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Now Trump hints at cancelling the F-35 ... (trunc)
Daily Mail ^ | Dec. 22, 2017 | Goeff Earle

Posted on 12/22/2016 4:07:34 PM PST by libstripper

President-elect Donald Trump took his air war with defense contractor Lockheed Martin to another level Thursday with a tweet threatening the future of the costly F-35 aircraft.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aerospace; aviation; boeing; f3; f35; lockheed; trump
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To: patro

Hey I’ll one up you and say we bring back that sopwith camel. Some things folks jump all over in this election never ceases to amaze me.


21 posted on 12/22/2016 4:52:41 PM PST by Jarhead9297
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To: CivilWarBrewing

I wouldn’t be surprised that Boeing is consulting with General Election Aero Engines for an upgrade to the F404 engine to push it over 19,000 lb. thrust. That would allow the F-18E/F to fly even faster.


22 posted on 12/22/2016 4:52:45 PM PST by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
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To: libstripper
It would be best to have an independent evaluation of the F-35. Simply canceling it may not be the option. Sure, it has its flaws (all aircraft, even the vaunted F-22 Raptor, do), but canceling without having a replacement may not be necessarily prudent. Additionally, substituting it with the F-18 SH simply means that countries like China and Russia have parity with the US. The various advanced Sukhoi variants are directly comparable to the SuperHornet, and parity is not something to aim for. Finally, it should be noted that not all F-35 versions are the same. It is the STOVL 'B' version that has had the most issues.

Anyway, in the same way cancelling the Raptor's continued production was not prudent, simply cancelling the F-35 without a proper think wouldn't be either.

And I am saying this as someone who thinks the F-35 is a pig, but it may be a pig that is still better than any current legacy aircraft.

23 posted on 12/22/2016 4:55:46 PM PST by spetznaz (Nuclear-tipped Ballistic Missiles: The Ultimate Phallic Symbol)
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To: RC one
I hear he’s looking at buying super hornets instead. With the saved money, they should look at restarting the F22 program. The stealth capabilities seem like they would be useful for gaining control of the skies.

Agreed, my good FRiend.

In fact, my reply to an earlier thread on this topic...

There is actually better idea.

Much MUCH better, in fact...

Restart the F22 program!

.

24 posted on 12/22/2016 4:55:55 PM PST by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never...except for convictions of honour and good sense. W. Churchill)
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To: libstripper

I feel like a combination of F22s and A10s would give us more for less than a pile of F35s. F35 seems like it does a lot of things OK, but nothing particularly well.

This coming from a guy with a C172. Take it for what it’s worth.

Can you say “margin compression”? I sold my LMT last week. Made a nice return, time to move on.


25 posted on 12/22/2016 4:56:38 PM PST by lowtaxsmallgov (This Administration has absolutely no idea how to grow an economy)
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To: tomkat

Bookmark .. looking forward to our resident flyboys’ input on this . . .

So many opinions will be based on where the F-35 creates jobs.

This is not just F-35, it’s Navy ships, AF planes, etc. As far as the disagreements go, it’s not all just about military worthiness, it’s also about money and jobs.


26 posted on 12/22/2016 4:59:25 PM PST by boycott (S)
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To: Jarhead9297

Point taken. Repeal ACA and simplify the tax code. Reduce burdensome regulations, and then focus on Defense contracting after the economy is heading in the right direction under it’s own power.


27 posted on 12/22/2016 5:01:26 PM PST by patro (Phrogs Forever)
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To: Uncle Sam 911
The F 22 is waiting in the wings and ready to go, cheaper and just as efficient.

One of the services, I think the Marines, wanted a vertical takeoff/landing fighter. One F-35 variant was thus designed to do that. Probably this ability to be a swiss army knife fighter is what made it so expensive. BUT it also means the F-22 can't do everything the F-35 is designed to do. Maybe the F-35 can't either, I don't know. But the F-22 certainly cannot.

