AerialTarget
06-14-2005, 01:36 AM
Most of you know what heritage flights are. They are demonstrations at United States airshows where a modern military aircraft flies in formation with a warbird. Now, I've noticed that they tend to pair up planes that are similar in design, role, and relative performance. For instance, last year the F/A-18 Hornet flew with the F-4U Corsair and an F-16 flew with a P-51 Mustang. The year before that, the A-10 flew with the P-40 Warhawk. All three pairs are exactly the way I would choose. I can't wait to see Joltin' Josie fly in formation with an F-15 Eagle.
The F-15 and P-38 are both very fast, large fighters that are none the less capable of turning with lighter fighters because of their massive wing area. The F-16 and P-51 are both mass produced, cost effective aircraft that are good all around and easy to fly. The F/A-18 and the F-4U are both carrier based fighters (I must admit that their handling characteristics are quite opposite). And the A-10 and P-40 Warhawk are both slow aircraft, rather maneuverable, and able to take a beating, and therefore best at ground attack.
Those are the pairs that I've seen fly (except for the F-15 and the P-38). What other pairs can you think of? An obvious one might be MiG-29 to MiG-3, but I think that the MiG-29 corresponds more to the Yak. And you Brits might have a hard time thinking up a match for the Spitfire.
The F-15 and P-38 are both very fast, large fighters that are none the less capable of turning with lighter fighters because of their massive wing area. The F-16 and P-51 are both mass produced, cost effective aircraft that are good all around and easy to fly. The F/A-18 and the F-4U are both carrier based fighters (I must admit that their handling characteristics are quite opposite). And the A-10 and P-40 Warhawk are both slow aircraft, rather maneuverable, and able to take a beating, and therefore best at ground attack.
Those are the pairs that I've seen fly (except for the F-15 and the P-38). What other pairs can you think of? An obvious one might be MiG-29 to MiG-3, but I think that the MiG-29 corresponds more to the Yak. And you Brits might have a hard time thinking up a match for the Spitfire.