• khannie@lemmy.world
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      12 days ago

      Always appreciate your sunflowers but I think I see a parachute towards the end. One sec I’ll grab a screen and circle it…

      • MushuChupacabra@lemmy.world
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        12 days ago

        My bad. The pilot is probably already on R & R somewhere sunny, sipping margaritas, and reminiscing about the little whoopsie- doodle.

        • The_v@lemmy.world
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          12 days ago

          Think positively, ejecting doesn’t mean the pilot survived. Historically around 10% pilots die. That number is lower for newer aircraft, but not for the old Soviet ones.

  • snoons@lemmy.ca
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    12 days ago

    Friendly fire? Looks like the rear one fired rockets too close to it’s partner.

    • khannie@lemmy.world
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      12 days ago

      100% friendly fire. Suchomimus does a slow-mo on it. It’s hard to tell if the rocket actually hits but it’s either sufficient damage from the jet blast of it going past or the pilot having a panic.

      Either way, absolutely top tier fuck up and gives me a chance to post my favourite meme of the war so far yet again…

    • Delta_V@lemmy.world
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      12 days ago

      Those rockets miss, but the plane in front dropped flares just prior, so the pilot may have believed a heat seeking missile was launched.

      The wing breaks off at the engine. Was the engine hit with a missile?

      Those engines are 50 years old and probably haven’t been getting their regular maintenance on account of the 3 day special military operation going a bit over schedule. Maybe unmaintained SU-25s just randomly have their wings fall off sometimes?

      • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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        12 days ago

        It’d be a huge coincidence if the wing just happened to fall off just as the rockets were fired. It probably hit the wing or the engine before being armed, so it didn’t go off but still knocked something loose.

        On the other hand, like you said, hard turns in a plane that’s 200% over it’s lifetime flight hours may be the problem too.

      • khannie@lemmy.world
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        12 days ago

        Yeah, they were firing at a far away target, but the further back of the two fired it’s rockets too close to the lead either causing direct damage or enough indirect damage from the jet blast of the passing rocket that the pilot panicked then overstressed the frame, causing the wing to fall off.

        God tier muppetry.

  • zabadoh@ani.social
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    11 days ago

    Here’s a thought: The pilot was trying to defect to Ukraine with the fighter jet for the reward, was pursued and shot down.