[flyXwire]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbmpC...related&search=

[STARMAN 352ND]

That is a first time for me seeing these guys and i have to say they do alot of bouncing around compared to the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels.
JP

[flyXwire]

Originally Posted by STARMAN 352ND

That is a first time for me seeing these guys and i have to say they do alot of bouncing around compared to the Thunderbirds or Blue Angles.
JP

What do you mean by "bouncing around"?

[Warhawk]

That was cool, good find!

[STARMAN 352ND]

Originally Posted by flyXwire

What do you mean by "bouncing around"?

You know nice a smooth and straight formation flying ....Nice and tight formation.Without a plane" jumping out" of line a little bit.
I'm so used to see the Blue Angles and Thunderbirds flying is all.
One thing i did like was some of the Russian Knights maneuver's that the US teams won't do and i love the flares.
JP

[FormerViperDriver]

Originally Posted by STARMAN 352ND

That is a first time for me seeing these guys and i have to say they do alot of bouncing around compared to the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels.
JP

Agreed, these guys are weak at close formation flying, even compared to the average US/Western pilot (not to mention display team pilots). Probably largely due to the fact that they get to fly maybe 50 hours a year (if they are lucky), versus around 180-200 for Westerners, or more like 300 for display teams.

FVD

[DCRanger]

I saw this team display at Fairford in 1997 and was impressed. I think allowances need to be made for six large (larger than the F16 or F18 I think) high powered aircraft being flown in formation. In singleton displays the Mig 29 and Flanker have always been very impressive.

[FormerViperDriver]

MiG-29 is same size as F-18C, just a little bigger than an F-16 and definitely smaller than a Super-Hornet.

Su-27 on the other hand is quite large, bigger than the F-15.

In any event, aircraft size as nothing to do with ability to fly close formation. You'll have to take my word for it. What could be factors (in addition to practice time, as mentioned in my earlier post) are flight control sensitivity/harmonization, basic aerodymanics, and special techniques for airshow flying (such as flying with heavy nose-down trim for the Thunderbirds; that forces the pilot to have constant back-force on the stick and although tiring on the arm, makes it easier to fly very stable close formations. I believe, if memory serves, that the Blue Angels F-18s actually have a special spring attached to the stick to accomplish the same effect).

FVD

[flyXwire]

Agreed, FVD! I sorta had the same impressions as you do about the Russian's form of aerobatics and formation flying styles.