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General Aircraft
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Fighters and roles
flitzer
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Posted: Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 12:55 AM UTC
Hi
I wondered if there was a extensive description for the general term 'Fighter' and the many roles associated with this type of aircraft?

Some are self explanatory but some are not.

Fighter.
General term for an aircraft that attacks other aircraft in offensive or defensive role.

Night fighter
Self explanatory. A fighter capable of operating in hours of darkness

All weather/bad weather fighter
Self explanatory

Escort fighter
Fighter with or without droptanks/extra fuel capacity to escort other aircraft (e.g. bombers)

High altitude fighter
Self explanatory

Heavy fighter
Self explanatory

Strike fighter
?

Interceptor
?

Any expansion on this please?
I understand what Strike and Interceptor mean but what are the official explanations?

I thought it might be useful for, yes me of course, and new starters in modelling.

Many thanks
Peter
pigsty
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Posted: Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 10:08 PM UTC
To be honest, I doubt there are any definitions that are both official and rigorously used. If there were, the F-105 and F-111 (at the very least) would have had to carry A for Attack designations. The UK system might be slightly better demarcated - hence the difference between a Hunter F.Mk.6 and a Hunter FGA.Mk.9, for example - but even then, many aircraft with F designations could usefully do air-to-ground work.

As for the missing ones in your list, I'd suggest:

Interceptor: fighter optimised for speed and rate of climb (as opposed to manouevring)

Strike fighter: a post-wat definition, really. Actually a bomber, optimised for either long-range interdiction or low-level delivery of nuclear weapons. The latter is, strictly speaking, the definition of the S role in the UK system, but was used by the RAF only when they took over the Buccaneer. The Tornado, with the same mission in its repertoire, remained a GR.
flitzer
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Posted: Friday, January 08, 2010 - 03:03 AM UTC
Thanks Sean.

The more I think about it, the more I think its a matter of type and the role.

Re: 'Strike' I know its a term used mainly in connection to post war bombers, but I asked the question because I've seen it used to describe a WW2 Project/concept fighter type, hence the question.

Peter
armouredcharmer
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Posted: Friday, January 08, 2010 - 07:37 AM UTC

Quoted Text

To be honest, I doubt there are any definitions that are both official and rigorously used. If there were, the F-105 and F-111 (at the very least) would have had to carry A for Attack designations. The UK system might be slightly better demarcated - hence the difference between a Hunter F.Mk.6 and a Hunter FGA.Mk.9, for example - but even then, many aircraft with F designations could usefully do air-to-ground work.

As for the missing ones in your list, I'd suggest:

Interceptor: fighter optimised for speed and rate of climb (as opposed to manouevring)

Strike fighter: a post-wat definition, really. Actually a bomber, optimised for either long-range interdiction or low-level delivery of nuclear weapons. The latter is, strictly speaking, the definition of the S role in the UK system, but was used by the RAF only when they took over the Buccaneer. The Tornado, with the same mission in its repertoire, remained a GR.



Might be a daft question as i`m now working on two Tornados,but what does GR actually stand for ?
Tomcat31
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Posted: Friday, January 08, 2010 - 09:03 AM UTC
Camogirl and I had to teach the roles of RAF aircraft quite often when we were an Adult Sgt's in the Air Cadets. If I can find our notes I'll post the list of what the RAF abbreviations mean. But in the mean time "GR" stand for Ground Attack Reconnaissance.
Merlin
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#017
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Posted: Friday, January 08, 2010 - 09:36 AM UTC
Hi there

I always thought "strike fighter" was one of the more polite nicknames for Maggie Thatcher!

All the best

Rowan
Tomcat31
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Posted: Saturday, January 09, 2010 - 11:18 AM UTC
As promised here's the RAF reporting names used by the RAF that we taught to Cadets. Please note that in these ever changing times the RAF may have changed some of these and are no longer current.

AEW = AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING
B = BOMBER
C = TRANSPORT
E = ELECTRONIC/FLIGHT CHECKING
F = FIGHTER
FG = FIGHTER GROUND ATTACK
GR = GROUND ATTACK RECONNAISSANCE
HAR = HELICOPTER, AIR RESCUE
HAS = HELICOPTER, ANTI-SUBMARINE
HC = HELICOPTER, CARGO
HCC = HELICOPTER, CARGO and COMMS
HT = HELICOPTER, TRAINING
HU = HELICOPTER, UTILITY
K = TANKER
MR = MARITIME RECONNAISSANCE
R = RECONNAISSANCE
PR = PHOTOGRAPHIC RECONNAISSANCE
S = STRIKE
T = TRAINER
flitzer
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Posted: Sunday, January 10, 2010 - 09:12 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi there

I always thought "strike fighter" was one of the more polite nicknames for Maggie Thatcher!

All the best

Rowan

ouch.

P
TuomasH
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Posted: Monday, January 11, 2010 - 01:41 AM UTC
I've been told that difference between fighter and interceptor is that interceptor is used to fight enemy bombers instead of enemy fighters. For example, in third reich Bf 109 was fighter but more heavily armed Fw 190 was interceptor.
md72
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Posted: Monday, January 11, 2010 - 12:46 PM UTC
Think I'd agree on the intercepter definition. Post war USAF, the intention was to go fast in a relatively straight line, and shoot missiles at the hordes of approaching Russian bombers. Since these planes were supposed to guided to their targets by ground based radar, they saved weight by having limited on board radar capabilities. Machine guns / cannons were also considered of less use and were not even carried on F-102, 106 and early F-4 Phantoms.

Strike fighter -- I'd go with a "multi-mission" definition. Single airframe, depending on load-out, would be for air to air, MG and missiles one mission, or air-ground, bombs next time.

just my $.02
NickZour
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Posted: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 10:31 AM UTC

Quoted Text

As promised here's the RAF reporting names used by the RAF that we taught to Cadets. Please note that in these ever changing times the RAF may have changed some of these and are no longer current.

AEW = AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING
B = BOMBER
C = TRANSPORT
E = ELECTRONIC/FLIGHT CHECKING
F = FIGHTER
FG = FIGHTER GROUND ATTACK
GR = GROUND ATTACK RECONNAISSANCE
HAR = HELICOPTER, AIR RESCUE
HAS = HELICOPTER, ANTI-SUBMARINE
HC = HELICOPTER, CARGO
HCC = HELICOPTER, CARGO and COMMS
HT = HELICOPTER, TRAINING
HU = HELICOPTER, UTILITY
K = TANKER
MR = MARITIME RECONNAISSANCE
R = RECONNAISSANCE
PR = PHOTOGRAPHIC RECONNAISSANCE
S = STRIKE
T = TRAINER



Oh yes, very nice list (the whole topic is very intresting )

But I think that the C=Transport it's like C=Cargo


Cheers Nick
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