[Gaffer]

....The "Up Time" on these planes is going to be one of their strongest features.... I hope it does better than the B-2.. I'm not trying to be defeatist about the Raptor, I work next door to where they're built and have had some experience with maintainability of aircraft. When you start getting exotic with avionics (the B-1 was so sophisticated, it could jam itself...), reflective coatings et cetera, maintenance logistics goes up.... when they figure out how to use a Ford Pickup transmission, or other similar part, then it really gets maintainable..... Also, I'm not so sure that the Tiger tank was merely for defensive means....in an open field, the firepower and range would have been deadly, even, as you say they were mechanically deficient and slow to turret..

[Tallguy]

Point taken. I understand that the F-22A makes far less use of radar absorbing coatings.

I understand that the F-117 has to be 'buttered' before each mission to fill-in voids between panels & surface imperfections. Kinda hard to see how you can use a stealth weapon from a primative forward airstrip unless you can cut your reliance on things like that. I assume, for instance, that the B2 can really only operate from 2 places: Whitman AFB (Missouri) & Diego Garcia.