Every single F-22 cRaptor taken out of service

[midnight rambler]

The rubes must really, really enjoy being sodomized since they bend over and take it with such gusto.

Average cost including R&D for each cRaptor with 25 y.o. thrust vector technology = $321 MILLION each - for that kind of money they could have gotten a fleet of at least 680 Su-35s with TVC, but then that wouldn't have enriched the MIC pigs.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/08/entire-u-s-stealth-fighter-fleet-grounded/

[gunDriller]

i worked on the avionics for the F22 and the JSF.

i wish i could talk more about the things that i witnessed.

i am not surprised by the problems they are having on F22 - the design has been around longer than the JSF, maybe 10 years more.

i thought one of the more entertaining problems on the F22 was on one test flight, i believe on a Georgia runway, the cockpit door/ window wouldn't open. the pilot is sitting there in the blazing sun, couldn't get out of the plane. and it's some tough glass/ plastic. took them 4 hours to get him out. i don't know if they cut it using a Sawzall, or got some assistance from the manufacturer.

[osoab]

We just need to throw more money at the problem. ::)

[crazychicken]

i worked on the avionics for the F22 and the JSF.

i wish i could talk more about the things that i witnessed.

i am not surprised by the problems they are having on F22 - the design has been around longer than the JSF, maybe 10 years more.

i thought one of the more entertaining problems on the F22 was on one test flight, i believe on a Georgia runway, the cockpit door/ window wouldn't open. the pilot is sitting there in the blazing sun, couldn't get out of the plane. and it's some tough glass/ plastic. took them 4 hours to get him out. i don't know if they cut it using a Sawzall, or got some assistance from the manufacturer.

So you wouldn't own one even if you could afford it?

I would see it as a VERY SERIOUS upgrade from my Chieftan.

But that is just me.

CC

[Joe King]

What a rip. At that price the gov could have easily gotten at least 350 unfinished refueling ships built and scraped.

A far better deal in my estimation.

[Down1]

I believe most of our F series planes previous to these were designed to be upgraded.
That's what should have happened.

Although they are quite stealthy right now.
If they are not flying they they have no chance of being picked up on radar.
The Department of fighting Israel's wars probably considers that a success.

[Barbaro]

The rubes must really, really enjoy being sodomized since they bend over and take it with such gusto.

Average cost including R&D for each cRaptor with 25 y.o. thrust vector technology = $321 MILLION each - for that kind of money they could have gotten a fleet of at least 680 Su-35s with TVC, but then that wouldn't have enriched the MIC pigs.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/08/entire-u-s-stealth-fighter-fleet-grounded/

Midnight Rambler,

How much money was wasted in total? I presume $321 million each X the # of planes.

I wonder what the total damage is?

[midnight rambler]

Midnight Rambler,

How much money was wasted in total? I presume $321 million each X the # of planes.

I wonder what the total damage is?

From what I gather the total cost was in the $50 billion+ range. Pretty sweet deal for the MIC swine feeding at the trough, huh?

Of course that's nothing relative to the $2.3 TRILLION the Pentagram couldn't account for in Sept. '01.

[midnight rambler]

So you wouldn't own one even if you could afford it?

I would see it as a VERY SERIOUS upgrade from my Chieftan.

But that is just me.

CC

CC, you should have jumped on N131SU or N132SU when you had the chance over a year ago. Both aircraft were de-militarized combat trainers (Su-27UB models) acquired from the Ukrainian AF, each with about 2,000 hours TT on the airframes and totally re-furbed including fresh engines. Due to the fact they were both stripped of their military gear (30mm cannon, countermeasures, avionics, hardpoints, etc.) and had fresh engines in original configuration they're both the quickest two-seater jet aircraft in the world. And for a mere $6 million each ($40 million new) they were screaming bargains.

