We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:21:44 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification It took a bit longer than I expected, but Slinky hit it (albeit obliquely) with his reference to the Radar Altimeter. The second drumroll is for LaMigra's pic of the Mi-17I (alphabetic disparity trivia lesson: the Iraqis sometimes call it the Mi-171 because the English capital I looks so much like the way we write 1 -- the Euro version is closer to the original Arabic numeral). The next drumroll is for JoA's Virtual Cockpit, and the final drumroll is for jon spencer's link dashing yet another cherished aviation myth right into the ground.Ummmmm -- four. *Four* drumrolls.Here's what the... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:08:02 -0600
'Tain't like it's never appeared here in that context!
]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85341 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85341 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:09:22 -0600 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85338 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85338 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:19:33 -0600 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85337 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85337 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:06:36 -0600 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85336 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85336 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 11:32:00 -0600 ...dumping air in an attempt to land could be considered a dive being done on purpose...

In that situation, the "v" is superfluous...
]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85334 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85334 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:30:11 -0600
And, what the heck, when you're out of propane, only at 100 feet, and the 440 powerlines are looming, then dumping air in an attempt to land could be considered a dive being done on purpose...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85324 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85324 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:17:45 -0600 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85322 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85322 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:09:04 -0600 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85321 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85321 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:08:09 -0600 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85318 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85318 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:08:50 -0600
*strangled mirth*
]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85317 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85317 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:05:29 -0600
Rockets from an airplane that showed up twice as fast.

No chin bubbles required.

But, sadly, we have to turn around to get back home.  So I guess you have us there...
]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85299 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85299 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:48:26 -0600 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85273 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85273 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:58:15 -0600 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85266 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85266 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:26:52 -0600
The reason we don't need chin bubbles is that the speeds we're dropping/firing require a mil solution that is well within the normal or expanded field of view of the HUD. The slower you're going, the further down from your longitudinal boresight you have to set your aiming reference, i.e., drop a lot later, putting the target more under your a$$ than under your nose. 

But you knew that...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85264 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85264 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:11:57 -0600
I dropped a sensor from 1,500 feet into the mouth of a cave four feet wide using that method.

Fixed wing types need all those expensive 'lectronic computational gizmos 'cuz they don't have chin bubbles to look through...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85258 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85258 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:53:05 -0600
Granted helos don't do a lot of bomb dropping as it would tend to blow themselves up, it might be handy for rockets and guns.

Essentially you have a fighter's gun/bomb sight w/o the forward-looking ranging radar necessary for true CCIP.

Just a thought.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85239 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/what_the_whatzi.html#comment-85239 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:37:35 -0600