Forum: Modern Military Aircraft

So Paul "Max(imum sellout)" Moga landed himself another gig, this time hosting the show "Great Planes" on the Military Channel. It's supposed to be about all the greats, the legends in military aviation. I set my DVR to record it, and it said that the first aircraft they're showcasing is the F-111??!!?? You've GOT to be kidding me! Who is picking these aircraft, and what self respecting fighter pilot would EVER endorse the F-111 as a great fighter??!!?? Oh this will get messy.....

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The show is called "Great Planes" not "Great Fighters" Some of you fighter guys really need to get off your high horse and realize that there are other planes and people in the military other than fighters. Fighters may be the sleek, sexy way to get around, but let's see what kind of work get's done without the others.

Slow your roll there, I didn't mean they all had to be fighters. You read that wrong. I, more than anyone know there are many airplanes that do great things. I don't fly a glamorous fighter either, I fly a UAV, and I know its contribution is indispensable.

Alright, great planes. But the F-111 wasn't a great anything. Except maybe a great failure.

Habu wrote:

...But the F-111 wasn't a great anything. Except maybe a great failure.

Muamar "You Cross Theeece Line You Die!" Qadafi may think otherwise, as well as the crews that used the Vark + Pave Tack to extinquish oil wellhead fires after ODS. Sure, it had it's cons. But there are more than a few people around who'd say the pros outweighed 'em.

Oh hey, El Dorado Canyon baby! I'm not denying any of its successes. And as cliche' as it sounds, some of my best friends are Vark pilots. No really, I do have a friend that flew them. But for what it was originally designed to do, the original concept and purported revolutionary design, it was an unmitigated failure. So, what to do with the guff left over? Well you adapt it to other roles. In fact many could argue that its greatest success came in the form of the EF-111 Raven. So the pros, for its revamped specifications surely did outweigh the cons.

Hey, once they got the bugs out of them, the F111s did okay in Vietnam! SAC FB-111s helped keep us safe during the Cold War, Ronnie sent love notes to Libya, and they served us well during Desert Storm. Not to mention, EF-111s weren't too shabby as force multipiers. Cool

Hell, even the Australians love them!!! Cheers

Be glad they didn't pick something you see on that channel every other day of the year! Rolling Eyes

Haha! I'm typing this as another commercial for the show just aired.

Anyway, what I mean is that the Vark was conceived as the end-all be-all of higer, faster,farther, and ubertechnology. It was supposed to be the best fighter AND bomber in the skies. Of course, it was found out the hard way that this was impossible. It was the major reason the F-X project came to be. And even that aircraft was headed for the same fate. And as we all know, or should know, John Boyd saved the F-X from becoming another F-111, and it became the F-15 instead. Now there's an aircraft that could be considered great, as well as our beloved Viper.

However, you're right, it is something different from the norm that we see on this channel. However, the moniker of 'great' just doesn't take.

It's at times like this that I miss the old Wings episodes, and the booming voice of Ron David. They showcased all sorts of aircraft, great or not.

Uhm, the Wings series was also called "Great Planes"- remember? Wink

No offense to anyone here, but I'll call BS when and if they decide to include the Sea Dart in Great Planes Laughing

Until then, I'm going to sit back and see how it goes Smile

StolichnayaStrafer wrote:

Uhm, the Wings series was also called "Great Planes"- remember? Wink

Ah, no no! That was only one of the subseries of Wings. And the original Wings at that. Though I loved Wings Over The Gulf, Wings Of The Red Star, and Wings Of The Luftwaffe.

WHOA! Typo! The show is NOT about the F-111! It's about the A-1 Skyraider! Now THAT is a great plane!

Habu wrote:

So Paul "Max(imum sellout)" Moga landed himself another gig, this time hosting the show "Great Planes" on the Military Channel.

Did I miss something here? He didn't get out of the AF did he? Well, if he hasn't I'd think he may if Discovery Military waves enough $$$$$ in his face.

I just hate watching these "Great Planes" type shows, and then it turns out to be some Bravo Sierra yawner like, "Best of the Zeppelins", or some such crapola.

The show is ok. It's got the new style flavor of Air Combat. But he's not very entertaining. At least his voice isn't as annoying as Mack's on Futureweapons.

Well, maybe if Duke Cunningham gets his Prez. pardon this year, then he could take over. Laughing

Political corruption aside, I always found him to be entertaining during interviews about aerial combat, and he has a great voice for narration.

Yeah, what a fall from grace that was. Ah well. Heh, would be interesting if McCain gives him a pardon.

Forum: Modern Military Aircraft

New show on Military "Great Planes"