China unveiled its latest jet fighter, the J-31 Falcon Eagle which looks remarkably like earlier models of a twin-engine variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. We would not think for minute that China would copy… This is the second fighter unveiled to the public, after the J-20 Black Eagle stealth fighter, built by Chengdu Aircraft. “ The design is stunningly like the F-35. Reports of Chinese industrial espionage related to the JSF give this aircraft added interest. Built by Shenyang Aircraft, little is known of the Falcon Eagle’s true capabilities beyond analysis of the photos.

“The rear section of the Chinese aircraft, however, shows little LO [low observable] design, though this may reflect its developmental nature,” Barrie said. “Signature management is also about a great deal more than basic shaping, with materials technology and emission control in terms of radio frequency and infrared also significant. The extent or limit to which China has developed already the requisite technologies to address these areas remains an area of conjecture.” Chinese-language media outlets indicate the fighter might serve on China’s future aircraft carrier fleet. China has one carrier-borne fighter in development, the Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark.

Despite being on same side for a very long time, Mikoyan Gurevitch and Sukhoi have become competitors due to free market. The changing economic conditions have transformed the way these two units function. These last years, Sukhoi has been gaining more markets than MiG, and the net result has been announced just over the weekend: Russia’s aircraft making corporation MiG is a loss-making enterprise, parliamentary defense committee head Vladimir Komoyedov said on Thursday. “MiG Corporation has been a loss-making enterprise in recent years. The less than optimal distribution of manufacturing infrastructure causes some concern,” he said. The Defense Ministry has been reducing the share of MiG aircraft, which used to be the core of fighter aviation in the USSR, he said. A press handout distributed ahead of the committee meeting said MiG has completed modernization of the first six MiG-29 UPG fighter jets for the Indian Air Force, under a contract signed in March 2008. It also said MiG Corp. has more than 100 standing contracts with 20 countries worth more than $6 billion. MiG was formerly a Soviet design bureau, and was founded by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich as “Mikoyan and Gurevich”, with the bureau prefix “MiG.” Upon Mikoyan’s death in 1970, Gurevich’s name was dropped from the name of the bureau, although the bureau prefix remained “MiG”. MiG aircraft are a staple of the Soviet and Russian air forces, and the Soviet Union sold many of these planes within its sphere of influence. They have been used by the Chinese, North Korean, and North Vietnamese in aerial confrontations with American and allied forces, and form part of the air forces of many Arab nations. Recently had been reported that MiG jet fighters are being used by the Government forces of Syria against insurgents in civil neighborhoods in Aleppo. In 2006, the Russian government merged 100% of Mikoyan shares with Ilyushin, Irkut, Sukhoi, Tupolev, and Yakovlev as a new company named United Aircraft Corporation. Specifically, Mikoyan and Sukhoi were placed within the same operating unit. Therefore the final risk for the loss making unit is simply to be shut down, with engineers joining the same design bureau. With flyfighterjet.org

India is getting ready for a fighter, after announcing purchases of trainer jet fighters, the confirmation of the ability to export the Sukhoi T-50, now India announces the purchase of more jet fighters from Russia. Russia and India have signed a $1.5-billion contract on the supplies of 29 more MiG-29K carrier-based fighter jets to New Delhi, the head of the Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG said on Friday. “An agreement on supplying an additional set of MiG-29K fighter jets has been signed, the start of supplies is scheduled for 2012,” Mikhail Pogosyan said. The deal was signed during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi. Pogosyan said Russia should fulfill the previous contract on supplies of single-seat MiG-29K fighters to India by 2010. Russia and India signed a contract stipulating the supply of 12 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four two-seat MiG-29KUBs to India in January 2004. The contract is part of a $1.5 billion deal to deliver the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, currently being retrofitted in Russia for the Indian navy. India’s first MiG-29Ks and MiG-29KUBs officially entered service earlier this year. Analysts believe that India will remain the main purchaser of Russian-made combat aircraft for the next 15 years under existing and future contracts, as the country desperately needs to upgrade its fighter fleet, which includes Su-30MKI and MiG-29 fighters, but mainly consists of obsolete Soviet MiG-21 models. Funny enough, this purchase of MiG comes at a time when the Russian army has announced that MiG is losing money. So it’s good timing, and reinforces the appetite of India for jet fighters.

