Flying the Eurofighter and France's Rafale

Latest update : 2010-12-05
FRANCE 24 journalist Apoorva Prasad takes (simulated) flight in two of Europe's modern fighter planes in a cockpit comparison between the Eurofighter (pictured) and the Rafale.
"There it is, on your HUD, your ground target!"
A box encircled the nuclear power station, showing me the large cooling towers of the target. On the right hand colour display screen, a close up image of the plant appeared. The plane was in a shallow dive: I was flying closer and closer to the ground at a speed of more than 550 knots, my hands nervously holding the throttle and stick. They were both thick, black and felt solid as I gripped them. Dark fields on the ground rushed in. Green lines superimposed on the view in front of me showed me my angle of attack, my speed and altitude. The sky was clear but dark, the sun close to setting.
Date created : 2010-12-01