This past Saturday morning I was standing outside of a motel in Titusville, Florida giving my dog a chance to take a leak. I heard the throaty, thunder whistle of a jetfighter above me.

Hello! I about crapped. Damned if about a mile and a half away and about 60° above the horizon I saw a MiG 17 about 2000 feet high , maybe 60° nose low and 80 degrees angle of bank, pulling enough G's to leave the vapor trail turning just like it was going to engage with me.

Immediately reached down with my right hand to chain off my external stores to get ready for the S.O.B.

Of course, unknown to me, there was an airshow in progress. It did make an interesting topic though at my PTSD counseling group this afternoon. Is it truly a fashback or not when there actually is MiG turning to get behind your ass?

It did get a hoot out of the guys, but my hands were shaking a little bit when I just poured my nightly dollup of Evan Williams in the glass.

Judge, was the 17 faster than your A-4?

If I remember correctly, the MiG-17 had some controllability problems at 450 kts and above, but since it had a burner, could get there (and turn there) quite well.

Straight line, it was faster and could climb better than an A-4E. And at all speeds less than 450kts probably turn better, too.

You'd never want to get in a climbing scissors with one. They had better guns, too.

I think we were taught to clean off all external stores, unload the a/c with full power to get max speed and try to get the 17 to run out of gas or get an F-4 to put a Sidewinder up it's butt when the MiG would overshoot (stiff controls) when we pulled 6 G's or so at 550 kts or so.

Now, when the A-4M came along with 30% more thrust, it could do much better than that, but they hardly ever carried Sidewinders during my era.

All this was before MiG17's and A-4s were aggressor a/c at Miramar and Top Gun. I'm sure recommended tactic, after so much dissimilar ACM occurred changed our feeble attempts to just get the hell out of Dodge.

JudgeG; if I recall correctly the Mig17 had no hydraulic controls and at 450 kts or better the pilot simply couldn't turn the aircraft with muscle power. Our tactic in A-7s was the same as yours; get the speed up above 450-500 kts so he couldn't turn with us.

If I remember the specifics of a MIG-17 running one out of fuel is ridiculously easy...

The only aircraft I can think of that runs out of fuel faster is an Me163...

Flashback ? no just conditioned reflex !!

quote:

If I remember the specifics of a MIG-17 MIG-17 FA/18running one out of fuel is ridiculously easy...

The only aircraft I can think of that runs out of fuel faster is an Me163 Me163...

FA/18. fixed !

quote:

Originally posted by jorge:

quote:

If I remember the specifics of a MIG-17 FA/18running one out of fuel is ridiculously easy...

The only aircraft I can think of that runs out of fuel faster is an Me163 FA/18..

Fixed