08 May 2020, 14:18
Salute!
You have cracked the code, Weasel
As with the Viper and Raptor and even the Sluf, the planes are all drag limited more than weight limited. It was very obvious to us in the Viper, as we had lottsa ooopmh for takeoff. You know f=m*a to reach rotation speed. Once up, you could pull back and cruise along sipping gas. Sluf had problems getting up due to a criminal thrust to weight ratio, but once up to 250 knots or so we did fine with 6 x 1000 pounders on parent rack.
A Raptor with only internal load and no supercruise segment should have a really super radius, but I haven't seen exact numbers. When I flew the VooDoo, our squadron did not normally fly with the two external tanks. Our load was internal - two Genies, and two recessed AIM-4's. Super clean configuration, and outta burner soon as WoW, climb at 400 until 0.85 and on up to 35K in about 4 minutes. For exercises where we went up over Canada and orbited for the Bisons and Bears, we sometimes took only one tank and just got used to the wing drop after liftoff. But the drag was less than two tanks and it paid off.
Gums sends...
Gums
Viper pilot '79
"God in your guts, good men at your back, wings that stay on - and Tally Ho!"