Comments on: Grounded Eagles

By: Hartmann

Hartmann — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:17:06 +0000

F-22 production stopped? Maybe the NASA STOL F-15 will see the light of day. Ha ha defense contractors you work for the air force not yourselves.F-22 still need big runways to take
off and a STOL F-15 only needs a short road
to get where it needs to. It could have next–
gen engines as well so it could supercruise
the F-15X. It now also has a stealth version.
The Isrealis who have seen the F-15 in battle
were quite happy with it. I wonder if NASA has
test flight data of the STOL F-15 vs the F-22
in a dogfight. Might have some unpleasant company
data. The F-22 needs digital equipment to fly–
the F-15 does not need that. Aerodynamics is key
to a dogfight more than computers are only a pilots aid not mentor. People though when missiles
came along the dogfight is dead. Russia now even
has a Mig29 STOL than do maneavers a F-22 could
not do– a F-15 STOL would be the perfect counterplay. Use the F-22’s in a electornic warfare role and stragic strike and high value
escort role more than the risk of other missions
which may lead to its end. F-15’s evaded S-400’s
and struck in Syria.
The other problem with the F-22 ever gets shot
down like the F-15 would the Ruskis and Chinese
would go nuts on the brains of the F-22. Then
the F-22 would then soon have a Russian rival.
Somebody sold secrets afterall to the Ruskis
and hey before you know it SU-27 copy!
The F-22 is Excallibur sure but I think because
it design began its limitation.

By: Verner

Verner — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:15:37 +0000

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:31:17 +0000

The F-15 airframe should be seen like the SU-27eg –35–37 and improved. The USAF cannot afford f-22’s so the option is to open the –15 production line up. Using the –15E airframes is not the best idea as the non-fbw airframes the –A’s and –C’s esp can pull far more G’s. I suggest you get the C airframe and put the NASA STOL goodies and new supercruise engines and a –22 esq radar and you have a force multiplyer.
There were plans in 1989 for a new F-15 design
the F-15 STOL to get production. It was canned
in favour of the –22. Big mistake.
The –22 was a not a true replacement for the –15
the –23 was better but politics does more than what pilots think.

By: Johnny

Johnny — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:23:06 +0000

Completly overhaul 200 F-15’s And fill in the other 488 with F-16’s, F/A-22 Raptors, And F/A-18 Super Hornets. Just a thought.

By: Jack Norris

Jack Norris — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:02:41 +0000

If the F-22 kill ratio is true and sustainable at 9:1, ramping up production on the F-22 is a no brainer.
When the Air Force re-engined the KC-135’s, they started looking and what they found under the pretty exteriors was ugly and expensive to fix. Even Boeing was surprised. Aluminum corrodes and cracks; it takes a lot of manhours find and manage.
I tend to keep my cars a long time and maintain them accordingly — the obvious stuff. Do I look at every little thing consistently? No. Why? It’s not a life threatening matter.
First line fighter aircraft keep grunts from dying; there can be no compromise. Bottom line: Spreadsheets are not part of this equation.

By: CS

CS — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:10:05 +0000

Some of you are just nuts, its like saying lets build 1969 Ford Mavericks again with bias ply tires, points, plugs, condensors, etc.
The modern fighter jet has reliability and maintainability benefits that allow you to have less maintenance, less often for less money. The F-22 needs less airlift support to deploy, and far fewer maintenance personnel as well.

By: Beaston

Beaston — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:45:46 +0000

The obvious and real fact is that these airframes are all extremely old. If one doesn't remember the F-15 came out of the F-X program in the late 60's early 70's, the same generation that the F-14 program was created and look at where the F-14 is now..retired due to age/maintenance. A different solution that no one on this board has provided is using more F-16's to supplement a stop-gap measure to loosing some of our oldest F-15's. F-16's are still being produced in this country for export, currently the Block 60. Get rid of the oldest F-15 airframes now and build brand new F-16's. Couple this with buying several new F-22s, fewer F-35's in the future, retaining the F-15E's, and you sustain an effective fighting force coupled with some of the latest technology. You also have simultaneously reduced the overall maintenance cost due to improved airframes and maintenance measures.

By: tom

tom — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 06:14:12 +0000

Lots of inaccurate comments being posted here regarding the performance of all these aircraft…

By: doc75

doc75 — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:25:38 +0000

Rix, this was no ploy for the pilot who had to pull the ejection handles.
cal11, the pilot had a dislocated shoulder, broken arm and minor cuts. He was released from the hospital on Saturday. Details at http://www.kctv5.com/news/14514883/detail.html
Link includes a good aerial shot of the crash site.

By: Sam Adams

Sam Adams — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:58:23 +0000

Anyone have a link to a F22 vs F15 engagement with guns only, or simulating a F22 getting jumped at close range by a flight of F15s? I’d like to see that instead of all the wiz-bang, we don’t need guns anymore because the electronics are so good the F22 can kill at 9 to 1 because it sees them first.
Don’t like all the eggs in one basket.
Let’s build 700 F22s and 700 F15E