• PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPM
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    4 days ago

    Explanation: When the Americans learned of the Soviet Mig-25 ‘Foxbat’, the US was certain that the high-speed jet shown by the Soviets was, due to its design and the classified nature of its technical details, an ultra-maneuverable ultra-fast fighter jet, and in response, poured money into the F-15 ‘Eagle’ to make it a weapon that could compare to its Soviet counterpart!

    Some ten years later a defector landed with a Mig-25 and handed it over to Western intelligence. Turns out, it wasn’t maneuverable at all, or a fighter, for that matter. It was an interceptor made for catching nuclear bombers, and had all the maneuverability of stiff cardboard. Very fast, though! C’est la vie!

    • Mac@mander.xyz
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      4 days ago

      “the F-15 landed at twice the normal speed to maintain the necessary lift, and its tailhook was torn off completely during the landing.”

      • DontMakeMoreBabies@lemm.ee
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        4 days ago

        I like this part even better:

        He added, “Only when McDonnell Douglas later went to analyze it, they said, OK, the F-15 has a very wide [lifting] body; you fly fast enough and you’re like a rocket. You don’t need wings.”

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          But the pilots quote was best of all

          “it’s highly likely that if I had seen it clearly I would have ejected, because it was obvious you couldn’t really fly an airplane like that.”

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPM
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            2 days ago

            because it was obvious you couldn’t really fly an airplane like that.

            Looney Tunes “Don’t look down” level achievement