Libya Update Thread - 48 hours for Libyan Freedom ??

[DaveChapman]

BBc news are showing a Jet being shot down over Benghazi right now

[BOLLO]

Looks like a Mirage F1 to me could be wrong.

[urkles]

I will go for Mig 23/27 ! the close up looks like he ejected though

[PeteHemsley]

I'd go for a mirage f1. Hope the pilot survived. This is never going to end anytime soon

[urkles]

I'd go for a mirage f1. Hope the pilot survived. This is never going to end anytime soon

On sky im sure you can see a parachute so looks as if he ejected, dont know what will happen when he landed. Im sticking with Mig 23 after seeing the pictures, especially of it flying over Benghazi before it was hit

[PeteHemsley]

Hope your right mate, but then again what will happen in the hands of the rebels

I'm watching the news on a 14" portable tv in the barbours so it wasn't so clear haha

[urkles]

Hope your right mate, but then again what will happen in the hands of the rebels

I'm watching the news on a 14" portable tv in the barbours so it wasn't so clear haha

I was thinking the same, maybe they will parade him for the cameras and he may have a chance of survival, but then again, this is never a black and white story with one side the bad ones and the other the good side, im sure they can be as cruel and nasty as each other

[ndfilter]

Mig 23, cruising around slowly with wings swept almost forward. Looking for a target? Apparently it had been circling Benghazi.

[PeteHemsley]

Well I'll eat my hat.....it's definitely a mig23. Some better pictures coming out now. Also some great footage of the Canucks arriving last night at prestwick

[T_J]

Definitely a MiG-23. The Libyans don't have the MiG-27 but use the MiG-23BN variant with the droop nose. The close-up still shots shows what looks like an ejection, or attempts at an ejection, from the MiG-23.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12794589" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TJ

[pikey01]

Well considering the Arab League were so vocal about stepping in last week, nice to see them actually backing that up....

[Warthog]

Pete

Where is the footage of the canadian arrivals??

[TS010]

If it was hit by an AA Gun then it was an exceptionally accurate shot. I'm inclined to think the plane suffered a failure which caused the explosion and subsequent crash.

I thought that myself. Although some of the footage was'nt brilliant, it did'nt show (or hear) any AA fire or SAM's heading towards the jet. A new still photo on Sky News shows the pilot clear of the cockpit attached to his chute.

[StuBie]

Pete

Where is the footage of the canadian arrivals??

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12794468 1:20 onwards

[ndfilter]

If it was hit by an AA Gun then it was an exceptionally accurate shot. I'm inclined to think the plane suffered a failure which caused the explosion and subsequent crash.

Ben

Same here, I was a bit puzzled. There seems to be direction to the first flame, a small explosion travelling outwards fast from the tail, starboard side. Turbine failure? hell, I don't know! But it didn't look there was incoming fire.

[SteveS]

The way it went straight down implies a catastrophic failure or that it was shot down - it clearly lost the ability to remain airborne immediately after the explosion was seen, rather than something like a bird strike, where the aircraft could continue to glide.

Heck, what do I know...

Steve

[T_J]

Conflicting reports of who was operating the MiG-23. Some Arab media have claims that the Libyan Interim Council have admitted that it was their MiG-23 shot down by Gadaffi forces.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/ ... g-march-19" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TJ

[LIBERTY-48]

If you look closely it looks like the rocket pod explodes under the left wing just after he opens fire.

[pikey01]

Sky News just cut away to Marham, showing some Tonkas taxiing...

[The Meat]

Two just landed...