Comments on: UPDATED: Raptor Down

By: Rhyno327

Rhyno327 — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:16:30 +0000

The Raptor force of 187 is not sufficient. If this plane is all its cracked up to be, it should b built in greater numbers. The JSF will be sold to our allies, so more of them will be built. We may regret building only 187.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 01:09:00 +0000

XFactor,
I think you missed my irony.
Some things should not be digitally controlled.
Or if they are, there should be redundant electrical and mechanical systems to override the digital control.
I am assuming the ejection system was manual control.
My comment was to point out despite all the arguments over how many to buy and the Air Forces burning desire to have more, they may not be that great of a design.
Only time will tell.….

By: XFactor

XFactor — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 03:21:52 +0000

Do not underestimate the extreme difficulty of writing the incredibly complex software for these incredibly complex machines. I believe it is, in fact, impossible to prove 100% that the software is correct (as described by the halting problem describing by Turing in 1936.)
Have you read about development of the Space Shuttle software? Its a good overview of the extreme effort and cost required to produce reliable computer programs. See:
http://www.fastcompany.com/node/28121/print

By: Dennis

Dennis — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:35:28 +0000

I am assuming the ejection system is hard wired and not digital.
Like the time the digitally controlled canopy would not open and they had to cut the pilot out.
If I remember correctly the statement was “there is 50,000 lines of code, we are not sure what happened”.
Who did they get to write the program, Microsoft?

By: Jack D. Ripper

Jack D. Ripper — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:11:34 +0000

If I recall correctly that nearly every aircraft has had at least one crash during preliminary flight tests and that streets at Edwards AFB are named after test pilots who died testing their new aircraft.
We’ve become too complacent and all too ready to want the person responsible for this to pay. Sadly this pilot lost his life in an effort to keep others alive. I hope the flight recorder/telemetry gives some good information as to the cause of the crash.

By: CR

CR — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:07:15 +0000

Sorry to hear about the pilot…tragic…
The question is how will the USAF handle this? They are so terrified of any bad press about the F-22.…I sure hope they don’t try to pin this on the pilot…

By: TB

TB — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:06:46 +0000

If the plane went down during some kind of experimental test flight, then it may not count towards the validity of the rest of the fleet. If I tinker with the shocks on my truck and flip it, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong with the whole F-150 line. We’ll all have to wait and see what the investigation tells.

By: Wembley

Wembley — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:18:45 +0000

I think the Osprey comparison is valid, and both aircraft may be in big trouble in the current economic climate — we can’t afford expensive failures anymore.
Hopefully nobody else will be killed in the process.

By: The Cenobyte

The Cenobyte — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:25:34 +0000

Hopefully people are not making the Osprey refrence cause they looked like idiots for bashing the Osprey that way the first time. Last thing they want to do now is remind people how they bashed an aircraft that it turns out we needed and wanted and so far is working pretty well.

By: Drake

Drake — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:08:28 +0000

Damn…I was under the impression he had made it-respects.
This incident may end up being a politcal firestorm.
As one clear sign of the service