BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

    [Welcome to "NITPICK"!  For the next few weeks I will be examining a single aspect of the potential fighters that just drives me nuts.  These are not dealbreakers, or even major flaws.  They are simply one aspect of the aircraft THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER.] Since we have gone over the (canted) pylon problems with the Super Hornet and the (lack of internal) pylon problems with the JSF, it seems only fair that we nitpick the Gripen's pylon problems as well. There is nothing wrong with the Gripen's pylons per se .  They are certainly there.  They do a serviceable job attaching various weapons to the aircraft.  They all point in the same forward direction (* cough*Super Hornet).   Yet...  There is something unsettling about the Gripen's pylons.   Admittedly, it took a while for me to figure it out.   Even "clean" the Gripen's sleek lines are interrupted by pylons.  Pylons on each wingtip.  Two mor...

    [Welcome to "NITPICK"!  For the next few weeks I will be examining a single aspect of the potential fighters that just drives me nuts.  These are not dealbreakers, or even major flaws.  They are simply one aspect of the aircraft THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER.] You knew  we were going to have to mention this. It is a tale almost as old as the Super Hornet itself.  Whenever a bunch of fighter nerds gather to talk about the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, someone will almost inevitably bring it up: "BUT WHAT ABOOT THOZE CANTED PYLONZ?" What about them? As we all know, the Super Hornet was developed in response to the cancellation of the A-12 Avenger II .  Intended to replace the aging A-6 Intruder, the stealthy A-12 was kiboshed after years of being behind schedule and overbudget.  Faced with an aging fleet of F-14s and A-6s, the USN split the difference by "upsizing" the F/A-18 Hornet.   It was a genius move in retrosp...

 I'm back from a self-imposed Holiday break.  Moving forward, I have a few more "nitpicks" to get off my chest, then we will just have to see where the wind takes us.   I appreciate all the comments, good or bad.  I don't get a chance to read them all, doing so would distract me from creating new content.  This is why I have appointed several moderators.   I would ask all of you to respect the moderators and their decisions.  Blocking them is NOT ACCEPTABLE.   Thanks!