Talk:Eurofighter Typhoon variants

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of the Military history WikiProject. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks.
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale.

[edit] Page Name: Note this is resolved

I would suggest that this page should be named Eurofighter Typhoon F2, using the customer's name as part of the aircraft name is not a standard nomenclature - do we have RAF Spitfire somewhere ! - any comments from watchers MilborneOne 17:01, 19 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Do we need this page? : Note this is resolved

I agree with the above but would go further, do we need a seperate page for each nations jets? Should this be a candidate for merging?Mumby 20:04, 10 October 2006 (UTC)

I created it for UK specific information which will grow considerably over the next few years. As for a seperate page for each nations jets; I know from experience with Panavia Tornado that with this being en.wikipedia.org, there will be copius amounts written about UK versions and next to nothing about German and Italian (and Spanish) versions. Though I've tried to redress that imbalance on the Tornado variants page. Mark83 21:17, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
So what do you think about having a Eurofighter Typhoon Variants page analagous to the Panavia Tornado variants page? That reminds me, I meant to make some changes to the Tornado pages: TIRRS has now been retired so there are no longer strictly GR4 Sqns and GR4A Sqns, both types of airframe are circulated between all squadrons. I have seen a GR4A in 31 Sqn colours for example. I hope to get round to that soon. Mumby 21:32, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
It would make sense. I created this article when there was still "RAF Tornado GR4" and related articles. An objection was raised to so many sub pages. I think Eurofighter Typhoon variants would probably be a better place for this info. After all F2 is not going to be the only designation used. About the GR4/GR4A issue - is there still a GR4A variant? Or is the Tornado's recce role now purely based on RAPTOR? Mark83 22:31, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
Tricky question. There is still a variant in the sense that you will still Tornados with the IR windows under the cockpit and the linescan fairing just forward of the under-fuselage weapons pylons. However, from what I know they are no longer used and it is indeed RAPTOR which provides recce sensor capacity. As I said, as with many types (e.g. BAE Hawk), airframes are circulated between squadrons to keep airframe hours relatively even across the fleet. This means that you will see 'GR4A's in markings other than 2 Sqn and 13 Sqn markings. So, in that sense there is no longer a dedicated recce Tornado. I had some references for all this so I will try to dig them out and make some updates, unless you beat me to it! Cheerio, Mumby 22:49, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
If you can find any references I'd love to see them - not because I doubt you, just because I'd like to read more about it. So if GR4s are being shared/circulated - doesn't that make an ex-GR4A (if you see what I mean) a slightly less capable plane than a pure GR4? i.e. the GR4A has no cannon and quite a bit of wasted space in the nose (redundant systems).Mark83 13:30, 26 October 2006 (UTC)
Perhaps the title of the article could be better. Haow about "Eurofighter Typhoon in RAF service". Wouldn't it be "Eurofighter Typhoon F2" or "Eurofighter Typhoon II" in official terms? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by GraemeLeggett (talkcontribs).
As I said above, I created the article when RAF Tornado GR4 etc. existed. (now a redirect). Just thinking this was the standard nomenclature, I followed. The RAF call it Typhoon F2, like Tornado F3 etc. The RAF doesn't use manufacturer names as far as I know. OK, so we are agreed that it has to change, but to what:

I would say Eurofighter Typhoon variants is the best solution. As for the Tornado question, I will try to answer that, in part at least, on the Panavia Tornado variants page. Mumby 19:19, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Move completed. I also did a major re-write prior to the move to make it a non-UK specific article. I've provided a link from the main article and moved the DA/IPA info on to this page. Mark83 20:30, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Nice work! I look forward to expanding this page. Mumby 20:32, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Utterly, utterly, useless

I have removed the reference to Major James Loden's (3 Para) remark that either the RAF, or something they were doing in Afghanistan, was 'utterly, utterly useless'. Mahor Loden was reported as saying [1]

"... Harrier pilot 'couldn't identify the target', fired two phosphorous rockets that just missed our own compound so that we thought they were incoming RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades], and then strafed our perimeter, missing the enemy by 200 metres,"

RAF Harriers in theatre are not equipped with guns (see ADEN 25 here: ADEN cannon) (unfortunatley) so it is not clear exactly what is being referred to here. Whatever he meant, it is not completely relevant here. Mumby 20:46, 29 October 2006 (UTC)