Gizmodo 
Enter your username and password.
-
posts about #f22raptor more → 
The F-22 Raptor May Be Replaced By...Sniper Blimps?
Tip your editors:
Editorial Director:
Brian Lam | | Twitter
Editor:
Jason Chen
| AIM | Twitter
Features Editor:
Wilson Rothman
| Twitter
Senior Contributing Editors:
Jesus Diaz
| AIM | Twitter
Mark Wilson, Reviews
| AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editors:
Matt Buchanan
| AIM | Twitter
Adam Frucci
| Twitter
Sean Fallon
| Twitter
Jack Loftus
| Twitter
John Herrman
| Twitter
Dan Nosowitz
Chris Mascari
Danny Allen
| Twitter
Rosa Golijan
| Twitter
Chris Jacob
Columnist:
Brendan I. Koerner
Interns:
Don Nguyen
Kyle VanHemert
Comment Intern:
Nick Ellenoff |
Comment Account Questions:
| posts about #f22raptor more → |
The F-22 Raptor May Be Replaced By...Sniper Blimps? |
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
12/11/08
12/11/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
When the Russians start making noise about how all the arctic resources belong to them, or the Chinese start suggesting that they own all the mineral rights in Africa, I would rather not have to depend on unemployed aeronautical engineers with shopping carts full of aluminum cans.
12/10/08
12/10/08
A pissed off aerospace engineer with access to aluminum AND a shopping cart? You don't want any of that, trust me.
12/10/08
12/10/08
But either way I don't think you need a bleeding-edge air-superiority-fighter to shoot down an air liner... (if that is what you were eluding to, I'm still not sure)
12/10/08
12/10/08
Until then, what says we can't use them for other purposes?
12/10/08
12/10/08
Then we have the dirrigibles
But we still have raptors for the next years 3
and flying killer UAV's!
12/10/08
12/10/08
Besides, lets all remember that the F-22 almost got Iron Man. I doubt the balloon could stop that womanizing drunk with a chest lite-brite.
12/10/08
Surely our politicians are a step ahead of you.
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
God, I miss Starcraft.
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
i smell a winner!
12/10/08
12/10/08
The most advanced fighter in the world and we need 60 of them. From what I've heard, a small squadron of these could wipe the floor with whatever other countries have right now or will have for the next few decades.
12/10/08
12/10/08
Reducing the order ups the cost per plane - all the R&D costs have to be spread accross all the planes built & ups the ongoing maintenance costs as replacement parts are built in smaller batches (Which is part of the reason Ferrarri parts cost more than Ford parts.)
The Air Force wants to double the order, even though there is nothing for the Raptor to fight against.
In all likelihood the F-22 & F-35 will be the last word in manned combat aircraft. UAVs are cheaper & in a short time will be more capable. Also, if a UAV crashes, there a no grieveing parents/spouse to deal with.
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
By cutting this project and not replacing the older planes, you're effectively saying you don't care about the lives of soldiers.
The F16 has been retired, the F14 has been retired, the F117 has been retired, and the F15C hasn't been produced since 1985. You may also note that an F15D crashed into a house yesterday and killed a Korean family... Also not manufactured since 1985, thus a guaranteed minimum airframe age of 23 years. The last F15E variant (For the US anyway) was manufactured in 2001. In 2007 all F15A-D variants were grounded for a while.
The F-22 is designed to replace both the F117 and the F15.
It's a rather nice plane, and I'd like to see it stick around for a bit to be honest. Both for its advances in contruction and materials technology, and the fact that it can hit mach 1.85 w/out afterburners.
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
The F-35 sounds like a more capable fighter, however.
12/10/08
But the VOLT and ground attack variants of the JSF would be worth the investment.
You have to remember that with the F-22 the US gets exclusive access, whereas with the JSF it is a joint development program between the US, EU, Israel(?) and a few others. And there is little (minor diffs in avionics/weapons systems) that will differentiate the versions that end up being delivered to the different nations. It is possible that future wars could see JSFs on both sides...
12/10/08
12/10/08
I guess it just comes down to the value proposition.
Design three planes (A2A, A2G and VOLT) each from the ground up and you will get three amazing planes that are each optimized for their intended purpose to the fullest extent, but you spend WAAAAAY more money on R&D.
Design one plane with three variants that have VASTLY different operational requirements, get three planes that serve their purpose but aren't as optimized for their specific role as they would have been if you followed the first option, but you will spend way less.
We are so close with the F-22 as the A2A purpose built craft, why abandon that for non-purpose built A2A craft that we won't even have exclusive access to?
Although I do believe the US should continue to support development of the VOLT and A2G variants of the F-35.
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
And, I'd much rather have more than one engine to depend on. Although, given the failure rates, it probably wouldn't be an issue in my lifetime, but I'm much happier to know that I've got another engine if one failed.
Oh, and the F-22 is a damn pretty bird. Mostly that... :D
12/10/08
12/10/08
IMHO
12/11/08
12/10/08
who knew!
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08
12/10/08