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GrahamKennedy wrote:I wonder, is this a ratio that is known for other planes? How much maintenance does an F-15 need per hour of flight, or an F-18, or a Typhoon?

Good question.

GrahamKennedy wrote:I wonder, is this a ratio that is known for other planes? How much maintenance does an F-15 need per hour of flight, or an F-18, or a Typhoon?

I can't find anything on it but I recall the old Sea Kings being 30 hours for every 10 flying. I know it's not a great comparison one being a chopper and the other a fighter.

The F-18 flights on US carriers have a 12 hour turn around time but I've got no idea how long they can stay in the air.

Deepcrush wrote:The F-18 flights on US carriers have a 12 hour turn around time but I've got no idea how long they can stay in the air.

Well unless it's shorter than 24 minutes it's got the F-22 beat (based on the stated 30:1 hour ratio)

In hindsight, it really would have been best if they had either developed a conventional fighter or purchased an updated F-15 to run parallel with the F-22. Especially as the F-22 run is going to shut down after 180 and who knows when the F-35 will be ready. Looks like the US Air Force is now the proud owner of the worlds most expensive door kicker.

Wong at SDN had a good point:

Today, when we fight robed weirdoes living in caves armed with RPGs and roadside bombs, it's harder to justify spending vast amounts of money on an airplane solely designed to defeat imaginary Russian super-planes. That money could have been spent in other ways.

I'm not opposed to the F-22 but I certainly am opposed to the Congressional BS that goes hand in hand with major military purchases.

Cpl Kendall wrote:I'm not opposed to the F-22 but I certainly am opposed to the Congressional BS that goes hand in hand with major purchases of any kind.

fixed.

if the government isn't the most devious means of wasting money on earth I'd hate to know what is.

What pisses me off is that the US government spends s**t loads of money on the F-22 or any other fighter, but here, we have a huge money crises, and they're biggest worry is that somebody is going to take control in some other country, whop-dee-fricken-do, you can't keep your country with money, why would another country want to be controlled by you, really, at least that seemed how Bush wanted to handle things. IDK about Obama, but he at least is doing something about the economic crisis.

Ironically extending the F-22 production line would probably help the economy a bit, it requires skilled labour and expanding it is going to create and keep some well paying work for folks. That and when they shut it down a lot of these knowledgeable folks are going to head for greener pastures.

Except that a lot of stuff that they need help with is outsourced, so we're paying out to some other country.

Nickswitz wrote:Except that a lot of stuff that they need help with is outsourced, so we're paying out to some other country.

America isn't the only country affected by the economic crisis. Seriously though, extend the line and stipulate that more of it has to be made in America. Voila! More jobs!

Yes, now tell the government that, all outsourced jobs should be moved back to America, especially costumer service, as I can't understand a lot of Asian accents, or Philippine, or a lot of other ones for that matter....

Nickswitz wrote:Yes, now tell the government that, all outsourced jobs should be moved back to America, especially costumer service, as I can't understand a lot of Asian accents, or Philippine, or a lot of other ones for that matter....

Don't get me started...that's why I'm back to troubleshooting my own PC's rather then call Dell.

Haha, I'm not the only one then...

It's an irony of the modern world with international companies that any assistance the government hands out probably helps other countries as much as their own. Nice aspect of it is that it works both ways; government aid in the UK and other countries probably helps the US just as much.

Here's another wonder : how effective is an F-22 if it flies in a non-stealthy state?

About the outsourcing issue: there isn't one. None of the F-22 is built outside of the US, and we aren't sharing the full-spec plans with anyone, either.

GrahamKennedy wrote:...how effective is an F-22 if it flies in a non-stealthy state?

It's kind of slow, but just as maneuverable (or more) than it's contemporaries.