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To: EagleUSA
So does flying at supersonic speed which takes MUCH more fuel.

No longer true with modern fighter engines. The F-22 Raptor can cruise supersonic at military power without afterburner so its fuel consumption is far less at Mach 1.5-2 than prior jets like the F-15 or SR-71.

Another poster pointed out that ramjets are very efficient at hypersonic speeds, but must be launched by a supersonic aircraft.

95 posted on 10/02/2008 3:17:25 PM PDT by CholeraJoe ("Abdul, I've got 4 hours of Metallica and a gallon of bleach. How long can you last?")
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To: CholeraJoe

No longer true with modern fighter engines. The F-22 Raptor can cruise supersonic at military power without afterburner so its fuel consumption is far less at Mach 1.5-2 than prior jets like the F-15 or SR-71.
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What you note is true, but my comment was in regard to the SUSTAINED flight over long distances that a cruise missle is intended to do (given these really are designed for such service) -— you cannot SUSTAIN supersonic speeds without considerable fuel consumption as compared to how our cruise missles fly at subsonic speeds over great distances very efficiently.


99 posted on 10/03/2008 7:48:23 AM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: CholeraJoe

No longer true with modern fighter engines. The F-22 Raptor can cruise supersonic at military power without afterburner so its fuel consumption is far less at Mach 1.5-2 than prior jets like the F-15 or SR-71.
:::::::::::::::
What you note is true, but my comment was in regard to the SUSTAINED flight over long distances that a cruise missle is intended to do (given these really are designed for such service) -— you cannot SUSTAIN supersonic speeds without considerable fuel consumption as compared to how our cruise missles fly at subsonic speeds over great distances very efficiently.


100 posted on 10/03/2008 7:48:30 AM PDT by EagleUSA
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