Aircraft Recognition
Aircraft Recognition
Aircraft recognition is a learned art. It can only come from living close to a place where you see lot of aircrfat - but that still will not make one adept at instantly recognizing something he has never seen before. The skill is most often picked up by looking at images of dozens or hundreds of different type of aircraft and learning the fine points that differentiate the ones that look similar at first glance. For example - fast flying fighter aircraft nay be visible for less than a second in a gap between trees or a break in clouds and they should be recognizable in that split second. In Bangalore it is often difficult to differentiate between and LA and Mirage 2000 that are seen flashing past very high up for less than a second.
Aircraft recognition is taught to military personnel but is often a learned art for jingos and enthusiasts. I know that many on BRF are accomplished masters in this art and many are not. I myself became an expert at about age 10, but my skills are mainly for military aircraft. I am somewhat less adept at recognizing civil aircraft. My skills have waned somewhat but I am still good and try to keep myself updated. Nowadays there is much material online so we do not have to depend on what I did as a kid - "The Observer's Book of Aircraft" published every year. I collected nearly every one of them - sometimes buying up old issues when I got this and have books from 1959 to the 90s. I may have a few from the 21st century as well - but I can't remember - need to check. They are no longer published and the author died recently.
Some folks may want to try this quiz which I found online. I got 100% in my first attempt but my score (depends on timing) was just under 10,000 - which is an indicator of how quickly and accurately one can recognize shapes and associate them with a name. This is an essential skill for aircraft recognition and comes with practice. Some of the high scorers in that quiz have 19,000 points.
Here is the quiz
http://550cord.com/games/quiz.asp?aircraft
In this thread I will try and post images or silhouettes of common Indian aircraft first and then move on to other aircraft so that anyone who visit this thread can use it as reference material and for skill development.
For other who don't want a "mine is bigger quiz" - here is a nice little fighter aircraft recognition guide - 3.6 MB
http://download.high-g.net/files/Handbo ... nition.pdf
Will post images especially silhouettes as I find them - starting from LCA/Jag etc. Others who find them please go ahead and post
Aircraft recognition is taught to military personnel but is often a learned art for jingos and enthusiasts. I know that many on BRF are accomplished masters in this art and many are not. I myself became an expert at about age 10, but my skills are mainly for military aircraft. I am somewhat less adept at recognizing civil aircraft. My skills have waned somewhat but I am still good and try to keep myself updated. Nowadays there is much material online so we do not have to depend on what I did as a kid - "The Observer's Book of Aircraft" published every year. I collected nearly every one of them - sometimes buying up old issues when I got this and have books from 1959 to the 90s. I may have a few from the 21st century as well - but I can't remember - need to check. They are no longer published and the author died recently.
Some folks may want to try this quiz which I found online. I got 100% in my first attempt but my score (depends on timing) was just under 10,000 - which is an indicator of how quickly and accurately one can recognize shapes and associate them with a name. This is an essential skill for aircraft recognition and comes with practice. Some of the high scorers in that quiz have 19,000 points.
Here is the quiz
http://550cord.com/games/quiz.asp?aircraft
In this thread I will try and post images or silhouettes of common Indian aircraft first and then move on to other aircraft so that anyone who visit this thread can use it as reference material and for skill development.
For other who don't want a "mine is bigger quiz" - here is a nice little fighter aircraft recognition guide - 3.6 MB
http://download.high-g.net/files/Handbo ... nition.pdf
Will post images especially silhouettes as I find them - starting from LCA/Jag etc. Others who find them please go ahead and post
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Mirage 2000
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Jaguar
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Many versions of the MiG 21 exist. Can anyone take a guess about these 2? I am not sure.
Re: Aircraft Recognition
To add to the confusion - here is the now outdated Sukhoi Su-9 "Fishpot" which India never operated.
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Here is the Su-7 "Fitter" that the IAF used extensively in 1971
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Here is the "Swing wing" version of the Su 7 (called the Su 20) Never operated in India
Re: Aircraft Recognition
MiG 23 and MiG 27.
Some early Indian MiG 27s looked like 23s. Could someone please tell the differentiating feature?
MiG 23
MiG 27
Some early Indian MiG 27s looked like 23s. Could someone please tell the differentiating feature?
MiG 23
MiG 27
Re: Aircraft Recognition
The Mig-23 that looked like the MiG-27 was the BN version - sloped nosed etc that looks the same as a MiG-27M - but the key difference - MiG-27 had a six barrelled gatling type gun in the belly , the BN had variable intakes and engine nozzle - while the MiG-27 had fixed intake and nozzle.
Not the variable intake of the BN
a comparision of the 23BN vs 27
BTW that Sukhoi-7 profile pasted - didnt really serve with the IAF - we operated a slightly different version.. i will leave it for others to find out the tiny differences...
Not the variable intake of the BN
a comparision of the 23BN vs 27
BTW that Sukhoi-7 profile pasted - didnt really serve with the IAF - we operated a slightly different version.. i will leave it for others to find out the tiny differences...
