British test pilot reviews a Rafale

[SlipStream77]

Interesting article on the Rafale here.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/11/09/33...

It sounds like a fantastic aircraft, looks great too.

[aeropilot]

There was an interesting thread on pprune about this some months back..... and given the authors lack of experience of flying anything remotely comparable with a Rafale, it's not surprising that he thought it was the dog's danglies
Lots of hidden agenda politics by Flight Int. it seems

[Simpo Two]

So even test pilots are subject to 'spin'

[Le TVR]

aeropilot said:

..... and given the authors lack of experience of flying anything remotely comparable with a Rafale,

I think no experience in front line FJs in the last 20 years comes to mind.

Dassault were delighted with the copy however....

[aeropilot]

Le TVR said:

aeropilot said:

..... and given the authors lack of experience of flying anything remotely comparable with a Rafale,

I think no experience in front line FJs in the last 20 years comes to mind.

Dassault were delighted with the copy however....

Yes, and he wasn't even a Boscombe/Mil service TP either.

[SlipStream77]

Le TVR said:

aeropilot said:

..... and given the authors lack of experience of flying anything remotely comparable with a Rafale,

I think no experience in front line FJs in the last 20 years comes to mind.

Dassault were delighted with the copy however....

He's ex. Harrier and ex. Red Arrows though. I was under the impression that only the 'best of the best' got into the Red Arrows, and he was Red 2. In terms of ability doesn't that make him better than the average Typhoon pilot?

I appreciate that to make a comparison one would have to have flown similar aircraft but an educated opinion from a pilot of his experience must be pretty accurate.

To make a motorsport based analogy, a Red Arrows pilot in a Rafale is a little like Loeb in an F1 car, it's not his natural habitat but he's good enough to know if the car is any good or not.

Btw. Le TVR, a Wolfhound and an Esprit, you have great taste.

[Simpo Two]

OK, he's not a test pilot, he's a reviewer - like Clarkson for cars.

[aeropilot]

SlipStream77 said:

Le TVR said:

aeropilot said:

..... and given the authors lack of experience of flying anything remotely comparable with a Rafale,

I think no experience in front line FJs in the last 20 years comes to mind.

Dassault were delighted with the copy however....

He's ex. Harrier and ex. Red Arrows though. I was under the impression that only the 'best of the best' got into the Red Arrows, and he was Red 2. In terms of ability doesn't that make him better than the average Typhoon pilot?

The Arrows are a tight formation display flying team, flying an advanced trainer, and therefore about as far removed from making an assement of the Rafale as a combat a/c as you can get.

According to those that would know, i.e mil pilots, therefore not relevant when it comes to making an assement of a gen IV moden combat a/c as a just that, a combat a/c.

His TP career hasn't been in such a role either, at Boscombe/Pat River etc., but as pure aerospace reserach flying and then post mil service on airliners and large exec type stuff.