Congratulations Felix Baumgartner! That was an amazing jump. We all held our breath for about 4mn. Great performance. Felix Baumgartner, Austrian skydiver, base jumper and adventurer finally executed his jump with the Redbull Stratos team. After 2 hours in a capsule, he reached the altitude of 120,000 ft, or 39km and after a brief procedure, came steps outside of the capsule, at the edge of space. This must have felt very empowering but frightening as well. Ground control team mate Joe Kittinger could reassure Felix as Joe did a similar jump in the 60s, from about 102,000 ft. The objective there was to go higher in order to go faster and break the sound barrier. Mission accomplished, as Felix Baumgartner broke the sound barrier establishing a new world record for the fastest free fall jump at 1341,90 kmh, the highest altitude for a jump, and the highest altitude reached by man in a balloon. The date of the jump coincided with the 65th anniversary of Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier in an airplane. That was a well chosen date, and again, an amazing performance.

Video fighter pilot experience. We love this experience so much that we can not resist presenting a new video of the fighter pilot experience.

A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the others presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane. Until at least 1992, it was a component in every major war, despite beliefs after World War II that increasingly greater speeds and longer range weapons would make dogfighting obsolete. Modern terminology for air-to-air combat is air combat maneuvering (ACM), which refers to tactical situations requiring the use of individual basic fighter maneuvers (BFM) to attack or evade one or more opponents. This differs from aerial warfare, which deals with the strategy involved in planning and executing various missions. The term dogfight has been used for centuries to describe a melee; a fierce battle between two or more opponents. The term gained popularity during World War II, although its origin in air combat can be traced to the latter years of World War. So you should try to experience this ultimate experience and feel what a fighter pilot would feel, as this is truly awesome!

For anyone who has dreamed about becoming a fighter pilot and unfortunately having to do something else for a living, here is an awsome experience that will turn your childhood dream into reality. Thanks to military fighter pilots in the French air force, you can now take the controls of light aircrafts, learn to fly them, and engage in an air combat. Both aircrafts are equipped with a laser system that triggers a smoke system if you aim right. This is as simple as can be, and so much fun. You will experience G force, and be welcomed by a fantastic team near Bordeaux, south west France. Check out this experience by following the link: fighter pilot experience. And here is a video to give you a quick preview of what’s waiting for you…

On September 15-16, images of the cutting-edge Chinese fighter jet appeared on the web. The state-of-the-art aircraft bears strong resemblance to the American F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. It looks like a traditional stealth fighter and will probably be known as J-21, although the Chinese authorities have never commented either on the name of their new and powerful machine nor confirmed the fact of its existence. On September 15-16, images of the cutting-edge Chinese fighter jet appeared on the web. The state-of-the-art aircraft bears strong resemblance to the American F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. It looks like a traditional stealth fighter and will probably be known as J-21, although the Chinese authorities have never commented either on the name of their new and powerful machine nor confirmed the fact of its existence. On September 15-16, images of the cutting-edge Chinese fighter jet appeared on the web. The state-of-the-art aircraft bears strong resemblance to the American F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. It looks like a traditional stealth fighter and will probably be known as J-21, although the Chinese authorities have never commented either on the name of their new and powerful machine nor confirmed the fact of its existence. The brand-new fighter spots a double-tail design, much like that of the F-21 and F-35. The location of its air inlets is also reminiscent of the F-35. Experts say the new aircraft could be a fourth-generation fighter with less sophisticated avionics than those of its American rivals. The so-called “J-21″ may have been designed as a lighter alternative to the J-20. Both planes could also be mutually supplementary. The new Chinese stealth jet copies many of American F-22 design solutions, for instance its tail and empennage (photo), as well as its fuselage and air inlets. China’s air fleet consists of a wide range of planes, many of which are in fact replicas of Russian and Ukrainian aircraft. More on this on Defense Talk

Examinations are still unergoing for the F-22 jet fighter’s big problem: oxygen deprivation. After months of analysis on this topic, findings are being brought up but conclusions will induce modifications that will be implemented as the F-22 remains one of the main assets of US Air Dominance. As an investigation continues into oxygen-deprivation issues involving the F-22 Raptor fighter, Air Force officials remain optimistic about the program’s future and the jet’s ability to perform, the director of operations for the Air Force’s Air Combat Command told the House Armed Services Committee today. Maj. Gen. Charles W. Lyon said Air Combat Command convened a working group in April, consisting of F-22 pilots, engineers, and medical and safety professionals from the Air Force, Navy, NASA, Lockheed Martin and Boeing. “We’ve integrated their findings, continued the investigative process and drawn conclusions that could not have been reached without the benefit of this collaborative approach,” he said. Previously unexplained F-22 physiological incidents, Lyon said, were a result of a combination of factors. “The trend over time has eliminated system-specific factors related to oxygen delivery system components,” the general said. “Systemic factors in the life-support system, such as the upper-pressure garment and the C2A1 filter functionalities, have been identified [and] removed, and corrective action is under way.”

