Uechi-Ryu.com

Undoubtedley the four best dogfighter in the world (saving perhaps the F-22) are the F-15 Eagle, the F-18 Hornet, the Sukhoi Su-27 and the Migoyan Mig 29.

I am going to try and post a film clip.

Note that the Swiis fly the F-18A and the Unified Germany fly the Mig 29.

I hope that I can get posted.

JT

I had thought that the F-16 was suposed to be such a great dogfighter. Why is it not mentioned in these comparisons?

Truly Hugh I do not know what i would do withoug you bringing things to my attention.

My apparently unconscious opinion of the F-16 goes back to the Israeli raid on the Iraqi Nuclear facilities.

The attack were carried out by I think 8 fully bombed and gased F-16's in the strike role with F-15s flying cover.

The Electric Jet is a good good dogfighter as far as i know, but I judge a lot of aircraft by what the Israels do with them.

I do think, based on information read by me, that because of the thrust to weight ratios involved, the twin engined fighters mentioned are the duperior dogfighters.

There was a manuever similar to a high speed vertical yo yo literally invented by a test pilot of the Soviet Union called "Pugachofs Cobra".

The Su-27 Flanker has the power to weight ration, I think, to pull this manuever off,

Simply puts the pilot pulls the nose of the aircraft up as though starting a hi speed vertical yo yo, but then literally dances the Aircraft on its tail using brute power.

This is thought to cause the enemy to overshoot, then the Flanker pilot noses down and is on the opponets "six".

now I freely admit that I have not mentioned many fighters that are superior dogfighters such as the Mirage 2000, the F-16. the Mirage F-1, the South African modification of the Mirage III , Mig 23 , Mig 25's and Mig 31's the little mentioned F20 Tigershark, the amazing maueverable French Rafale and Swedish Viggen and others.

I just think the four mentioned as the first in line in this dogfighter character when I think about these amazing abilites.

The dogfight sequence can be found at

www.patricksaviation.com/videos/enrouk/885

if you cannot get this link to work, and I have had trouble with it, just go to the www,patricksaviation.com

browse and have a blastt

I sure have had one.

John

As I said I am not a pilot, but I have seen the Flanker and Hornet 'tail dance down an airstrip like the 1950's Pogo stick tst bed, with the landing gear extended then folowed by the manuever called "Pugachoffs's Cobra'.

The F-16 was the first to have fly-by-wire controls and they had to build an override intot he controls to keep the plane from exceeding a certain G-level as exceeding that level would cause even a highly trained and prepared pilot to black out. I have not read that about either the F-15 or the F-18. It is my suspicion that there is an unstated preference in most commentators' minds for twin engined aircraft similar to your thinking, but I am not certain that it is justified in cases of land based craft such as th eF-16. I can see the Navy's preference for twin engines as a flame-out over water with a single engine leaves you SOL, but it is not so drastic over land.

Hugh i have once again unintentionally posted my response to your post including the F-16 Falcon among the top dogfigters as an new thread instead of on the original thread.

Sorry my friend/.

John