28 posted on 12/22/2016 5:03:59 PM PST by pepsi_junkie (ui)
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To: libstripper

The Marines are supposed to get a VTOL variant of the F-35. They have assault carriers designed for jump-jets and have already retired their Harriers. If you cancel the F-35, the Marines are out of the fixed-wing aircraft business.


29 posted on 12/22/2016 5:05:11 PM PST by ZOOKER (Until further notice the /s is implied...)
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To: libstripper

I was recently at the Nellis Air Force Airshow in Las Vegas and got to see the F35 fly. The F22 flew unlike anything I ever saw before in spectacular fashion, the F16 could fly almost likewise, the A10 was down right scary and if I was the enemy I’d crap my drawers if I knew it was hunting me.

The F35 merely took off banked in a turn and landed. I thought it was a very disappointing performance.

I talked to the pilots of the all the planes I saw fly there. They were all super enthusiastic about their planes except the F35 pilot who was no way near as enthusiastic. None of the pilots of the F22,F16,A10 would say a bad word about the F35 but no one would say anything good about it. I was left with the impression that the F35 was kinda of a pig.

By the way there was a Heritage flight near the end of the show where the F22, F35 and an old F86 Sabre flew all together in formation. The F86 was chosen to fly in lieu of WW11 aircraft because the F35 could not fly slow enough without stalling according to an Air Force pilot I had talked to.


30 posted on 12/22/2016 5:14:17 PM PST by pleasenotcalifornia
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To: ZOOKER

Not so if they get new Super Hornets. I talked to a Marine pilot and he sure loved his Super Hornet. He refused to talk about the F35.


31 posted on 12/22/2016 5:19:02 PM PST by pleasenotcalifornia
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To: RC one

And a restart of the A-10, with night fighting abilities built in.


32 posted on 12/22/2016 5:21:41 PM PST by 2001convSVT (Going Galt as fast as I can.)
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To: patro

+1


33 posted on 12/22/2016 5:24:43 PM PST by Jarhead9297
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To: libstripper
somewhere, PukinDog is laughing his azz off...
34 posted on 12/22/2016 5:29:03 PM PST by Chode (You Owe Them Nothing - Not Respect, Not Loyalty, Not Obedience, NOTHING! ich bin ein Deplorable...)
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To: pleasenotcalifornia
The F-18's won't work off their carriers, they would have to fly from Navy carriers or land bases to operate them. Maybe that's good enough, but the Marines won't like it.

Also, the AF won't like having to use F-18's, which are built to Navy specs.

None of this is new. The services have always had specific needs for aircraft and the F-35 was supposed to meet ALL of them. That's hard to do on a budget....

35 posted on 12/22/2016 5:30:35 PM PST by ZOOKER (Until further notice the /s is implied...)
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To: RC one
Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump 3h3 hours ago Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!
36 posted on 12/22/2016 5:32:10 PM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: digger48; Mamzelle
It explains not a lot

Lindsey Graham is an F-35 tragic, but McCain has been critical of the F-35 program since 2011

37 posted on 12/22/2016 5:40:15 PM PST by Oztrich Boy ("Laws are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools" Solon, Lawmaker of Athens)
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To: Forward the Light Brigade

The F-22 is superior in many ways.


38 posted on 12/22/2016 5:52:15 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: CivilWarBrewing

As I understand it the F-22’s electronics architecture is really somewhat limited. What they need to do is build a new Block that entirely starts over while preserving the airframe, engines and as much of the avionics as they can. Incorporate the Helmet cueing system and so forth. BTW that is still a very tall order. And it will very much be a new aircraft — a Super Raptor.


39 posted on 12/22/2016 5:57:35 PM PST by Tallguy
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To: Oztrich Boy

That’s because McCain and Graham are Boeings men in Washington. That’s why they trash the F-35.


40 posted on 12/22/2016 5:59:18 PM PST by fatman6502002 ((The Team The Team The Team - Bo Schembechler circa 1969))
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