F-22 Grounded

... and it's about damned time. Raptor pilots have been known to have a peculiar cough due to the new oxygen generating system on the F-22 (and probably F-35), which is what's being looked at after we lost one man in Alaska back in November. In that instance, Capt. Haney is suspected to have been incapacitated by hypoxia which caused him to lose control of the F-22 and crash. Following that loss, USAF restricted flying to altitudes no greater than 25,000 feet and as of Tuesday, all airplanes are grounded.

I really didn't expect action on this level until more fighter pilots got killed, so my commandments to Air Combat Command for doing the right thing.

 

yea but those arent the only jets that use the self generating oxygen system.

 

the F-35 does not suffer from this problem. It recently was flown above 25K feet for a long period without any trouble.

 

unfortunate loss.

on a ... different note, retrofits and remodels are all the AF does nowadays anyways

 

Hasn't the F-22 NEVER actually been used in any sort of live combat (even though its been in existence while several conflicts have been going on). What the hell purpose does it serve besides sucking up taxpayer money keeping them running anyway?

...oh, that and suffocating it's pilots apparently?

 

How many of the conflicts that we have been in, required air to air combat capabilities? None as far as I know.

The answer as I understand it is it is a dog fighter first. There are other planes better at bombing missions and such, and since that is basically all we have done, that is why it has not gone.

 

All 10 of them?

 

You're right, what's wrong with putting a 24-year-old motorcycle on a WSBK grid anyway?

 

Not a good analogy.

The Motocsyz C1 would have been a better one......but even that isn't funded by taxpayer dollars.

 

Very much glad that the F-22 will be out of production under a year from now. Too expensive and we don't need it that bad.

We should've made an exportable version of the F-22 to sell to our buddies, places like Australia et al.

Lots of eggs in the F-35 basket, and it's progressing but still damn pricey.

Lots of jets have OBOGS but I think the Raptor one was a new/modified system, and it appears it cost one life already plus the airframe.

Long-live manned fighter/attack aircraft, but their days are numbered. Many regard the F-35 as being the last manned F/A platform.

 

We were better off purchasing the Block 60 F-16 when the current F-16 airframes are timed out. The F-22 is cool, as is the F-35, but the cost is just way tooo much.

 

22 and 35 are both Lockhead aircraft, yes? I am sure on the 35, but I didn't want to blatantly assume the 22 is as well.

I also seem to recall that the 35 was designed specifically as a "joint strike fighter" set up to consolidate air force/marine corps/navy needs into a single basic design, thus saving production and R&D costs, if not cost per unit. Has that changed? Did the JSF 'crash and burn?'

Aircraft is one of the few things Americans still make and export... My brother took a job with Boeing instead of Honda partially because it has better long-term job security. (Boeing has a 20 year gov't freight contract. Lockhead has the F35 contract. What does Honda have?)

 

and

 

Per unit cost is calculated to include procurement costs like R&D, ETO &etc so fewer units means each aircraft is billed at a higher value. It's why the B-2 comes in at about $1 billion a piece - only 21 were made.

 

Isnt this piece supposed to be carrier certified and have VTOL capability?

 

i am waiting for ryobi to make one of these that is half the cost.

 

available at Home Depot and Lowes.