Quote:
Originally Posted by einreb
T-38 FTW?
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2009/04/video-youtube-clip-purports-f-.html
[UPDATE: The successful T-38 kill occurred within the last three months at Holloman AFB, NM, says Lt Col Lloyd Addison, chief of the USAF's T-38 sustainment office.
That means the aircraft is from the same black-painted T-38 unit that escorted F-117s before they were retired. Now, the Holloman T-38's provide proficiency training for F-22 pilots, among other tasks. It seems likely that an experienced F-22 pilot was in the cockpit of the T-38.]
The facts are a bit sketchy here. This clip was posted to YouTube on 18 April by an anonymous user named "d43e49". The video identifies the attacking aircraft as a T-38, but it's not confirmed by anything shown within the clip. At the 35-sec mark, the F-22's shape is clearly visible as it emerges above the target sight after the kill.
As far as I know, this is the first video clip of a simulated F-22 shootdown to reach the public domain. That is newsworthy by itself. Let's also be very clear: a single simulated kill without context says nothing meaningful about the F-22's dogfighting or aerial prowess. Even an EA-18G can apparently get lucky once.
If a T-38 was really involved, then congratulations to the pilot. Your are either absurdly lucky or insanely skilled. |
F-22s have been downed in ACM manuevers before. Once you get into gun range or inside the AIM-9X WEZ the F-22 loses all it's stealth advantages- that's why it also has super manueverablility, something the F-35 lacks.
Many times in these exercizes the F-22 is prohibited from using it's overwhelming BVR advanatage and is deliberately forced by the rules to close to WVR. The whole idea is to get the Raptor drivers proficient at fighting close in.
T-38s are small, fast turning airplanes. They make for good DACT platforms for that reason.