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[BigPete]

Ehh, for home protection I prefer blades. If you're going to go through the trouble of killing someone you might as well actually get blood on your hands and feel their flesh ripping rather than just squeezing a finger.



Although you're right, there is psychological points to the sound of a shotgun cocking.



How about this: F22 vs F35?

Actually, the clicking sound of extending a baton is pretty scary too from what I have heard from industry types.



I don't know enough about the two new Air Force jets but I have a funny story. I was at the Udvar Hazy Air and Space museum next to Dulles Airport. A tour walks by and the guide (a cute young lady) tells everyone "This is the X35 STOVL variant of the concept Joint Strike Fighter. It has vertical take off and landing capabilities like the Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier" Then some goober in the group asks her, "So where is the F35 JSF that is like the Harrier Jump Jet?" REALLY??? REALLY???

http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A20030172000

 

[MassHavoc]

It's funny you should mention that. I have my Grandpa's colt, don't ask me how he got away with it, but I have his service pistol and German Luger that he brought home (damn luger has the Wermacht stamp on the side). Anyway, I love the gun, I first qualified with the .45 when I came in and carried one topside when on watch, until everyone went to the M9 Beretta. Even after all these years of having it, I can barely make it through the combat qual course before I want to put it down and never use it again.



My opinion, if you're talking home protection, I would recommend a shotgun, nothing scarier then hearing one being racked in the dark. But if you HAD to choose between the two, home protection I would go with the .45, for anything else, the 9mm, for the exact reasons Pete said, lighter, carry more rounds, easier to control. ALthough I like the way the .45 feels in the hand better then the Beretta, the 9 has a thicker grip.

My grandpa got away with a Luger and His service rifle as well, he has passed but they are both still at the house with his purple heart and some other silver start type award, I can't remember what it is right now? Bronze? I don't know much about them other than they are amazing looking weapons. Last appraisal on the Luger was probably 10-15 years ago.and for those asking about Saving Private Ryan, I asked my grandpa to watch it with me one time, and he said "No, I don't need to watch it."

 

[BigPete]

My grandpa got away with a Luger and His service rifle as well, he has passed but they are both still at the house with his purple heart and some other silver start type award, I can't remember what it is right now? Bronze? I don't know much about them other than they are amazing looking weapons. Last appraisal on the Luger was probably 10-15 years ago.and for those asking about Saving Private Ryan, I asked my grandpa to watch it with me one time, and he said "No, I don't need to watch it."

Could you find out more about the rifle and Luger? What models, condition, appraised value, who 'owns' them now? I would be really interested in acquiring them.

 

[bubbleheadchief]

Could you find out more about the rifle and Luger? What models, condition, appraised value, who 'owns' them now? I would be really interested in acquiring them.

Noticed I wasn't asked about my Luger......saved me from having to say pack sand you ain't getting it in as polite a way as possible.

 

[LordKOTL]

Actually, the clicking sound of extending a baton is pretty scary too from what I have heard from industry types.



I don't know enough about the two new Air Force jets but I have a funny story. I was at the Udvar Hazy Air and Space museum next to Dulles Airport. A tour walks by and the guide (a cute young lady) tells everyone "This is the X35 STOVL variant of the concept Joint Strike Fighter. It has vertical take off and landing capabilities like the Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier" Then some goober in the group asks her, "So where is the F35 JSF that is like the Harrier Jump Jet?" REALLY??? REALLY???

http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A20030172000

Yeah...but, why would you warn a home invader? I would say just sneak up behind them and aim upward from the upper kidney with a good sized dagger/stilleto. Last time that bastard gets in for free.



(I think it was a good thing I married a psychologist).



Either way, my fave jet of all time is still the SR-71. I would sell Kerfuffle for glue for a chance to fly in that sonovabitch (and was lucky enough as a kid to see one up-close and person as they were transporting it up I-5).

 

[BigPete]

Noticed I wasn't asked about my Luger......saved me from having to say pack sand you ain't getting it in as polite a way as possible.

Duh! I isn't a stupid ass Chief.

 

[BigPete]

SR-71s rock! I loved seeing the one at the Udvar Hazy featured so well. It was cool that it had Transformers 2 toys, movie stuff, and models next to it in glass display cases. Art imitating life imitating art.



But yeah, the Blackbird is faster than a mofo!

 

[LordKOTL]

SR-71s rock! I loved seeing the one at the Udvar Hazy featured so well. It was cool that it had Transformers 2 toys, movie stuff, and models next to it in glass display cases. Art imitating life imitating art.



But yeah, the Blackbird is faster than a mofo!

Yeah, one of these weekends I have to take Miška down to the Evergreen Aviation & Space museum. Not only does it have an SR-17a, but also the Spruce Goose, but also a reproduction of the ME-262.



