BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

Like a phoenix from the ashes... In a surprise move, the RCAF has released a statement describing a plan to reinvigorate their aging fleet of CF-18 Hornets.  With no funding available to purchase new fighters, or anything else for that matter , top generals at the RCAF have decided to refurbish several retired  CF-101 Voodoo interceptors . The choice to refurbish the Voodoo was a natural one.  There are currently 30 examples being used as gate guardians, museum exhibits, and the like.  Heck, some CF-101 proprietors are literally giving them away. The RCAF's man in charge of the CF-101 Voodoo refurbishment, Lt. Colonel Gilbert "Gull" Able, had this to say about the project: "It makes a lot of sense, when you think of it.  We got all these Voodoos laying around, doing nothing.  Most of them have less wear and tear than some of our CF-18s!" Indeed, the Voodoo only flew for 26 years in Canada.  The CF-18 has been in service for over 30, and will...

"YOUR MISSILES ARE SHOWING!" Internal storage. By carrying its weapons inside, the F-35 Lightning II presents a slippery shape when armed instead of carrying a bunch of dangly bits about.  Just like a speed skater's skin-tight suit .  Hanging all of these bombs, missiles and whatnot are surely going to slow down any fighter aircraft to crop-duster like speeds...  Right? Internal weapon bays aren't the only way to reduce a weapon's drag, however. Cue the tuba... And the French horn... Just look at the above fighters.  The EA-18G Growler up top is carrying 3 jamming pods, 2 big external fuel tanks, 2 AMRAAMs and two AGM-88 HARM missiles.  The Rafale below is festooned with 3 external tanks, 6 GBU-22 laser guided bombs, and 4 (2 IR, 2 RF) Mica missiles.  It is perfectly reasonable to assume that these aircraft would exhibit diminished performance compared to a "clean configuration".  All that extra weight and drag would take its toll, af...

the CF-18 Hornet really the best aircraft for Canada over the last 30-odd years?  It's hard to imagine the RCAF without it, but the F/A-18 might not have been the best choice at the time.  The truth is that the F/A-18 was merely the "last fighter standing" after several others were dismissed as being unsuitable or too expensive.  Looking back one wonders how things might  have been. Canada's "new fighter aircraft" (NFA) was developed to find a single airframe to replace both the CF-101B used for interceptor duties and the CF-104 used for ground attack (despite the F-104's intended use as an interceptor) and nuclear deterrence in Western Europe.  138 aircraft were planned, with provisions to order more if needed.  Plans to replace the CF-116 (CF-5) Freedom Fighter with the same aircraft was postponed indefinitely. Panavia Tornados in CFB Goose Bay. In 1965, Canada had joined up with Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands to ...

MiG-31, obsolete aircraft...  But not obsolete concept. Recently, Russian officials have admitted to developing a MiG-31 replacement .  This sparked some interest from aviation enthusiasts who have long believed the MiG-31 "Foxhound" was little more of a remnant of the Cold War and would see retirement as the PAK FA and Su-35 became the prevalent fighters in the Russian inventory. Why does this seem odd?  Because in this age of " multi-role " jet fighters, when even the F-22 Raptor is equipped for ground attack , The Foxhound is decidedly single purpose:  Interception. MiG-25 "Foxbat". Developed from the legendary MiG-25 "Foxbat", the MiG-31 was conceived as a sort of a "Super Foxbat" with better detection abilities, longer range, and the ability to engage low flying targets.  The MiG-25 itself was developed to counter the threat of  the B-58 Hustler and (soon to be aborted) XB-70 Valkyrie bombers.  Oddly enough, early exag...