Questions tagged [military]
For questions relating to military aviation or possible effects of a country's military on other forms of aviation.
0
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4answers
176 views
Aviation theory for fighter pilots
Background:
I'm an 18-year-old Finn and so I'll be starting my military service next summer. I'm currently applying to the Air Force to become a fighter pilot, but I don't have any previous training ...
10
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1answer
456 views
What are these accelerating flare countermeasures called?
There seems to be a type of flare countermeasure, that not only gets ejected from the flare dispenser, but also gets accelerated in the direction of the plane. So fare I´ve only noticed it on super ...
-2
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1answer
183 views
Black aircraft at night no lights with helicopter following - is this a stealth aircraft? [closed]
I have just seen a dark long aircraft fly over my car followed by a long helicopter. I am not an expert at this but it is 8pm, i am on a hill with a few houses, there is a little street light on the ...
0
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2answers
195 views
Is is possible to have an aircraft launched from a submarine or directly from under the water?
Aircraft carriers can be seen all over the world. They are quite visible and need to be well protected among a battle group to operate. At the other end of the spectrum, a modern submarine is nearly ...
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2answers
102 views
Why does the military not use Engine Condition Trend Monitoring? [closed]
What are the advantages of ECTM and why is it not used in military aviation even though it will help in many ways?
6
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2answers
1k views
What are these windows/portholes on the English Electric Canberra bomber?
This may be an obvious question, but I don't know, which is why I'm asking here. I've searched "Canberra canopy porthole" and "window", but didn't get any information. There is a porthole of sorts on ...
1
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2answers
227 views
What procedures are used for midair refueling without air supremacy?
One of the major themes of the answers to (and comments on) my earlier question about tankers not having ejection seats is that tankers are used only in environments where the threat from enemy ...
5
votes
1answer
295 views
How close is this Su-27 to the aircraft recording the pass?
There is footage of an intercept of a US Nay recon aircraft being intercepted by a Russian Su-27:
(still from the BBC video article, who look like they got it from the US Navy directly)
which was ...
13
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1answer
1k views
What is the non-projected cross-hair for on the F-18 HUD?
Top right, there's a little cross-hair - it looks like it's for lining something up, since on the second pane there's a little dot.
I haven't seen this on any other HUDs. Appears to be present on all ...
5
votes
1answer
213 views
What are the correct procedures for military aircraft interception over international waters?
I recently read this list of errors in the film Top Gun. The list is long and fairly well done, but there is one I realized when thinking about that movie and that is Maverick may have actually ...
0
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1answer
153 views
What were DJI drones spying on? What data did they capture? [closed]
In late 2017, it was claimed that DJI (a very popular Chinese drone company) was working with the Chinese government to spy on the United States via their drones, or their drone controllers, which are ...
0
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3answers
383 views
Why do stealth aircraft generally lose in maneuverability?
Whilst stealthy built aircraft have (or claim to have) many anti-detection systems, they seem to have to compromise on less maneuverability features, and even have to keep their missiles inside, not ...
0
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1answer
237 views
What are these small propellers in the A330 MRTT's wings?
In actual flight there are small propellers rotating at the front of these "pillars". What are they? They are visible in this video.
3
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5answers
413 views
What measures prevent a military aircraft's weapons from being fired on the ground?
Recently the 20mm cannon of an F-16 was accidentally fired on the ground by maintenance personnel at Florennes Air Base in Belgium, resulting the the destruction of another F-16 and damage to a third.
...
4
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2answers
326 views
With similar weapons why does an AH64 Apache require a pilot and gunner when the A10 Warthog only needs a pilot?
The Apache has a 30mm chain gun. It carries Hellfire (anti armor), Stinger/Sidewinder (air to air) and Hydra (air to ground, APKWS guidance package available) missiles.
source
The Warthog has a ...
2
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1answer
220 views
What does M mean in A400M Atlas?
Atlas was the guy in Greek mythology that was literally carrying the world/planet in his shoulders. But was does "M" mean? Military? That's a guess, though...
