Re: F-35 'Baby Seal' unable to survive against contemporary threats.

On Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:09:08 -0600, T.L. Davis
<tldavis341@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:53:26 GMT, Ed Rasimus
<rasimusSPAMLESS@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:30:03 -0600, T.L. Davis
<tldavis341@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:



This is EXACTLY why aircraft from at least dual suppliers are
preferable.

I would rather have a mix of F-22s, F-23s, F-32s and F-35s.

Particularly F-23s and F-32s (for all but VTOL). Notice both the
Northrop and Boeing prototypes were considerably more stealthy than
the Lockheed entries. Yet Lockheed gets the contracts and can't
deliver on time, for quoted price.

TL

Sounds logical enough...BUT,

You double your training needs (both maintainers and operators),
double your logistics needs, double your weapon certification needs,
compound your interoperability problems and in the process drastically
reduce the size of any of the aircraft's operational fleet.

All in a period in which the force-multiplier impact of new
technologies is leading to drastic reduction in total numbers in the
first place.

Nice work!

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
www.thundertales.blogspot.com
www.thunderchief.org

Ahh, hell...guess you're right. YF-23 looked like a real horse,
though.

I was at Northrop working on the training system for the jet during
Dem-Val phase (before the purchase decision). While the airplane
looked great, Northrop made a lot of poor managment choices for the
competition, among them choosing to fly the avionics proposal rather
than breadboard it on a small transport and let the airplane simply
demo the flying capabilities.

The Northrop proposal focussed on stealth over maneuver while Lockheed
did the opposite. Northrop emphasized their experience with metal
shaping in to complex, compound curves while Lockheed leaned toward
less complexity and more faceted shapes.

Of course, if GD had come across with that A-12 (the first of the big
cost over-run cancellations, by Dick Cheney BTW), we'd have real Navy
stealth bombers right now. Just fly over Pakistan with impunity to
get to those Afghan targets.

They've probably lost the blueprints by now. Too busy building
conventional looking aircraft.

During the period of ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter) development there
was parallel work going on for the Navy proposal. That program was
called ATA (Advanced Tactical Aircraft). I worked with several former
Navy types who were on both programs, but didn't get into that
"compartment."

TL
Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
www.thundertales.blogspot.com
www.thunderchief.org
.

Relevant Pages

  • of Malta
    ... The Northrop Switchblade, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Switchblade, ... Pentagon was developing a variable swing-wing aircraft to replace the ... The wings are attached to the fuselage at a pivot point toward ...
    (soc.culture.indian)
  • Re: Navy F-111 for strike (was Re: "Deep Rooted Dislike" for the B-58)
    ... So we got the 111A and the 111B (USN). ... The USAF got 111A - did you know the first squadron to get the bird promptly bought a second-hand Edsel station wagon as a squadron go-buggy? ... By the time that the Navy managed to justify killing the F-111B, the program was too far along for the USAF to change any of the USN directed design requirements and the Air Force was stuck with what it had. ... it have fared as a carrier-based strike aircraft, ...
    (rec.aviation.military)
  • of reperations
    ... At this stage let work toward the acquistion of the FSW Northrop ... For another Northrop concept aircraft called Switchblade see ... Pentagon was developing a variable swing-wing aircraft to replace the ... The wings are attached to the fuselage at a pivot point toward ...
    (soc.culture.indian)
  • Re: F22 unstealthy about noise?
    ... A-7E was a Navy Aircraft ... for USAF and A-7E for USN. ...
    (rec.aviation.military)
  • Re: Bring back tail guns for bombers.
    ... it's the United States of America's choice of aircraft for the ... you might want to look at tankers. ... The Navy has the bomber escort mission. ...
    (rec.aviation.military)