SINGAPORE: A trio of Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) fighter jets showed off their precision and coordination in a sneak preview of their aerobatic display at next week’s Singapore Airshow.
To celebrate the RSAF’s 50th birthday, two F-16s and one F-15SG will perform together for the first time, executing 15 manoeuvres with names like vertical split, knife edge pass and golden salute.
The aerobatic display will involve two F-16s and one F-15SG for the first time. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
Some of the manoeuvres will require the pilots to withstand a formidable level of stress on the body, due to what is known as gravitational force or G-force.
In one move called the high-G turn, the F-15SG pilot will pull as much as 9G in a 360-degree right turn, meaning he will endure a force nine times his weight. As the force drains blood supply to the brain, the pilot will have to use breathing and flexing techniques to stay awake.
(Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
While other moves might be less taxing on the body, they still require a high level of skill. This is especially as the jets will fly head on at each other at speeds of over 1,400kmh.
One such high-octane stunt is the aileron roll hit, which involves the F-16s rolling along their longitudinal axes to create a spiralling effect.
In the 3-ship barrel roll, the jets will approach in an arrowhead formation before pulling up vertically and executing a synchronised barrel roll.
“First time they did it, they learnt lessons the hard way and had to better the parameters,” display team lead Major (MAJ) Chang Haw Ning said.
(Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
To that end, MAJ Chang noted that such manoeuvres involving three aircraft flying in formation are generally difficult to manage.
“The differences in aircraft performance – the pitching, rolling and engine thrust – presented some challenges during the initial training, but were overcome through rehearsals,” he said.
He added that it was impossible to say which manoeuvre was most difficult, as all of them brought different challenges.
“We have trained intensively the last three months to put together this show,” MAJ Chang said. “Previously, it has been a single platform or two different platforms performing in integrated manoeuvres.”
The display team comprises six pilots and two weapon systems officers, with two sets of crew for “contingencies and redundancy”, he added.
(Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
The jets will perform two 15-minute displays – one at 11.30am and another at 2.30pm – on Feb 10 and Feb 11, which are the public days at the airshow.
Visitors to the airshow will also get to see RSAF’s assets, including the fighter jets, Apache attack helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, up close and personal.
“We are really honoured that we are part of the celebrations for our RSAF’s golden jubilee, and we hope you enjoy the show,” MAJ Chang said.