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2answers
78 views
Is an A&P certificate ever required to work on military aircraft?
Are military aviation mechanics - including civilian contractors - ever required to obtain an A&P certificate to work on active military aircraft?
1
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2answers
306 views
Why did the RAF buy the F-35B model and not the A model
If the only issue is the in-flight refueling system (probe/drogue), wouldn't it make more sense to buy the A model and modify the tankers. The refueling issue doesn't compare to the performance ...
5
votes
3answers
319 views
What is the vocabulary used by fighter pilots used to communicate?
As far as I understand, fighter pilots or more general military aircrews will use a dedicated phraseology to communicate with each other, which is different to communicating to ATC.
Is this ...
-4
votes
2answers
150 views
What measures are taken to ensure military pilots aren't going mad? [closed]
I'm asking specifically about single pilot fighter jets. How do air forces ensure pilots won't go mad and start a war with another country? For example, a pair of B2 pilots could start World War 3 by ...
1
vote
2answers
294 views
What is this plane shown on the 'Blended wing body' Wikipedia page?
(wikimedia.org via wikipedia.org)
What is the second plane from left, between the 757 and the B-2?
2
votes
1answer
130 views
F-16 “training rounds”? [duplicate]
From this Wikipedia article
A fighter pilot based at Andrews Air Force Base, Billy Hutchison, claims that while in the air he spotted Flight 93 on his scope and planned to first fire his training ...
56
votes
2answers
11k views
What are these engineers doing sitting on a large format drawing of B-47s aircraft?
This answer about solid-jet-assisted takeoff links to the page B-47 Jet-Assisted Take Off (JATO). An image there took me to a collection of historical aviation images, apparently from a LIFE Magazine ...
2
votes
1answer
339 views
Can you identify this unusual plane by its description? [closed]
I saw this plane many years ago:
Same shape and size as an commercial airliner.
No windows along the fuselage
Painted flat gray (like a naval ship)
Had a blue circle on its "nose" (Blue painted ...
0
votes
2answers
359 views
Could a civilian aircraft in distress land in Area 51? [duplicate]
Just curiosity, but in case of a real life-threatening emergency (where you can't fly to closest airport or strip), would they (Air Force, military or whoever) allow the plane to land on the Area 51 ...
5
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3answers
341 views
How does airspace work with the navy?
Let's say some ships from the US Navy are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Is there anything to stop another country, say the Chinese or the Russians flying around them in circles, either to watch ...
2
votes
1answer
160 views
Do vapor clouds increase the radar scross section of an aircraft?
The F-22 is known for its stealth capabilities, which is mostly achieved with an extremely low RCS. Due to its high maneuverability we also see this plane often creating extreme vapor clouds while ...
1
vote
1answer
215 views
Do military tactical transport flights provide seatbelts for all occupants?
In several movies I have watched recently, the temporary bench style seats of tactical transport aircraft such as the C-130 do not show seat-belts. I would not be surprised that some instances of seat ...
4
votes
3answers
227 views
Do flares affect IR tracking devices?
If an IR device, such as a tracking FLIR system (not a heat-seeking missile), tracks an aircraft and that said aircraft would launch flares. Is the IR tracking device likely to be confused by the ...
2
votes
1answer
189 views
How likely are flares to be fire hazards once touching the ground?
According to the Wikipedia page of flares, flares create intense heat.
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an ...
13
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1answer
1k views
What does the letter E signify for the E-3 AWACS?
I came across the E-3 AWACS aircraft with the designation E-3, I could not find what the letter E means in E-3.
0
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2answers
113 views
Is MIL-PRF-5606 H flammable at 350 deg C?
Is MIL-PRF-5606 H flammable at 350 deg C?
Is it a flammable or combustible hyd oil?
4
votes
3answers
482 views
Did WW2-era aircraft have constant-speed or variable-pitch props?
This is slightly related to my other question on variable-pitch controls.
