Not likely. Probably rolled while horizontal on full afterburner, then frame rotated 90°, or else just a split-second in a loop. With a max thrust-to-weight ratio even on burner of only 0.7, going vertical wouldn't last very long. Gravity's a bitch.
I was at a Red Flag at Homestead AFB and watched an F-15 stand on it's tail, kick in the afterburners and go ballistic. It was out of sight in about 3 seconds. It was around dusk and the afterburners lit up half the sky.
That's how you do it. Starting with a thrust:weight ratio >1.
The Drakken peaked at 0.7, the F-104 at 0.76, and a Phantom II at 0.86.
It wasn't until the teen series a/c (F-14/15/16/18) that we regularly broke 1, and even the -14 and -18 have to get down to half-loads of internal fuel to get there. Which was why they became world-beaters. Until the Mig-29, Russian products couldn't even compete.
Not likely. Probably rolled while horizontal on full afterburner, then frame rotated 90°, or else just a split-second in a loop. With a max thrust-to-weight ratio even on burner of only 0.7, going vertical wouldn't last very long. Gravity's a bitch.
ReplyDeleteBut still a pretty airplane.
DeleteI was at a Red Flag at Homestead AFB and watched an F-15 stand on it's tail, kick in the afterburners and go ballistic. It was out of sight in about 3 seconds. It was around dusk and the afterburners lit up half the sky.
ReplyDeleteThat's how you do it.
DeleteStarting with a thrust:weight ratio >1.
The Drakken peaked at 0.7, the F-104 at 0.76, and a Phantom II at 0.86.
It wasn't until the teen series a/c (F-14/15/16/18) that we regularly broke 1, and even the -14 and -18 have to get down to half-loads of internal fuel to get there.
Which was why they became world-beaters.
Until the Mig-29, Russian products couldn't even compete.