• deegeese@sopuli.xyz
    54·
    3 months ago

    It’s important to cover the eyes of birds when transporting them so they think it’s night and sleep through their journey.

    • Beaver@lemmy.caEnglish
      7·
      3 months ago

      The hawks need to rest their eyesight before going straight for prey

  • aramis87@fedia.io
    24·
    3 months ago

    I’m delighted we’re sending these over to Ukraine (though it should have been done a long time ago).

    Question: the F-16s are planes. Is there some reason we’re loading them onto other planes for transport instead of flying them over?

    • BatrickPateman@lemmy.world
      21·
      3 months ago

      Ease of transfer (one pilot vs multiple for a looooong flight, probably no refuel on the Antonow, and if so it eats less specialised stuff than the F-16s) and maybe even fuel efficiency, I would guess.

      Also, one cargo plane raises less eye brows than a flock of fighters.

      • ItWasTheDNS@lemmy.world
        3·
        3 months ago

        AN-124’s are extremely inefficient - it’s probably stopping 2-3 times on route, but still easier to arrange than flying each plane.

      • Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee
        1·
        3 months ago

        Both aircraft types will almost certainly be running Jet A1, or whatever the military version of it is.

    • Dicska@lemmy.world
      14·
      3 months ago

      The others here answered everything already, I just would like to use one analogy: 6 sports cars on a trailer.

    • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
      10·
      3 months ago

      The maximum range for the F16 in “ferry” mode (max fuel, no weapons, pee before takeoff) is something like 4000km. The distance from Belfast (Maine) to Belfast (the original) is 4500km.

      That would mean air to air refueling, which is expensive and risky. It would put major wear on the planes, which are not the newest to start with. And unlike the Antonov, the F16 comes with neither legroom nor bathrooms.

      • Lupus@feddit.org
        8·
        3 months ago

        pee before takeoff)

        Iirc the factor that limited early nuclear submarines the most from continuous dives was the toilets, they have limited storage for sewage and it turns out that draining those with a greater outside pressure is a pretty difficult task, at least if you want to stay undetected.

        Now that they have figured that out the limiting factor is food.

      • GenosseFlosse@feddit.org
        2·
        3 months ago

        the F16 comes with neither legroom nor bathrooms.

        But at maximum speed, it could in theory cover the 4500km in just over 2h (but probably with worse fuel economy and less range)

        • dlatch@lemmy.world
          5·
          3 months ago

          There’s no way it can get anywhere near that range at full speed. Fighters need to use afterburners to get up to max speed, and F16s run out of fuel in about 10 minutes when using afterburner.

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    15·
    3 months ago

    Oh hell yeah, are we pulling some stuff out of AMARG? I didn’t realize we were doing that!! Thought it was just a handful of European countries donating airframes they were decommissioning.

          • Vanon@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3·
            3 months ago

            I have, too. Maybe I’m still in denial over this dark magic, but I still think just about anything can be successfully stored, using proper tested procedures. Regarding fluids, fuel, batteries, tires, etc. Can’t imagine how complicated it is for a million dollar fighter jet, though. But they’re probably built tough, and not full of cheap materials that disintegrate (unlike my old car).

  • Beaver@lemmy.caEnglish
    10·
    3 months ago

    Give Ukraine hundred more tanks and jets and throw in some navy ships too.