What did I see?

[Z06George]

Last Friday I saw a jet that looked just like a Mirage 2000, except it had canards on the front which I believe 2000s never had. The 4000 did but I thought that they never got past the prototype stage. I did get some pictures but I can't upload them for some reason. So over to the knowledge of PH, any takers?

[KieronGSi]

Typhoon.

[Z06George]

Afraid not, sorry I should have added this was at Nellis AFB, Nevada during Red Flag operations. No typhoons there. The colour scheme was dark blue similar if not the same as French navy.

[bridgdav]

Dassault Rafale....?

[Z06George]

Afraid not, it had an almost identical silhouette to a 2000, thinking about it the closest thing I can think of is a Kfir, does anyone still fly them?

Edited to add have modern 2000s been upgraded? is there a chance it's a latter model the last time I saw one it was a 2000C and google images seem to churn up older ones or Mirage 4000 pictures.

Edited by Z06George on Wednesday 1st August 02:28

[Eric Mc]

Could be a Kfir. I know at one stage the US were using ex-Israeli Kfirs as Aggressor aircraft. There may even be a couple being operated by civilian contractors on behalf of the DoD.

[AshVX220]

I'd suggest a Kfir too, do the Isreali's take part in Red Flag or is that just NATO.

Also, how do you pronounce Kfir (never did know that) I pronounce it 'K' Fir, probably wrong though!!

[lloyd h]

I know the Columbians took over Kfirs for Red Flag so most likely those.

[lloyd h]

Here you go couple of shots of the Kfir's in this thread... http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&amp...

[Mojocvh]

lloyd h said:

Here you go couple of shots of the Kfir's in this thread... http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&amp...

Kfir it is then, menacing rather than the svelte mirage it was based on...


now this little bugger could really spoil someones day though.....[pulled from lloyds link while it lasts]...1 million times the computing power of the issue US F-16C for starters....

[dr_gn]

Mojocvh said:

...1 million times the computing power of the issue US F-16C for starters....

Do you have a reference for that?

[annodomini2]

dr_gn said:

Mojocvh said:

...1 million times the computing power of the issue US F-16C for starters....

Do you have a reference for that?

A basic smartphone probably has more than a million times the computing power of an F16C.

They were first issued in 1984.

[Eric Mc]

Largely irrlevant since the USAF F-16s will have been upgraded or replaced since 1984.

[dr_gn]

annodomini2 said:

dr_gn said:

Mojocvh said:

...1 million times the computing power of the issue US F-16C for starters....

Do you have a reference for that?

A basic smartphone probably has more than a million times the computing power of an F16C.

They were first issued in 1984.

"Probably"...,but hardly a reference

[Ayahuasca]

Z06George said:

Afraid not, it had an almost identical silhouette to a 2000, thinking about it the closest thing I can think of is a Kfir, does anyone still fly them?

I saw a working Kfir last week at an airport in Ecuador.

[MartG]

Eric Mc said:

Could be a Kfir. I know at one stage the US were using ex-Israeli Kfirs as Aggressor aircraft. There may even be a couple being operated by civilian contractors on behalf of the DoD.

Designated F-21 in USAF service IIRC

[Simpo Two]

Ah well, not a Saab Viggen then!

[Z06George]

After seeing that picture of the Columbian Kfir I can safely say that's what I saw. I never knew they were so loud, almost on the same level as the F-15s and F-22s and on a side note how loud the A-6s were. Thanks for all the help.

George.

[dr_gn]

Simpo Two said:

Ah well, not a Saab Viggen then!

Unlikely, since there's only one airworthy example left...on the civil register in Sweden IIRC.

[Mojocvh]

dr_gn said:

Do you have a reference for that?

Hang on, need to redo some digging...but it's valid.