Fighting in the Typhoon | Paul Godfrey

Paul Godfrey shares what it was like to fly and fight in the mighty Typhoon!
This is a clip from Paul's original interview which you can watch here:
Part 1 - www.aircrewinterview.tv/paul-...
Part 2 - www.aircrewinterview.tv/paul-...
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Photos from Craig Sluman & nara.getarchive.net

[@cageordie]

I worked on modelling those high altitude high speed BVR shots for Joust at Farnborough. We used Ternion FLAMES to provide a bigger modeled environment for testing the Eurofighter models before the aircraft even existed.

[@LRRPFco52]

Interesting. We were in Munich modeling the post-stall maneuvering flight algorithms before it existed as well, for ECA. Joint German, UK, Italian effort with some US AeroEs doing scientific exchange. I spoke with one of those engineers recently and he said he wished they would have been focused on LO/VLO than post-stall maneuvering.

[@blooter6360]

Fantastic

[@EricTViking]

You only get an Ooh! with Typhoon!

[@Aircrewinterview]

Brilliant!

[@Biggles2498]

He must be the youngest Air Commodore I have ever seen still flying. I was under the impression somewhat that you end up flying a desk from Wing Commander upwards !

[@dennis12dec]

He now holds the rank of Air Vice Marshall in the RAF.

[@Tconcept]

Why were typhoons not used on the new carriers?

[@Tconcept]

@Wurst Zeit just strengthen them as they do on any other plane.

[@davesherry5384]

Bristish poilticans + Carriers = idiots. Despite the RN beign THE carrier leader prior to WW2 and agin after it with STOL British pollies have managed like eveythign they manged to do to squander those leadership positions. There were long periods when the RN had no carriers at all - the classic is that had the Argies waited 2 or three years the brits would have been screwed taking them back becasur the carriers were about to be decommissioned. British polies rely on luck a n awful lot but one day that Lady won;t be around to pull British nuts out of the fire.

[@Tconcept]

@@davesherry5384 I quite agree. The destruction of our car and aircraft industries seems almost deliberate by certain politicians who certainly didn't have the country's interests at heart. The typhoon looks like a very capable carrier aircraft. Its a shame we have so many great projects scuppered by corrupt politicians, tsr2, harrier and the through deck carriers, lighting, all our motoring companies. The new carriers and Destroyers are a complete farce.

[@zahnatom]

IIRC thats the reason france left the program. However, some years later Eurofighter Typhoon was offered to the Indians and it was capable of the hook landings and ski jump takeoffs but not capable of the catobar takeoffs. it could be upgraded to do so but that would have introduced a LOT of weight... the reason for the hook capability is that it has one anyways(for emergencies)

[@foxkill7]

Typhoon vs spitfire?😨😳

[@carlmaster9690]

The Typhoon is the Spitfire of the 21st Century!

[@climbtherainbow]

Is this his jib interview for British Aerospace when he retires from the RAF?!

[@magoid]

As of the relevancy of dogfight, there were shot downs that occurred in the visual range, in 21 century conflicts. People forget that pilots often don't choose where to engage. For example, the last shot down in Syria started with a Sidewinder within visual range. An it failed, another eyebrow-rising reminder that even modern missiles are not infallible.

[@LRRPFco52]

Carrier-borne fighter missiles take a beating that no others do from repeated saltwater exposure, catapult shots, and traps. That F/A-18E had already swung from a strike or ISR mission to Defensive Counter-Air because his ATFLIR pod failed. Then his AIM-9X failed...went off the rail and was never seen again. Then he employed the AIM-120C. Good missile maintenance and inspections are key to higher pk. The first AIM-120A used to shoot down a threat fighter had failed inspection the day prior with a faulty component, and was successfully repaired by ordnance mx personnel that day.

[@magoid]

@@LRRPFco52 I also think that the AMRAAM mounting point in the fuselage is much more sturdy that wingtip rails, subjecting the AIM-120 to much less vibrations than the Sidewinder on the wingtips.

[@LRRPFco52]

@@magoid In the early days of the YF-16 even, they realized that mounting AIM-9s to the wingtips increased its aerodynamic performance for range since they helped keep the wing vibrations dampened. That’s why AIM-120s are mounted to the F-16C wingtips, but not the Hornet’s. The F/A-18A/B had major problems with the folding wing mechanism structures and aerodynamic vibrations that needed to be fixed, retrofitted, and built into the production line. The original AIM-7 recessed stations on the Hornet fuselage definitely provide more stability, but are also closer to the deck.