I want to know if WW2-era aircraft typically had variable-pitch or constant-speed propellers. Variable-pitch lets the pilot ...
82
votes
5answers
41k views
If a pilot ejects, what is the autopilot programmed to do?
If a pilot uses his ejector seat during flight, what is the autopilot programmed to do?
As a developer myself, I would want to build in a way for the plane to try and save itself if possible (to save ...
5
votes
1answer
291 views
How big was the F-14 fleet compared to other US carrier-based aircraft in 1981?
Back in the 80's I was away jesting about the F-14 are here to protect the carriers and the carriers to deploy F-14.
I know there are a number of other aircraft here for other purposes but I really ...
4
votes
1answer
189 views
Were there any folding wing biplanes?
Given that several nations had operational carriers by 1920 and biplanes were still in military service, were there any folding wing biplanes?
Wikipedia: United States first purpose built aircraft ...
0
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2answers
326 views
Does Airforce one carry missiles to protect itself and its passengers?
Do the VC-25 aircraft used for Air Force One carry missiles to protect itself and its passengers?
If so, can these missiles be fired at potential threats?
-3
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1answer
262 views
When escorting Air Force 1, at what safe distance must fighter jets fly?
Air Force 1 is sometimes escorted by fighter jets, either for security reasons or for show. Given that Air Force 1 is a very large aircraft that produces an extremely large amount of jet blast and ...
9
votes
1answer
2k views
What plane is shown here in the movie Rampage?
I'm not sure if its a real life airplane, but I feel like I have seen it somewhere:
It looks similiar to the F-117 Nighthawk, pictured below, but it is definitely not this:
1
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3answers
371 views
How common is it for military jets to use civilian airports?
Today my wife witnessed 3 fighter jets taking off from Teterboro Airport in NJ. She even took a video. How common is it for military jets to use civilian airports?
3
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1answer
152 views
What is a compounding wing and how does it increase helicopter performance?
The US Army is developing a list of enhancements for the next generation Apache attack helicopter. Among them this was mentioned:
Topping the list of major changes is re-engining with the 3,000-shp ...
9
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2answers
4k views
5
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1answer
821 views
What is this fighter jet seen at Centennial Airport?
This is my first post here! yay! Today I ate at the awesome "Perfect Landing" restaurant at Centennial Airport. My dad said he thought they were FA-18s but I honestly have no idea. It was awesome ...
3
votes
1answer
222 views
What is the aerodynamic reason military parachutes are square?
Until these, I had only ever seen round military parachutes. The slots also differ between paratroop
and cargo.
0
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1answer
271 views
How does ATC radar display differ from military radar?
Could you summarize what sort of data/objects are present in one type of display but not another? (not asking about construction differences, just the user-facing end, the display/interface.)
A ...
6
votes
1answer
333 views
Is there any way to reduce the noise and vibration in a C-130 Hercules?
We are using C-130 B and E Models with T-56 A-15 engines and Hamilton Sundstrand 54H60-91/117 propellers. A lot of vibration and resonance are felt on these military version aircraft even after using ...
0
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0answers
56 views
Where can I find power and heat specifications for EFIS and IFE systems?
I am working on an MSc. thesis project about the electrification of aircraft.
Since the rule of thumb is to design the generators for the worst case scenario, I would like to include as much ...
24
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5answers
3k views
Why are accident rates higher on smaller aircraft?
This question was raised as part of this discussion.
Why are accident rates higher on smaller aircraft?
It seems the safety record of military, private and small commuter planes is much less safe ...
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4answers
3k views
What are the differences between the MiG-15 and MiG-17?
Apart from the extra wing fence and angled leading edge of the MiG-17, what are the differences visually between the two aircraft?
19
votes
5answers
663 views
Which aircraft have fought against its own type in active combat?
The criteria for this question are
The aircraft has to be the same type (but not necessarily the same mark)
The two opposing sides are actively hostile; but not restricted to nation states (so civil ...
