombing.

[Merc]

That is a great show. Very accurate and it is great to hear from th eplayers that were there.

[ticatfan3]

Although the Lancaster had a bigger payload I would not want to fly it in daytime precision bombing raids and oddly enough neither did bomber command. Remember night missions only encountered flak batteries and the occasional night fighter attack whereas American planes had to overcome flak and fighters en masse and quite often, until the P-51 came into service they had to fly great distances unescorted and furthermore, while dehousing was certainly demoralizing to the average kraut it did not destroy German industry and much later the right target of oil quite in the way daylight bombing did. Do not get me wrong the Lancaster was a great high payload, long range bomber but I gotta take the B-17 or the B-29 over it any day of the week for daylight precision bombing.Because they were no good at night and really not that great untill it had protection from the p-51. Halifaxes were one of the overall best for all it could do. But the lanc was the best that is why it was picked for the dambuster operations,plus it had better crews.

[shiva2999]

The one last night was about night fighting.

First recreation was a SkyKnight vs a MIG 17 over Korea and the second was F-15s fighting MIG-29s over Serbia.

Way cool.

[ticatfan3]

The one last night was about night fighting.

First recreation was a SkyKnight vs a MIG 17 over Korea and the second was F-15s fighting MIG-29s over Serbia.

Way cool.I think I have seen them all,time for some new ones.That one in korea ,was that the one when the guy followed the migs right back to thier base and he got him trying to land. Did you see the one when they were chasing the jap float plane the roof(SP).

[Merc]

Did you see Duke Cunningham's fight with the Mig 21 over Nam? I met him a few times (he is in jail now) but what a freakin' awesome battle. My wife was laughing her ass off as I went through the gyrations with him. He worked that F-4 like a superhero. He briefed our Topgun class on that fight and it was a ball to see him do it in person. we all got tanked at the O'Club afterwards. The Wake Island one was great too.

Damn, Shiva, thanks for reminding me of that show. I always get into it but I get so damn busy that I lose track of great shows like this one. I'll set the DVR tonight.

[shiva2999]

Did you see Duke Cunningham's fight with the Mig 21 over Nam? I met him a few times (he is in jail now) but what a freakin' awesome battle. My wife was laughing her ass off as I went through the gyrations with him. He worked that F-4 like a superhero. He briefed our Topgun class on that fight and it was a ball to see him do it in person. we all got tanked at the O'Club afterwards. The Wake Island one was great too.

Damn, Shiva, thanks for reminding me of that show. I always get into it but I get so damn busy that I lose track of great shows like this one. I'll set the DVR tonight.

No problem.

What did you get most of your airtime in?

[Merc]

F-14 Tomcats, A series. Did a few hours in B series with the GE engines. Of course I trained in T-2 Buckeyes and A-4 Skyhawks (awesome freaking aircraft). I was a backseater (bad eyes) but had a ball for most of that time. The Tomcat was a squirrelly bird but she always got me back on board.

[shiva2999]

F-14 Tomcats, A series. Did a few hours in B series with the GE engines. Of course I trained in T-2 Buckeyes and A-4 Skyhawks (awesome freaking aircraft). I was a backseater (bad eyes) but had a ball for most of that time. The Tomcat was a squirrelly bird but she always got me back on board.

Cool.

So you were Goose?

http://www.solarnavigator.net/films_movies_actors/actors_films_images/top_gun_goose_and_maverick.jpg

What did you carry?

Aamrams and Sidewinders?

[Merc]

I was Goose but better looking. LOL. I went to Topgun about a month after he movie came out and it was like being a rock star. We carried AIM-54 Phoenix, AAIM-7 Sparrows and Winders. AMRAAM was later and the A Series didn't carry them. Only Tomcat that hauled the AMRAAM was the D model as she was digital.

[Merc]

Shiva-
The buffalo Evening News did a a front page article on me in 86. I told the PAO to call the paper so that my Ma would have something to put on the frig. I was expecting a back page "graduated from High school" thing but Ma's love that so do your job nugget. I went on travel with an Admiral select for a month flying all over the place and when I got home I had this hysterical call from my mother about Topgun. Turns out the News ran this huge front page article on me and made my mother's life. LOL.

The picture they used was this one a gal down in Louisiana took of me. I had my hand on the Pitot Static probe while posing (Put yor hand on that handle honey, i can't see yor face.") Of course i got huge rations of Sh when I got back to Oceana but Ma loved it.

[Gibby]

Because they were no good at night and really not that great untill it had protection from the p-51. Halifaxes were one of the overall best for all it could do. But the lanc was the best that is why it was picked for the dambuster operations,plus it had better crews.

and they were oh so accurate, within five miles of their target. However the special squadrons were something else I'll give you that.

[shiva2999]

I was Goose but better looking. LOL. I went to Topgun about a month after he movie came out and it was like being a rock star. We carried AIM-54 Phoenix, AAIM-7 Sparrows and Winders. AMRAAM was later and the A Series didn't carry them. Only Tomcat that hauled the AMRAAM was the D model as she was digital.

So your role was fleet defense basically?

[Merc]

So your role was fleet defense basically?

Absolutely. Until after Desert Storm we ate slept and flew fighter. I didn't drop a bomb till '93 or so. on the beach I'd fly three 45 minute missions a day (not really legal) just fighting out in the area.

[shiva2999]

Absolutely. Until after Desert Storm we ate slept and flew fighter. I didn't drop a bomb till '93 or so. on the beach I'd fly three 45 minute missions a day (not really legal) just fighting out in the area.

Where were you dropping bombs in 93?

And when you say on the beach do you mean you were operating off land rather than the ship?

[Merc]

We dropped in Vieques mostly but also some Desert ranges. Yeah, in the old days the air wing was tied to the boat. If she went in the yards the squadron operated out of NAS Oceana (in my case). Nowadays, wings move to different boats as the need arises but i eneded up with 299 traps on the Ike, 100+ at night. That in itself is a funny story.

[ticatfan3]

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Episodes&content_type_id=52079&display_order=2&mini_id=51833
future shows.