Air Force Question Thread

[Interceptor]

I have a question here!
does our air force have the capability to intercept and shoot down a B-52 bomber flying at 55000ft???

The B-52H cant fly over 50.000ft, its possible to intercept depending how good the Pakistani ground forces are, the B-52 is an ancient plane but is built to last for the future, at the moment the life span of the newly modified B-5's
is around 2040, tracking the Plane at high altitudes might require some good radars like the AN/TPS-77 this one we just received in the US military assistance package can detect at an evelations of 100.000ft, as I said the B-52 is ancient but packed with the latest tech, it has the ability to launch various payload and in context of payload it is also USAF only bomber with the ability release the largest delivery system built. The B-52 has also the ability to launch multiple cruise missiles, and drop precision guided bombs, it to be intercepted may in terms be limited, the Pakistani Air force is more than capable to destroy a subsonic aircraft, however, there are limitations in the PAF of how quick the PAF can react to the call, the B-52 as told can launch various payload, and in Pakistans case to destroy key location would probably be with Cruise missile payload, it depends how quick the PAF can react to a B-52 assault, and it also depends how well protected the bomber is. The other alternative is the HQ-2 surface to air missile, historically it has destroyed a U2 reconance plane so it is a capable weapon in this age after so many modifications.

 

[shehbazi2001]

Bullet-Proof or not it does'nt make a different the glass it not capable of suporting 3 to 4 tons may be more, just take an example a duck flying at 5 miles per hour having a weight of 5 lb when it hits a plane at 300Kn its impact 3 tons on the plane.

A simple question can you tell me when you fire a shot from a gun or a pistol when you squeez the triger there is a big bang and the bullet comes out , why the loud bang?

When a shot is fired, hot and high-pressure air from inside the barrel expands suddenly out in the air and that produces the big noise. Now how a professional silencer or a bottle fitted to the barrel suppresses the bang??? it provides an extra space for the air to expand/////

The same principle applies to the silencers of vehicles and motorcycles. Remove the silencer from motorcycle and the noise shall be unbearable.

 

[shehbazi2001]

The B-52H cant fly over 50.000ft, its possible to intercept depending how good the Pakistani ground forces are, the B-52 is an ancient plane but is built to last for the future, at the moment the life span of the newly modified B-5's
is around 2040, tracking the Plane at high altitudes might require some good radars like the AN/TPS-77 this one we just received in the US military assistance package can detect at an evelations of 100.000ft, as I said the B-52 is ancient but packed with the latest tech, it has the ability to launch various payload and in context of payload it is also USAF only bomber with the ability release the largest delivery system built. The B-52 has also the ability to launch multiple cruise missiles, and drop precision guided bombs, it to be intercepted may in terms be limited, the Pakistani Air force is more than capable to destroy a subsonic aircraft, however, there are limitations in the PAF of how quick the PAF can react to the call, the B-52 as told can launch various payload, and in Pakistans case to destroy key location would probably be with Cruise missile payload, it depends how quick the PAF can react to a B-52 assault, and it also depends how well protected the bomber is. The other alternative is the HQ-2 surface to air missile, historically it has destroyed a U2 reconance plane so it is a capable weapon in this age after so many modifications.

Tracking a bomber or any aircraft at high altitude is more easy than tracking them at low altitude. An aircraft in the background of clear sky gives excellent radar reflections because there is no CLUTTER.
The difficulty with tracking low flying aircrafts is the ground clutter, the false radar returns. B-52 is not stealth, its RCS is huge and it can be tracked even by WW-2 radars, no need for high-tech radars for B-52. B-52 has eight jet engines, its IR-signature must also be immense. If not protected by escorts, it should not be a difficult target.

For shooting down very high flying aircraft, I think that fighters armed with BVRs are more suitable than SAMs. For shooting down an aircraft flying at 70,000 feet, the SAM shall have to cover 70,000 feet from ground up, a BVR may only need to cover 20,000 feet because the launch aircrafts can go to 50,000 feet themselves. However the two can be combined.

A BVR AAM is not only for firing straight ahead, it can be easily fired in upward direction. For details see how Iranian F-14A Tomcats dealt with Iraqi Mig-25s.

 

[Interceptor]

Yes of course, but my concerns in my post were the delivery of the B-52, which will be quick, I am sure the USAF will not send us something for target practice, hence the following got me worried, I would rather use something quick to take out a bomber like B-52, as IMO the longer it stay in the sky the more damage it will cause. They used this in the Gulf War and it dropped half of the bombs used in the entire war,That is what concerned me, its got that ability to launch any sort of payload especially in my opinion if a confrontation occurs cruise missiles will be first choice.

