think it’s a generational/Indian thing. All men my dad’s age have mega taches exactly like that. Really bums me out Movember efforts have been woefully short

AFAIK India’s jets are manufactured under license. Think the local public sector aeronautics company HAL looks after the jets maintenance wise, though HALs record is spotty as well.

what a great video! some of those frontal bits almost looked CGI. The Mirage is a tidy little plane.

I spent 2 weeks working in Kinlochleven in Scotland and I was having lunch in the bit they shot the long distance glen scene from Skyfall when a Typhoon came screaming through followed by another.

aw sweet, I was wondering if FA was going to have a report on this as soon as I read about it on Indian news. Thanks Tyler. Great pictures

cue the obligatory shot in the British rain

Why do Russian jets have this bit notched out at the tip of the tail fins?

Why is it that the nozzles droop like this? Is it just how they hang loose when not in use? (I’m assuming this holds true only for vectored nozzles)

missed seeing this. Feel a bit silly for asking the same question again

I wonder if that’s to scale. I knew the Sukhoi was a big jet, I mean you can tell when it’s parked. Nice attention to detail from the badge maker in that case

Thanks. Bit bemused that a flooded sugarcane field bogged down tracked vehicles but this is over half a century ago so I guess it’s understandable

this sounds interesting. You wouldn’t happen to have a link about it would you? I’d like to read about it.

might be an aerodynamics question this but looking at that above image, it’s apparent that the KC-10 has greater bulk, but the narrower fuselage BUFF has a greater wingspan. Is this just a difference in the shape of the wings OR a consequence of differing mass that needs to be kept airborne?

indeed, that front landing gear is ludicrously tall

I always thought the Bear was comparable in size to the BUFF, but I’m surprised to find out it seems a fair bit smaller, at least fuselage wise (it could be a perspective thing though)

seeing that video, and all the adjustments continuously being made on the control surfaces, gosh, how hard must it be if the receptor nozzle is behind where the pilot is sitting. Is the onus then on the boom operator to get it the last few feet once the pilot lines his jet up roughly?

thanks, another one for the today-I-learned segment. Makes sense then why the Air Force is committed to it. I’d be interested to know if there are statistics available that tell us the split between probe & drogue and boom type aerial refueling across air forces around the world.

I had a feeling it had to do with the pressures the pipe can withstand. But I get your point especially with the analogy you drilled home.

I didn’t realise that refueling by drogue took longer than a nozzle.

crispy wings. mmm