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Well the TD was indeed a modified Su-7. But the Su-17 Fitter evolved way beyond being called just a "swing wing" version of the Su-7.Here is the "Swing wing" version of the Su 7 (called the Su 20) Never operated in India
Re: Aircraft Recognition
hmm....jingos haven't posted any scores
Re: Aircraft Recognition
only 7375 bose babu
Re: Aircraft Recognition
13k something.
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Could manage to score only 9899 in the quiz:-) of course I am a kidoo in this art i must say...
Re: Aircraft Recognition
16477. 20 on 20, but I lost a little time on the C-141.
Shiv, I think the first MiG 21that you've posted looks like a bis based on the pronounced 'hump'. The other one looks more like an M/MF - slightly flatter hump there. Of course Jagan gaaru will be able to confirm/deny.
Shiv, I think the first MiG 21that you've posted looks like a bis based on the pronounced 'hump'. The other one looks more like an M/MF - slightly flatter hump there. Of course Jagan gaaru will be able to confirm/deny.
-
- BRFite -Trainee
- Posts: 92
- Joined: 09 Jul 2009 18:19
- Contact:
Re: Aircraft Recognition
12550
got 2 helicopters wrong
got 2 helicopters wrong
Re: Aircraft Recognition
14409
20/20
bit slow on the clicking
20/20
bit slow on the clicking
Re: Aircraft Recognition
19 /20 pts :12218 chopper guessed wrong
any place where i can get the encyclopedia of aircraft's
any place where i can get the encyclopedia of aircraft's
Last edited by tushar_m on 23 Sep 2010 15:45, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Aircraft Recognition
20/20---16K something....did not realize that there is time element...
Re: Aircraft Recognition
18/20 -- 10 K, am a slow clicker...
Re: Aircraft Recognition
18/20, mixed up the tankers.....
Shiv - Agree with your comments, and still lovingly maintain my copies of the observers !
Shiv - Agree with your comments, and still lovingly maintain my copies of the observers !
Re: Aircraft Recognition
15/20. Got a few helicopters wrong.
Re: Aircraft Recognition
i got 20/20 14095
-
- BRFite -Trainee
- Posts: 48
- Joined: 23 Jan 2009 18:31
Re: Aircraft Recognition
I managed to get only 14/20 correct, a score of 8299 . I guess am a noob
Re: Aircraft Recognition
shiv, your mig 21 pics - first is bis and second is MF?
Re: Aircraft Recognition
14664 for 19/20
Ticked the option-box of S 3 Viking by mistake, for the EA-6
Ticked the option-box of S 3 Viking by mistake, for the EA-6
Re: Aircraft Recognition
got 14011 20/20
Re: Aircraft Recognition
There's also an an adversary aircraft ID test got 10/10 8360 on that. Hesitated a bit on the Mi-6.
Re: Aircraft Recognition
uh oh, only 5550 8/10 on threat a/c
helicopter mistakes onlee
helicopter mistakes onlee
Re: Aircraft Recognition
OK enough mine is bigger
The following are the Mi 8 and Mi 17. the main visible difference s the taile rotor. it is on the Right (starboard) side for Mi 8 and left (port) fo Mi 17
M- 8
Mi 17
Mi 8 silhouette
The following are the Mi 8 and Mi 17. the main visible difference s the taile rotor. it is on the Right (starboard) side for Mi 8 and left (port) fo Mi 17
M- 8
Mi 17
Mi 8 silhouette
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Mi6 "Hook"
Formerly the world's largest heavy lift helo
5 bladed rotor. Large wings
Formerly the world's largest heavy lift helo
5 bladed rotor. Large wings
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Mi 26 Halo
World's biggest heavy lift helo
7 bladed rotor, No wings
World's biggest heavy lift helo
7 bladed rotor, No wings
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Shiv nice find , I never knew something called Mi-6 existed , why do they have wings ?
Re: Aircraft Recognition
The Japanese Mitsubishi F1, derived from the Mitsubishi Trainer T2 looks very similar to the Jaguar. Only SDREs are copycats?
Mitsubishi T2
Jaguar
Mitsubishi T2
Jaguar
Re: Aircraft Recognition
For lift I guess - perhaps those engines were not all that powerful those days.Austin wrote:Shiv nice find , I never knew something called Mi-6 existed , why do they have wings ?
Re: Aircraft Recognition
Check the Harrier and Sea Harrier. Compare with US version AV-8 which has a longer wingspan
Harrier
US version - AV-8
Harrier
US version - AV-8
Re: Aircraft Recognition
If you don't look carefully, you can mistake a MiG 25 or a MiG 31 for an F 15. If you can't do IFF at BVR imagine the fuk up possible WVR!!
F 15
MiG 25
MiG 31
F 15
MiG 25
MiG 31
Re: Aircraft Recognition
The Chinese F-7 fighter operated by Pakhanastan can be mistaken for the MiG 21 in WVR combat. This photo is a Sri Lankan example