 

[Muradk]

When a shot is fired, hot and high-pressure air from inside the barrel expands suddenly out in the air and that produces the big noise. Now how a professional silencer or a bottle fitted to the barrel suppresses the bang??? it provides an extra space for the air to expand/////

The same principle applies to the silencers of vehicles and motorcycles. Remove the silencer from motorcycle and the noise shall be unbearable.

no wrong answer any one else like to go for it before I answer, Its fairly simple.

 

[Interceptor]

Due to the pressure that builds up behind the bullet as it tries to leave the barrel, and the hot gas spreads around as it does this the vacuum created which makes that sound, like uncorking a bottle, the sound of the bullet when it is in mid air travelling at super sonic speed has its own his created from the sonic boom.

 

[Tang0]

As for the multipane on the earlier fighter canopies, it is to protect against "Airborn Organic Material", like MuradK said. The reason f-16 and later don't feature it is merely materials technology. The new canopies deform on impact and slowly go outward again without interference. I seem to recall during canopy testing for the f-16 they actually fired a chicken out of an aircannon. This may simply be an "Urban Legend", but North American geese can fly above 20,000 ft, and pose something of a problem, mostly for CAP patrol, as I don't think there are any birds that fly that high outside of North America. Whooper swans have been spotted at over 29,000 ft. in Europe, but they are nowhere near as common as the Canadian goose.

 

[Tang0]

On a side note:

"The altitude record is held by a Rüppell's griffon Gyps rueppelli, a vulture with a 10-foot wingspan. On November 29, 1975 one was sucked into a jet engine 37,900 feet above the Ivory Coast in West Africa. The plane was damaged but landed safely. What the bird was doing up so high I have no idea, since this species is not migratory."

Seems there are very high flying birds all over, guess I was wrong.

 

[Muradk]

Due to the pressure that builds up behind the bullet as it tries to leave the barrel, and the hot gas spreads around as it does this the vacuum created which makes that sound, like uncorking a bottle, the sound of the bullet when it is in mid air travelling at super sonic speed has its own his created from the sonic boom.[/QUOT

you got it. The bullet goes supersonic that s why it makes the bang.

 

[Tang0]

Sir, Sub-Sonic ammunition is loud as well if it is not fired from a silenced weapon. Although "Breaking the Sound Barrier" is a significant contributer, I think any study of firearms and suppressors would reveal the "Ballistic Crack" effect is actually responsible for only a portion of the decibel level of the original report. Otherwise, bullets would sound very loud passing nearby a mile away. The majority of the effect is the expansion caused by exhaust gases. That is why a short barreled carbine like the M-4 sounds much louder than an M-16, despite the fact that the ammunition and mechanism is the same. Although the Ballistic Crack alone is quite loud, firing super-sonic ammo with a suppressor is usually "Sound Safe" I.E, you don't have to wear earmuffs. Really, just think about all the sound a firecracker makes...

 

[shehbazi2001]

Yes the sonic boom also contributes to the sound of bullet but its a small part of it. The main noise source is the muzzle blast. Suppressors or silencers are usually designed to suppress the noise of muzzle blast as its more important. Sonic boom is loud for aircrafts but as bullets are small, so is the effect. And this supersonic noise is reduced further for those bullets which are of smaller calibre. And the Subsonic ammunition does not generate the sonic boom.

Further, a suppressor mostly does not reduce the speed of bullet.............but still the noise or bang is reduced/

 

[Tang0]

On the question of a B-52, yeah, in US military parlance, the B-52 is the "Bomb Truck". It wouldn't last 10 minutes in any type of modern anti-air environment, but when all the enemy air technology newer than say ~1950 has already been eliminated, it works wonders. It is also has a unit cost of 30-50 million dollars, compared to the 2.2 billion dollar price tag on the B-2, or the 281 million dollar price tag on the B-1.

 

[Comet]

They are still flying the B2's which according to their pilots were flown by their parents and grandparents. so its really getting cheap for them.

 

[shehbazi2001]

They are still flying the B2's which according to their pilots were flown by their parents and grandparents. so its really getting cheap for them.

I suppose u mean B-52, not B-2.

 

[Comet]

Oh sorry......
Yes B52's the BUFFs ( Big Ugly Fat Fellow )