USAF Indefinitely Grounds F-22 Raptors

[naivemother]

Originally Posted by tonyy

I think people are already familiar with my views on this flying turd.
The only fight that thing ever won was the fight on Capitol Hill.

The F-22 reminds me of Bin-Laden all for show..

[tonyy]

Originally Posted by figatova

approaching $80 billion

Half a Billion $ per plane!!!!,God fucking help us when that other shitbox decides too blight our lives.

[figatova]

uptdate:

F-22 grounding continues as oxygen safety probe widens

More than six weeks after the US Air Force indefinitely grounded all Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptors, the scope of the safety investigation has widened beyond the Honeywell-supplied onboard oxygen generating system (OBOGS).

Although internally described as the "OBOGS safety investigation", the probe launched after the 3 May safety stand-down of the F-22A fleet is "not limited" to that particular system, Air Combat Command (ACC) said in emailed responses to questions.
"We are still working to pinpoint the exact nature of the problem," the ACC said. "It is premature to definitely link the current issues to the OBOGS system."

The stand-down was originally linked to five reports by F-22 pilots of potential oxygen system malfunctions, including one reported instance when an F-22 scraped treetops on final approach. The pilot could not remember the incident after landing, exhibiting a classic symptom of hypoxia.
The OBOGS is not the only device involved in the supply of oxygen to the pilot. Wedged into a space behind and slightly below the pilot's seat, it uses a molecular sieve to filter pressurised air diverted from the engine compressor section into pure oxygen.

In between the OBOGS and an F-22 pilot's lungs, the filtered oxygen passes through two major components - the MBU-22P oxygen mask and the breathing regulator/anti-g (BRAG) valve. The latter "ensures safe delivery of oxygen to the pilot" through the face mask, according to a fact sheet published by the USAF human systems integration office.
"The BRAG is fast-acting due to the manoeuverability of the aircraft and [is] compatible with the existing upper and lower g-garments, which keeps blood in the upper portions of the body during aircraft manoeuvres," the fact sheet added.

The USAF investigation is also comparing the F-22's life support system with other strike aircraft in its fleet, including the Lockheed F-35A Lightning II, Fairchild Republic A-10, Boeing F-15, Lockheed F-16 and Hawker Beechcraft T-6A, the ACC said.
The review is aimed at casting a "broad net for comparison", the command added.
Complaints about the F-22's OBOGS equipment had not surfaced until recently. In January, the ACC ordered the fleet to remain below a service ceiling of 25,000ft (7,620m). The order came two months after an F-22 crashed near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. That accident, in which the pilot was killed, is under investigation and has not been linked to the oxygen system concerns.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...be-widens.html

[SHUTUPANDTHINK]

Originally Posted by tonyy

Half a Billion $ per plane!!!!,God fucking help us when that other shitbox decides too blight our lives.

I couldn't agree more, we should have continued F-22 production into the 400-600 range and we could have got a lot more out of the R&D money. We made the same mistake with the B-2.

[tonyy]

Originally Posted by SHUTUPANDTHINK

I couldn't agree more, we should have continued F-22 production into the 400-600 range and we could have got a lot more out of the R&D money. We made the same mistake with the B-2.

And have 600 grounded instead of 180?, Christ think of the cost of re-engineering that lot!!!!! .
You did the right thing cutting it off when you did, now hopefully the same spark of sanity can be applied too the Craptor before that also ends up as a hanger queen.

[SHUTUPANDTHINK]

Originally Posted by tonyy

And have 600 grounded instead of 180?, Christ think of the cost of re-engineering that lot!!!!! .
You did the right thing cutting it off when you did, now hopefully the same spark of sanity can be applied too the Craptor before that also ends up as a hanger queen.

There would still be the same amount of F-22 today reguardless, any fixes would simply be implemented on the following airframes at the factory. As if the F-22 is the first airplane to be grounded on precautionary reasons. I can't see how we did the right thing? Are you saying the F-22 is not better than the F-15 or F-16 or that the F-35 will be better than the F-22, sorry but I don't see your point. How is America stopping production at 187 F-22s good?

[figatova]

Originally Posted by SHUTUPANDTHINK

How is America stopping production at 187 F-22s good?

Don't need any more? can't afford them?

[SHUTUPANDTHINK]

Originally Posted by figatova

Don't need any more? can't afford them?

We will need something to replace 360+ F-15s and I don't see how 187 F-22 can do the job, just not enough airframes to meet the force structure. Also as far as history goes the next platform will only be more expensive and which will surely mean even less airframes. So as I see it we will in the future wish we had made more F-22 at what will surely be seen as a cheap price. We could afford them, we might have to cut something else, but we could afford it, especially since unlike the F-35 all the R&D is done and paid for, which is the biggest chunk. Only thing left is upgrades and fixes, like every other Fighter in American history has gone through. Also I think we should sell them to our closest allies, if they want them, shit even a export version would be a hell of a airplane.

[figatova]

Originally Posted by SHUTUPANDTHINK

We will need something to replace 360+ F-15s and I don't see how 187 F-22 can do the job, just not enough airframes to meet the force structure. Also as far as history goes the next platform will only be more expensive and which will surely mean even less airframes. So as I see it we will in the future wish we had made more F-22 at what will surely be seen as a cheap price. We could afford them, we might have to cut something else, but we could afford it, especially since unlike the F-35 all the R&D is done and paid for, which is the biggest chunk. Only thing left is upgrades and fixes, like every other Fighter in American history has gone through. Also I think we should sell them to our closest allies, if they want them, shit even a export version would be a hell of a airplane.

The F-15E is expected to go beyond 2025. After that UCAVs.

F-35 should be good for most jobs, even AA, especially when considering the adversaries.

But I can see how there might be an argument in saying the planned 125 combat coded F-22 are not enough, I don't totally disagree with that view.

[SHUTUPANDTHINK]

Originally Posted by figatova

The F-15E is expected to go beyond 2025. After that UCAVs.

I'm talking about the C/D model not the E

F-35 should be good for most jobs, even AA, especially when considering the adversaries.

Yes but they are simply filling the role the F-16 already did, so I don't see how less F-35 trying to do what more F-16 used to do is going to give them any leeway to pick up the slack of the small F-22 force?

But I can see how there might be an argument in saying the planned 125 combat coded F-22 are not enough, I don't totally disagree with that view.

Exactly, it just won't be able to provide the same kind of sorty rate or area coverage.