[powderblue67]

Not trying to sound like a whinging democrat, but 1.7 Billion is ridiculous, I want to know what this thing can do.

How many F-22s or SumperJumbo's could be bought with that sorta money?????

[Cornpone]

"Not trying to sound like a whinging democrat, but 1.7 Billion is ridiculous, I want to know what this thing can do."

Well, one thing it can certainly do is pay the political slush funds of Jacques Chirac and Gerhardt Schroeder...just kidding.

[ChadGore]

Re: How many F-22s or SumperJumbo's could be bought with that sorta money?????

I always thought the pres should zip around in this bad boy:

[WildTurkey]

How many F-22s

I think Bush's piloting days are past.

[El Gato]

Not trying to sound like a whinging democrat, but 1.7 Billion is ridiculous, I want to know what this thing can do.

The $1.7 Billion is for the R&D, not for the production. I imagine that gets you a prototype. It pays for the development of the avionics and other goodies unique to the Presidential Bird, and their (in a design sense) integration with the basic -101 helicopter. I do believe that's quite a bit less than the F-22 development cost. The timetable to deployable is a lot shorter at any rate.

[jackbill]

Five or six F-22's