[@magoid]

@@LRRPFco52 I'm aware of the wingtip benefits for the aircraft itself. I just pointed out where it may be more beneficial for the missile to be atached.

[@LRRPFco52]

@@magoid Agreed. I always admired the designs with recessed or conformal weapons stations because they reduced parasitic drag. F-4 had a great weapons arrangement with the 4x recessed AIM-7 stations, as did the F-14. Hornet only had room for 2 on the fuselage due to its smaller size, but 2 additional stations is better than 2 less. Typhoon carried that approach forward with 4 AMRAAM recessed stations. I haven’t seen any other 4th Gen that do it.

[@Aeronaut1975]

Close your eyes and it's Jimmy Carr talking :)

[@exiletsj2570]

Close but no cigar.

[@SuperEdge67]

A little bit, but he definitely wouldn’t have his laugh.

[@TheAslakVind]

I have a high respect for the Typhoon, but 40 yo Danish F16s beat Italian Typhoons hands down, during actual exercises in Italy. Personally I think it is more down to the quality of pilot, no disrespect.

[@1951woodygeo]

Yeah but that’s Italians, not RAF the best Pilots in the world some pilots learn from they’re mistakes that’s why they do these exercises do not read anything into it those pilots will remember they’re mistakes that’s what makes a good pilot those that don’t well it’s bye bye them .

[@gordonlawrence1448]

If you run the numbers the Typhoon has so many advantages it's nuts. It also depends on which Block of F-16's you are talking about. They were up-engined in Block 52. Before Block 50 the power to weight was about 0.8 after Block 52 it was 1.11 (with full fuel). That makes a huge difference. The current typhoon it's about 1.13. However where it really wins is things like service ceiling where the Typhoon can currently fly 5000 feet higher. This is limited by the EJ-200 engine. The EJ-20x has 50% more power and is marginally lighter. IE the power to weight will be 1.6:1. Way higher than anything else even on the drawing board except the Tempest. The current Typhoon can supercruise at Mach 1.5 with a full Air to Air loadout (with central drop tank). An F-16 is not even close. The F-16 still uses the MIL-STD-1553 bus which can be interfered with by ECM. The Typhoon has some essential systems fly by light (Mil-STD-1773 bus). ECM will do diddly squat to that. There are many other advantages too.

[@TheAslakVind]

Before re-enginening, true F16 A’s. Which only makes it more embarrasing. Danish Vipers were trusted with precision bombing in Lybia. Danish pilots top of the line.

[@alexs.4340]

@@1951woodygeo here we have another comment by a fan boy. I'm sorry to tell you italians always top score in red flags. Btw RAF Typhoon lost by the Indian SU30s: does it mean RAF pilots are inferior to Indian pilots?No!You simply don't know the ROE (rules of engagement).

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

I hate the term "world beater" as it's always used for something that's pretty good, but not the best (which is what the phrase implies).

[@Retrosicotte]

There is a good saying by Barnes Wallis. "Give me the third best option. The first never exists, the second never arrives."

[@guaporeturns9472]

I love that term

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

@@Retrosicotte as much as I like that saying, that's really more of a mantra for engineering though, rather than the finished article.

[@dankuettel5063]

All that money spent on an amazing jet but short changed it with the radar set.

[@Retrosicotte]

The new AESA is absolutely world beating though. LARGE AESA plate on a past the shoulder traversing plate with electronic attack is plain ridiculously good. Even the CAPTOR-M is a lot better than people give it credit. Whether something is one buzzword or another is not the only thing that defines an aircraft after all.

[@Akm72]

@@Retrosicotte Agreed however the AESA on Typhoon should have been fitted a decade ago.

[@Retrosicotte]

@@Akm72 It didn't exist a decade ago. Whats going on it now simply could not have existed back then. Not all AESAs were created equal.

[@LRRPFco52]

UK Typhoons are getting the CAPTOR-E Mk.2, which is really a totally different Radar set than the Mk.0 or Luftwaffe/Spanish Mk.1. The UK Mk.2 CAPTOR-E will have a mix of GaN and GaA TRMs, and will have EW/Electronic Attack capabilities. AESAs have been available for the past 2 decades, but Eurofighter partners haven't funded them.

[@Akm72]

@@LRRPFco52 Why is a mixture of GaN and GaA TRMs a good idea?

[@kristinawhorey3837]

How can it be a world beater when the whole world can see you up there? Impressive accounts though, sort of almost heard you on comm in this part of the world during your tour

[@sichere]

Sometimes it's good to stand out in the crowd and the Typhoon does not miss anything.