FB-22: a Cheaper, Faster, Smarter Bomber

Popular Science ^ | December 2002 | Bill Sweetman

[sonofatpatcher2]

This make a lot of sense. Check out URL for complete story and pics.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Check out Smarter Bomber for complete story and pics.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Wait a minute. It's my understanding that the Air Force already officially designated the plane the F/A-22. I'll see what I can find.

[Ford Fairlane]

The U.S. bombing fleet is ill-prepared to fight wars in regions that are short on friendly nations willing to lend air bases.

And if we could still build F4's & F14's, we wouldn't have this problem (since the current command considers that size plane to be a bomber).

Unfortunatley, everything currently in production has no range (although they are good fighters) - the same thing that lost the air war for Germany in WWII

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Oops, I jumped the gun. This is a proposal to change the design of the F-22, not just assign it a limited attack role.

[sonofatpatcher2]

The F/A-22 can carry bombs, but the FB-22 could carry many more of the new Small Diameter Bombs. So the story says...

[Howie]

Looks good but omitting the vertical control surfaces is quite a trick. Computerized differential drag brakes? Thrust modulation? Try to fly and retrofit two vertical surfaces after it won't fly?

[Badger1]

A lot of aircraft military designs are inheriently unstable and would not be able to fly without computer controll. This would be just one more example.

[Badger1]

That should read -

A lot of military aircraft designs are inheriently unstable and would not be able to fly without computer controll. This would be just one more example.

[Howie]

I understand that but what will the computer move to keep the thing going straight if it has no tail?

[MigrantOkie]

If it can't drop 30,000 lbs it's not a viable replacement. The reason we have stuck with the B-52 for so long is that nothing else will carry the payload. The B-52 is the most cost efficient delivery system we have. It also has not needed to be stealthy since we use it after achieving full air superiority.

[Desert Dweller]

The B2 has no vertical tail. What's the difference?

[Light Speed]

Sure...and a B-52 does not need to be stealthy for the Mexican border either
Buy a B-52 for Arizona fund drive!

[Badger1]

The control surfaces on the wings are computer controlled to keep the plane stable. The control surfaces are constantly adjusted by the computer even when the pilot is using the same control surfaces to fly the plane.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Re: If it can't drop 30,000 lbs it's not a viable replacement. The reason we have stuck with the B-52 for so long is that nothing else will carry the payload. The B-52 is the most cost efficient delivery system we have. It also has not needed to be stealthy since we use it after achieving full air superiority.

The FB-22 will be able to go in on the first attack. I read a piece on the Small Diameter Bomb program and the point is using a small bomb directly on target will do better than a larger bomb a few feet away. Thus by putting the bomb directly on target negates the need for B-52s to go in before we have full air superiority. I have tried to find it online, but have not found it so far.

[Howie]

I think I found the answer: Vectored Thrust here

[Desert Dweller]

It probably will have vectored thrust, but it's not necessary even without a vertical tail. I don't believe the B2 has vectored thrust.

[Howie]

I'll rephrase the question: Why does the f-22 need two vertical tail surfaces and the b-22 doesn't have any?

[Desert Dweller]

The F22 is designed to be more manueverable but at the cost of being less stealthy. The combination of vectored thrust and large vertical tail surfaces produces a much more manueverable aircraft.

[Badger1]

I'll rephrase the question: Why does the f-22 need two vertical tail surfaces and the b-22 doesn't have any?

Good question. And my answer? I don't know, but eliminating the vertical control surfaces makes the flight software and firmware much more complicated (the F-22 is behind schedule primarily because of software and firmware delays) so I'm sure there is a good reason.