Dogfights of the Future

The Chronicler · **on:** May 11, 2008, 05:16:58 PM

I was watching the History Channel last night, and I saw a show about what dogfights (air combat) in the near-future would be like. Fictional scenarios were shown to show what existing or soon-to-exist aircraft would be capable of doing. I found it interesting to note that the F-22 is so well-designed, it could still be in use for the next two decades. Another fact that I found very interesting was that the first dogfight in space could happen as early as 2027, and up in the vacuum of space, the fights will indeed be very different from in the air.

f-22 "raptor" ace · **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2008, 06:04:17 PM

I also watched it. I like the laser on the 767 and the B-1R. the space dogfight was pretty cool.

Kor · **Reply #2 on:** May 11, 2008, 06:22:15 PM

Sounds like it was an interesting show.

The Chronicler · **Reply #3 on:** May 11, 2008, 06:40:25 PM

The interesting thing about dogfights in space is that the force in control is gravitational movement instead of aerodynamics. Put simply, the faster you go, the higher you go. If you slow down too much, you'll end up reentering the Earth's atmosphere.

Also, since there's no air in space, the space planes will need to carry their own oxygen for fuel. The kickback from weapons like guns and missiles would make them a poor choice for use in the vacuum of space. The laser would be the only possible weapon a space plane would carry.

What I found most interesting about a dogfight in space is the fact that you only have to slightly damage the enemy space plane and the friction of reentry will do the rest.