The findings also determined that human factors contributed to incidents at two F-22 locations. “We’ve communicated findings and corrective actions to the [F-22] community,” he said. “This communication has reduced the ambiguity and uncertainty while significantly increasing pilot and ground crew confidence in the F-22’s life-support systems.” While the task force has ruled out oxygen quality as being the cause of previously unexplained problems, recommendations do include development, testing and fielding of a modified valve for the Combat Edge upper-pressure garment that F-22 pilots wear to help control breathing, Lyon said. “The trend is on a positive vector not seen in years,” Lyon said. “The Air Force is committed to implementing these changes to return the F-22 to normal operations, … significantly contributing to our nation’s vital interest by providing air dominance … to protect and enable the joint U.S. military force.” F-22s, the world’s most expensive fighter jet, are forward-deployed to support the objectives of geographic combatant commanders in the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command areas of operations, Lyon noted. “This forward presence reassures our allies, enhances joint and coalition interoperability and demonstrates our resolve for lasting global relationships,” the general said. “Simply stated, the F-22 fleet combined with complimentary capabilities from our joint partners allows us to kick down the door and enable joint operations in the most demanding environments that exist now and in the foreseeable future.” Read more at http://bit.ly/RhE249

What’s it like to fly a jet fighter ? Flying a jet fighter is an extraordinary experience. We are very fortunate because we make people live something unique, and for some, it is an achievement, the realization of a dream. And to be part of it is simply great. We meet people who are very nervous and anxious at first. They open up through the day until they get seated in the plane. There, they get nervous again as we go through the instruments review. But once the canopy is closed, we can feel they are getting ready to enjoy their jet fighter ride.

It is scary at first for some, others are anxious to get it over with, but once they get airborne and we start the first evolutions, they relax and enjoy it. They take it all in and we can hear the comments – sometimes it’s just “arghhhh”, or “oh my god, oh my god”, or “unbelievable”… Then we get the “what ?”. That’s when we ask them if they want to take the controls… We are very fortunate because we see smiling and happy people all day. Of course some are a little white when getting out of the aircraft, but also part of the experience. So just to thank you all, here are some testimonies that you have been kind to send us after the flight. We thought there is no better way to share the experience than to let you explain it with your own words.

Dear all, thanks again for a wonderful day in Beauvais. I am now back to my usual self and would like to thank your team and your pilot Pierre for the amazing ride. You have made my day perfect, and I will never forget this experience. Thanks again. Paul Chesap – UK.

A personal thanks to Claire and Claude for their amazing kindness and a fantastic flight. I never thought I could actually fly the aircraft… I still have the sensations of the flight and I am actually looking forward to doing it again – Carol Van Dyck – Canada.

Flying to the edge of space in the Mig 29 was utterly mind blowing. Thank you so much for a fantastic experience. I never thought I would do this one day, and I am so happy I actually have been one of the very few to reach for the stars. It was incredible. Thanks to the pilot and to the team in Russia for making this my life changing experience – Leonie Marin – France

I felt incredibly powerful and sick at the same time. It was very weird and I am so happy I did the ride. Thank you for your support and kindness throughout. Feeling G force is an extraordinary experience. I will strongly recommend your team. Bob Hardy – UK

We have decided to put more testimonies online and it will be done so each month. Keep your testimonies coming, we always like to hear that you are well and to get your feedback.

The Alenia Aermacchi M-346 is a jet fighter trainer developed by a joint venture company between Yakovklev and Aermacchi. The project began in 1993 when Aermacchi signed a joint venture with Yakovlev who developed the training aircraft of the Russian army in 1991. The result of this cooperation as the MB-339 but soon differences between manufacturers made itself felt, and in the end each aircraft developed in his corner. Aermacchi retained the rights to sell the aircraft for the world, except Russia and other partners of Russia.

Version M-346 is a modified and improved version of the original jet fighter. The prototype flew June 7, 2003 and the flight demonstration was made at the Paris Air Show in 2005. The M-346 is a training aircraft which allows pilots to test their skills and in particular to its top speed as the aircraft can reach Mach 1.15. The plane does not use afterburner, which also helps reduce operational costs. The plane is designed on a “fly by wire” technique with a fairly advanced avionics for aircraft training, which also allows him to take angles up to 40 degrees. The Aermacchi M-346 aircraft is now the training aircraft of Italian fighter pilots. The export success is relative with countries like Dubai, Israel who have demonstrated an interest in the aircraft.