Pilots say new U.S. stealth fighter has no equal [F-22]

HeraldToday.com ^ | Wed, Dec. 21, 2005

[dvwjr]

Please. Those joint 'training' exercises with India and Israel are "show the flag" and let your little brother win a pickup game so that USAF and USN can get what they need out of the US Congress.

Would you really want to demonstrate to all how far behind the #3, #4, #5 airforces are behind the #1 and #2...


dvwjr

[publiusF27]

All these carriers can hadle are VSTOL type aircraft....no match for the aircraft deplyed on our carriers...can you spell "FLOATING TARGET?"

It was an old WWI airplane which sank the battleship Bismark.

[publiusF27]

I suggest the USAF is holding back in several key areas in any wargame against a foreign power -- even a friendly one.

I sure hope so, at least holding back technology and some tactics.

[A.A. Cunningham]

The Marine Corps has no need or use for a $160 million/copy fighter that can still be detected by low band search radar and can't operate from a CVN, LHA, LHD or SATS/EAF.

[A.A. Cunningham]

B-2s have been forward deployed to Guam. Any base that the enviromentally controlled portable hangar; which the B-2 requires so those ~40 man hours of maintenance/flight hour can be performed (most of which is dedicated to repair of the RAM) can be set up will support a B-2 forward deployment.

[IonImplantGuru]

The Raptor is designed to be especially proficient at taking out such ground-launched missiles because of its speed and stealth. That's something military leaders say could be needed in a fight against potential enemies including Iran or North Korea.
"We want to kick the door down so the air space is clear for any (aircraft) you want to go in," Krumm said. "Someone could come in flying a Cessna 172 with a pistol if you wanted after we're done."
The Raptor's dogfighting capability adds a new dimension to the Air Force's fleet of stealth aircraft. Krumm compared the earlier F-117 Nighthawk and B-2 Spirit to cockroaches.
"They want to sneak in, drop their bombs, and sneak out again. They have absolutely no wish for a fight," he said. "They don't have air-to-air missiles, they cannot maneuver that well or anything else. Our airplane is entirely offensive. Not only am I stealthy, but I'll also hunt you down and kill you if you get in my way." And then there is the Raptor's super cruise capability that lets it fly at supersonic speed without using fuel-guzzling afterburners as required by other fighters. "That saves us a lot of gas and opens up a whole host of things when you start talking about dropping bombs," Krumm said.

Cessna 172 and a pistol, you say? Hell, I'll volunteer!

By the way, does anyone else think this guy Krumm is reminiscent of this guy?:

Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson

[A.A. Cunningham]

It was an old WWI airplane which sank the battleship Bismark.

Incorrect. The Fairey Swordfish, while a biplane, was not a WWI aircraft. First flight was in March of 1933.

[mad_as_he$$]

Yes except we gave them AWACS capability.

[IonImplantGuru]

"Air F[o]rce pilots are good, but Marine pilots are just as good, AND... have bigger balls."

Hear hear.

Then again, they have to have bigger balls to fly these flying coffins:

[mad_as_he$$]

If you want to loan something for that mission then loan them a B-2. There are still two "missing".

[mad_as_he$$]

My Grandfather told me they leaked fuel like a pig. Broke down all the time and the GI's would find them abandoned in the field with apparent reason.

[IonImplantGuru]

I have a pilots licence and during trianing my c.f.i. had me make a couple of landings at night at the local general aviation airport with no lights on.
I told him what the hell, I'm not going to run drugs or anything, why this?
He told me so that if I lost electricity in the craft I knew I could still land if I'd practiced.
Never know when your high tech stuff will be disabled and you have to make a go of your more basic equipment.
Thanks

All well and good. In fact I liked the practice landings without landing lights better than with LL. I generally 'greased' them - something about the video-game Zen of just relying on the perspective of the runway lights and small control inputs as you transition from the 'looking down' perspective to the 'looking out' perspective with the runway lights forming a 'vanishing point' illusion.

That said, if you've lost power, you've probably lost comms. and if you've lost comms, how do you activate the runway lights??? (I'm talking most airports with pilot-controlled lighting.)

No landing lights? Not a problem! No runway lights? Big problem!

Moral: Always carry a handheld radio, with known good batteries in it!

[zipper]

"marine pilot"

now there's an oxymoron, like navy pilot, naval aviator, marine aviator, etc.

[F14 Pilot]

I like it!

[skeptoid]

No human on board.

[Mustng959]

~ The Air Force's new F-22A Raptor is such a dominant fighter jet that in mock dogfights its pilots typically take on six F-15 Eagles at once. ~

That, in itself, is amazing!

[publiusF27]

That's what I get for going from memory! Still, the point was that that biplane was pretty primitive, certainly not our first choice as a plane to send after Bismark. And yet it sank the Bismark.

[rambo316]

it is such a great picture I am going to make it my screensaver or my wallpaper.

[Joe Boucher]

Always have a handheld. I live on an airpark with click mic. to accuate. Pretty cool.
Many of the guys here carry two handhelds in their homebuilts, and at least one if their craft has a collum
radio.
Gotta love it. Always have redundant systems and still pooh happens.

[DocH]

The Marine Corps has no need or use for (an aircraft like the F/A-22)...

Agreed.

Just wanted to give my Air Force friends a hard time.

By the way, how does a guy that flew biplanes know so much about modern Marine Corps aviation, Alfred? 8^)