Check out how enormous it is relative to that 3/4 ton p/u. The Su-27 is far sexier than that evil looking cRaptor. In the first two videos you can hear when the afterburners are lit directly after releasing the brakes. In the 2nd video the climb rate is equivalent of ascending at roughly 200 MPH.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4lE6HcBPxw&feature=channel_video_title


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRA0wczZS3U&feature=relmfu


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9By6bPn3DM&feature=relmfu


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df3vW5HsPlc&feature=relmfu

[ximmy]

CC, you should have jumped on N131SU or N132SU when you had the chance over a year ago. Both aircraft were de-militarized combat trainers (Su-27UB models) acquired from the Ukrainian AF, each with about 2,000 hours TT on the airframes and totally re-furbed including fresh engines. Due to the fact they were both stripped of their military gear (30mm cannon, countermeasures, avionics, hardpoints, etc.) and had fresh engines in original configuration they're both the quickest two-seater jet aircraft in the world. And for a mere $6 million each ($40 million new) they were screaming bargains.

Check out how enormous it is relative to that 3/4 ton p/u. The Su-27 is far sexier than that evil looking cRaptor. In the first two videos you can hear when the afterburners are lit directly after releasing the brakes. In the 2nd video the climb rate is equivalent of ascending at roughly 200 MPH.


Wow!... You could take a date for an evening dinner in New York from Los Angeles and get back in time for the late show...

[mrnhtbr2232]

MR - for a moment there you reminded me of Sukhoi Fan - he really had a hard-on for these planes. You would think in defense the best is not optional. Fielding a fleet of Detroit iron with some new goodies attached is proof the Pentagon titty get lots of paramours that could care less about defending against true enemies.

[midnight rambler]

Think about it: ALL of America's supposedly *best* FRONTLINE air superiority fighters are grounded, and all of the early model F-15s have been retired due to inherent structural flaws (in the design) with the balance of the F-15 fleet being run well past their service life in all these idiotic wars. The muckety-mucks make such a big fucking deal out of *national security* when the truth is they couldn't care less about realistic national security (as evidenced by the worst possible management of air defense assets).

[TomD]

The rubes must really, really enjoy being sodomized since they bend over and take it with such gusto.

Average cost including R&D for each cRaptor with 25 y.o. thrust vector technology = $321 MILLION each - for that kind of money they could have gotten a fleet of at least 680 Su-35s with TVC, but then that wouldn't have enriched the MIC pigs.


Sukhoi Fan, is that you?

[mrnhtbr2232]

Think about it: ALL of America's supposedly *best* FRONTLINE air superiority fighters are grounded, and all of the early model F-15s have been retired due to inherent structural flaws (in the design) with the balance of the F-15 fleet being run well past their service life in all these idiotic wars. The muckety-mucks make such a big fucking deal out of *national security* when the truth is they couldn't care less about realistic national security (as evidenced by the worst possible management of air defense assets).

When decision makers warp policy and good military discipline in favor of looking the other way to close deals this is the result. The air force has become a business unit of aerospace contractors who put lipstick on pigs and call it new engineering. The Russians know their stuff and make some damn nice airplanes just like their Kalashnikovs. More proof the thieving bastards have drained the talent pool stateside to turn a profit and cripple American ingenuity.

[gunDriller]

So you wouldn't own one even if you could afford it?

I would see it as a VERY SERIOUS upgrade from my Chieftan.

But that is just me.

CC

i think i could safely say - if i had an extra $100 million that HAD to be spent on some high-tech toy ... i don't know what i would buy.

the F-22's do work most of the time ... the thousands of hours of routine flight-testing doesn't end up in the headlines.

but they are a bit of a boon-doggle - a form of wealth transfer from the general public to defense contractors - shareholders, managers, employees, sub-contractors.

it was odd working at a defense contractor at the time of the year 2000 election. lots of engineers self-identify as Republicans, and love to bash Al Gore for being "socialist" ... Heaven Forbid someone remind them that defense contracting is a form of socialism ... it's just that the money is being spent on war toys, instead of schools or roads or welfare. I guess it's sort of like a welfare program for engineers and "Supply Chain Managers" and all the wierd job titles you see at a defense contractor.

[Barbaro]

From what I gather the total cost was in the $50 billion+ range. Pretty sweet deal for the MIC swine feeding at the trough, huh?

Of course that's nothing relative to the $2.3 TRILLION the Pentagram couldn't account for in Sept. '01.

Yes, the MIC swine indulged.

I've never heard about the $2.3 trillion. I'd like to re-search it.

[midnight rambler]

Yes, the MIC swine indulged.

I've never heard about the $2.3 trillion. I'd like to re-search it.

Note the timing -



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU4GdHLUHwU