Use of VTOL aircraft by RSAF

• Sardaukar

  4 Mar 05, 10:58

  Has the RSAF given thought to procuring VTOL capable or STVOL capable aircraft?
  Having such aircraft would certainly give a boost to the RSAFs capabilities,as it would allow them to operate from a wider range of conditions,and given our urban areas full of high rise buildings,there would certainly be enough spots to use as makeshift airfields if our air bases were taken out.
  
  Currently,are there any aircraft that can fulfill this role besides the aging Harrier as a combat aircraft?
• sidestep1984

  4 Mar 05, 11:13

  Originally posted by Sardaukar:

  Has the RSAF given thought to procuring VTOL capable or STVOL capable aircraft?
  Having such aircraft would certainly give a boost to the RSAFs capabilities,as it would allow them to operate from a wider range of conditions,and given our urban areas full of high rise buildings,there would certainly be enough spots to use as makeshift airfields if our air bases were taken out.
  
  Currently,are there any aircraft that can fulfill this role besides the aging Harrier as a combat aircraft?

  no other aircraft other than the harrier...unless u want the osprey...anywaes...theres a russian version but aint even close to the harrier...gotta wait till the F-35 is up and running i guess...
• tankee1981

  4 Mar 05, 17:13

  This will be a very important asset to have as we can still launch fighter aircraft if our emergency and normal runways are hit. In land-scarce Singapore, we don't have much straight roads long enough to begin with.With VSTOL aircraft we can even fly from top of multi-storey carparks!
• sbst275

  4 Mar 05, 17:23

  Why not the future F-35?
• kopiosatu

  4 Mar 05, 17:24

  and nobody has given thought on the logistics and money
• SpecOps87

  4 Mar 05, 21:53

  Well,the VTOL/STOL aircrafts like the AV-8B Harrier though may seem practical in a urban confines like Singapore,but the payload that each aircraft can carry is limited if they wanna take off vertically,and that if its using its STOL capability,more weapon load may be more.Besides,such aircraft are fuel guzzlers.
• deathscythe99

  4 Mar 05, 21:58

  Originally posted by Sardaukar:

  Has the RSAF given thought to procuring VTOL capable or STVOL capable aircraft?
  Having such aircraft would certainly give a boost to the RSAFs capabilities,as it would allow them to operate from a wider range of conditions,and given our urban areas full of high rise buildings,there would certainly be enough spots to use as makeshift airfields if our air bases were taken out.
  
  Currently,are there any aircraft that can fulfill this role besides the aging Harrier as a combat aircraft?

  We might as well have a Gundam instead
• sidestep1984

  4 Mar 05, 22:00

  http://www.globalaircraft.org/planes/yak-38_forger.pl
  The worlds second VSTOL aircraft....
• storywolf

  5 Mar 05, 02:08

  Originally posted by Sardaukar:

  Has the RSAF given thought to procuring VTOL capable or STVOL capable aircraft?
  Having such aircraft would certainly give a boost to the RSAFs capabilities,as it would allow them to operate from a wider range of conditions,and given our urban areas full of high rise buildings,there would certainly be enough spots to use as makeshift airfields if our air bases were taken out.
  
  Currently,are there any aircraft that can fulfill this role besides the aging Harrier as a combat aircraft?

  the problem is planes that that Vtol have very limited range and payload , limited speed , thus very restricted in role.
  
  With the current technology, it is very hard to take out any runway, as with modern machinces, run way can be easy patch back up. Also new generation aircraft use shorter runway.
  
  
• fkh

  5 Mar 05, 19:10

  Russian version is Yak-38. This VTOL is seen on MINSK and KIEV light aircraft carrier.. It is inferior to Harrier in terms of armanent and maveuourity.
  
  I hope RSAF consider buying Harriers but Harriers are not suitable for air defence and air superiority role.
  
• gary1910

  5 Mar 05, 20:26

  If we really need a STOVL a/c.
  
  F-35B is the one to go for. Period.
• tankee1981

  12 Mar 05, 20:39

  There is this new VSTOL fighter plane(Yak-141 Freestyle) from the Russians whom even the designers of the JSF (VSTOL) also consult. The plane looks better ,at least better than the YAK-38.
  
  Pictures of Yak-38 Forger:
  http://www.russian.ee/~star/air/russia/jak-38.html
  
  Pictures of Yak-141 Freestyle:
  http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/yak141/
• ditzy

  12 Mar 05, 20:41

  Until the f-35 is out, vtol aircraft remain subsonic.
• tankee1981

  13 Mar 05, 07:59

  The Yak-141 is the 1st VSTOL fighter capable of supersonic flight as stated in the website which i have provided earlier.