On Sunday, August 24, 2014 10:10:54 PM UTC-4, Richard wrote:
On 8/24/2014 10:29 PM, pyotr filipivich wrote:

Gunner on Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:28:16 -0700

typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

It's a national treasure. The Air Force wants to kill it:

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the...-bu-1562789528

This airframe should be kept. I'd say a wing of them for special ops.

They are special and maybe 30 kept with the 270 or so kept for parts.

Keep troops trained as pilots and ground advisers if needed.

You need more of them than that. It is Close Air Support.

Something which you need right now, not in twenty minutes. "If I

wanted it in twenty minutes, I would have asked for it in twenty

minutes!"

I am reminded of a story form the Korean war, to the effect that

the Air Force jets would check in with the FAC (Forward Air Controller

- the target designator) and tell him "I've got a couple bombs and

twenty minutes." Meanwhile,the Navy/Marines in the A-1 (Later known

as the Sandy) would check in with "I've got bombs, rockets and about

an hour and a half to kill."

Simply cost effective. If a central American country goes wacko or some

people within do it might be just the trick. A billion dollar machine

that flies to fast and can't turn or hide isn't needed.

Seems like they, the DOD, thinks we can fight a war sitting on our sofa

waiting for updates.

Yep.

http://www.military.com/video/off-duty/humor/drone-operator-vs-vista-support/663148157001/

Personally, I think the entire fleet should be transferred to the Army.

They LOVE that ugly thing.

At least the guys on the ground do.

Hell yes!!!!

Air Force still seems to want billion dollar super jets.

Tech wienies are like that. Good folks if you have deep pockets

The Air Force is still enamored of the FB-111 concept: One plane

to do it all - badly.

I'm not too positive about these numbers, but ---

F35 $98 to 116 million per aircraft

F22 $420 million per plane

Ed Heinemann's little A4 hot-rod - $1 million per aircraft - in 1954

dollars.

Do you think 420 A4s could defeat a single F22?

I certainly do.

Still Richard, the 1950's A4 isn't worth it, because it can't take hits and keep flying as you can see with this film clip: -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tynni6wpYZ0

Even today, this is the problem with the F-18. It could run into other planes on the flight deck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LY_mgjrMFc

The f-35 solves that problem by landing like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XnZXQYG-LQ