Wait the french air force is using these now? Last I checked Rafale CFTs were just proposed for exports
Also about the AASM 1000, it’s basically a hammer gbu 24 like the AASM 250 is a hammer gbu 12 right?
Yes, but instead of using US bombs (that are in pounds), they use French bombs, in kilograms.
To note tho, I believe the AASM 1000 does use a bigger booster than the others, while the 250 and proposed 500 and 125 use the same booster.
Edit : yes, looking at the photo of all 4 sizes, it’s the case
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Cool! Yeah stronger booster makes sense since its much heavier
Considering it’s weight and same capabilities it has to use bigger boost in order to achieve similar range.
Salon du Bourget preparetions ?
Might still be a exposition model for now then
They all look pretty bad, especially depending on some angles, the EFT canopy doesn’t even have a 2nd arch in the middle and it makes it look like a stretched piece of glass.
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Honestly, the Rafale cockpit looks uncomfortable to me.
It’s not a new variant it’s just a Rafale B with CFT. To determine if it’s effectively a new variant, so to say, the Rafale B F5 we’ll have to wait for more detailed images and articles.
F-16 looks good with them has a real brutal look love them on the Block 70+
Typhoon and Rafale look horrible with them though :(
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CFTs were already proposed even before Rafale entered operational service.
AASM-1000 are not new either and were already integrated with F.4.1…
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That’s the one presented at the Paris Airshiw next week. Probably a F4.1 or even .2. Apparently they are going to present a whole lot of spicy new things, including a new MICA IR variant, upgraded AASM, SCALP…
wow the Eurofighter looks really, really bad there…
For me the worst part about them is that they all kinda look they have hunchbacks, pretty ugly.
I hope there will be announcements regarding ASPTT and laser-guided rockets for Mirage 2000 and Rafale, it would be interesting to see the progress made since the announcements a few years ago
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Idk about that, man. 27k+ pounds obese F-16C/70+ looks like it’s about to die of heart failure, multiple blood clots and high blood pressure all at the same time.
The only decent looking CFTs that don’t turn the base plane into a fat whale aesthetically are the ones on the Super Hornet, honestly.
Ahem but I digress, back to French top BR plane discussion.
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The Rafale looks just great imo, and the gripen is fine too. The only one I find ugly is the eft
Also the Rafale B and C are not very different, the canopy is just as long for both and only its shape is a bit different
But obviously yeah tandem seats visually work better on larger aircrafts like the Eagles and Flankers
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Fair enough, to each their own, if I had to rank them I would put EFT in 3rd place, Rafale in 2nd and Gripen in 1st.
Also yeah, I agree that the Flankers and eagles just look better with the 2 seater configuration.
I mean, look at this:
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Yeah. While I have to simp for the rafale, I live the aesthetic of the gripen. It’s got a lot of angles, but well proportioned. I don’t find the same appeal in the cylinder with wings and 2 massive air intakes that is the eurofighter
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Yeah I agree, the Gripen and Rafale really have some cool curves and angles, they look like they have an actual design kinda like sport cars, while the typhoon… It kinda looks like chunks of metal strapped together