The F-102 Delta Dagger (Was GWB as a Nat'l Guard Fighter Pilot threads.)

"Urban Fredriksson" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Kevin Brooks wrote:

The Swedes produced their own conventionally armed variant of the AIM-26,
the Rb-27, which served with their Drakens (and IIRC Viggens) up through
the
mid-eighties.

Draken was actually in service until late 1998 (because
that's when Gripen was qualified as an air defence fighter
and the principle then was to have two types in service in
that role),

No argument there. But were the *Rb-27's* still in service after the
eighties? If so, Andreas needs to change his info...

Brooks


Viggen never used RB 27, but the IR-guided
Falcon RB 28 was planned as a self defence missile for the
ground attack and recce Viggens. (Very weird to wire it
for Sidewinders on the under fuselage stations and Falcons
on the outer wing stations never used for anything else.
Not used, but I'm not sure for exactly what reason - maybe
on wing life, maybe flutter, maybe unsuitability as a self
defence missile (assuming that was the real reason).)
However, Swiss Mirages used the RB 27 as well.
--
Urban Fredriksson http://www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/
A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind.

In article ,
Kevin Brooks wrote:

No argument there. But were the *Rb-27's* still in service after the
eighties?

Sure. The J 35J rebuild programme ran from 1987-91 and
it's not logical to upgrade them to better use(*) a certain
missile if it's going out of service. Also, it's not hard to
find photos of Finnish Drakens from the 90's with RB 27s
(so I think the real RB 27 retirement date is 2000).

*The armament upgrades we Improved gun installtion
(which could be noted in a certain other thread here), air
to air rocket capability (again, after being deleted on
the J 35F), two more wet pylons and two more Sidewinder
only pylons and ability to employ _all missile types_ head up
or head down.
To me, it's obvious Draken needed a radar guided
missile, otherwise it couldn't be a full capability stand
in for Viggen. Why the IR RB 28 was retained I've never
gotten a very clear answer to, only a slightly evasive
"it's better for some situation".
--
Urban Fredriksson http://www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

Urban Fredriksson
Also, it's not hard to find photos of Finnish Drakens from
the 90's with RB 27s (so I think the real RB 27 retirement
date is 2000).

Indeed. The pics below are dated the 10th of June 2000.

http://mikkila.wabbits.org/show.php?...air%2Faircraft
http://mikkila.wabbits.org/show.php?...air%2Faircraft
http://mikkila.wabbits.org/show.php?...air%2Faircraft
http://mikkila.wabbits.org/show.php?...air%2Faircraft

Kevin Brooks wrote:

No argument there. But were the *Rb-27's* still in service after the
eighties? If so, Andreas needs to change his info...

Ok, ok, so I did :-) ... I don't know why I _ever_ thought that certain
printed sources provided reliable information ;-)

Andreas