And I promised her that once I get back to Chicago...we have to visit the U-505.

 

[BigPete]

The Spruce Goose is totally cool. Too bad it only flew once.

 

[bubbleheadchief]

The Spruce Goose is totally cool. Too bad it only flew once.

Giant aircraft, made of wood. Great idea, yet totally useless. What did it fly a few hundred feet?

 

[BigPete]

Giant aircraft, made of wood. Great idea, yet totally useless. What did it fly a few hundred feet?

It barely left the deck...er water.

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

Which Hollywood military film is the closest to "reality" in your opinion?

- Saving Private Ryan, as mentioned



- Thin Red Line (for many aspects, but the mostly for the primary story...as a side, Full Metal Jacket's last sequences with "Joker" are very real, plausible, and much more haunting than some can understand).



- The Lost Battalion (No as high budget as others, but outstanding and a must see, IMO)



- Glory (The history of the situation is outstanding, Broderick is the worst actor in the movie, and that is a compliment to the rest of the actors)



- Paths to Glory (Shows a bit of the other side of the war within the military)



- Flags of our Fathers\Letters from Iwo Jima (Awesome idea, and great from both sides)



- Clear and Present Danger (Not military but has a strong military component in it, and similar to my beginnings in the Army)

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

Okay I got one. Do the troops really love seeing A-10s doing CAS for them. I heard the grunts love the things and the enemy hates seeing them.

When it was not a war game I loved the A-10's. During war games, I was "dead" before I knew they were there.



Amazing aircraft for the time is was developed. Just purely amazing to watch how manuverable it is. I suspect that there is (1) something newer; (2) drones can do the mission better.

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

Yeah...but, why would you warn a home invader? I would say just sneak up behind them and aim upward from the upper kidney with a good sized dagger/stilleto. Last time that bastard gets in for free.



(I think it was a good thing I married a psychologist).



Either way, my fave jet of all time is still the SR-71. I would sell Kerfuffle for glue for a chance to fly in that sonovabitch (and was lucky enough as a kid to see one up-close and person as they were transporting it up I-5).

With the SR-71, I am completely amazed and when it was developed and when it went into service. So freaking advanced it is just completely amazing. Great book to read is Skunkworks by Ben Rich. Talks about the testing and development of the SR-71 and other Lockhead aircraft.



With the F22 vs F35, different era's of development and difference mission of design so I do not think they compare fairly. I am sure that current combat missions have had much of a chance to show where those two stand above other aircraft still in the inventory.

 

[supraman]

Ehh, for home protection I prefer blades. If you're going to go through the trouble of killing someone you might as well actually get blood on your hands and feel their flesh ripping rather than just squeezing a finger.



Although you're right, there is psychological points to the sound of a shotgun cocking.



How about this: F22 vs F35?

Wow F-22 vs F-35 is sorta an apples to oranges question. F-22 would dominate in a fight with an F-35 but the F-22's job is air superiority. while the F-35 is a multirole fighter. The F-35 is a lot more effective at destroying shit on the ground though.

 

[supraman]

When it was not a war game I loved the A-10's. During war games, I was "dead" before I knew they were there.



Amazing aircraft for the time is was developed. Just purely amazing to watch how manuverable it is. I suspect that there is (1) something newer; (2) drones can do the mission better.

From what I know, drones might one day do a better job but unless that drone is sporting a GAU-8 it isn't as intimidating. What is neat is on the C models (dont know if the A has it or not) but there is a system to stabilize the aircraft when it is doing gun runs, so you point the piper on the target, fire the gun and the aircraft remains very steady on target. If you dont use the stabilizer the nose kicks up pretty fast.

 

[Tater]

Giant aircraft, made of wood. Great idea, yet totally useless. What did it fly a few hundred feet?

If your talking about Monty Burns' plane, he flies it a lot.

 

[winos5]

From what I know, drones might one day do a better job but unless that drone is sporting a GAU-8 it isn't as intimidating. What is neat is on the C models (dont know if the A has it or not) but there is a system to stabilize the aircraft when it is doing gun runs, so you point the piper on the target, fire the gun and the aircraft remains very steady on target. If you dont use the stabilizer the nose kicks up pretty fast.

Drones are the future, no doubt about it.

 

[supraman]

Drones are the future, no doubt about it.

I dont think we are going to see the end of the aviator in our lifetimes. I was watching a documentary on the Future of Air Combat and they were suggesting drones could be used to be a distraction for enemy SAMs so the actual attack could target the radars and blow them to hell. Was a neat 2 hour documentary on the history channel. Had what I felt to be a few pieces of silliness but oh well.

 

[LordKOTL]

Okay then...here's one--mainly for the aviation guys:



If you had the ability to install any air-to-air missile on your plane of choice, which would you go into combat with, and why?