Tempest,
I fully understand your question... The reason is pretty well known in aviation circles. The issue is that you need safe exit when something happens. Since you are flying extremely low and you can flip over or to one side you need fast more power to recover. Every engine has spool up time. So before you get really some needed thrust there is a certain delay. We never talk about that but the Snecma's and RD33 are very very fast ones. You can avoid spool up time by already using a lot more thrust and correcting it by using your airbrakes. So if something happens you just remove your airbrakes and you already have decent thrust. I hope that settles your question and do look on youtube on F16 low speed pass... You will see the same. So the brakes are essential for a low speed pass. I doubt they risk a plane by not using airbrakes.
Danger Zone,
Thanks
I agree but I think it was not about the low speed... It was to show that the plane can pull up (even with airbrakes...). No one cares really about that low speed pass cause it does not show anything but high aoa and how good FBW works. But if you can pull up that good... That makes impression!
Chak Bamu,
I do not have the time I used to have
It is not that problematic and certainly not small. You have four small ones that have the same roughly size as the F16. But the size relates to the power, the mass etc... The smaller they are the smaller force you need to retract them. So simpler and lighter construction. And this way every thing is neatly working towards the CG. And also less RCS from back side if you have a few small ones then one big.
