Flaws may ground older F15's indefinitely

Washington Post via MSNBC ^ | December 22 2007 | Josh White

[Dick Vomer]

Holy cr#p. One wing... you couldn’t put that in a movie and make it believable. That pilot has got stones. I can’t even imagine. I get ginchy when I hear “funny noises” on choppers and planes.

[wrench]

"Having been an engineer at McDonnell Aircraft (working on the F-15) in a past life, I can tell you that the repairs can be done, but it will be MAJOR surgery to do it."

Put it out on competative bid, and allow CHINA to bid on it. It would be done at 1/4th the cost of having a US contractor do it.

Of course, the Chinese AF would have a new fighter in a few years that would look real similar to the F15. Clintoon II will make it happen.

[mad_as_he$$]

How did you know that that is my all time unfavorite vehicle? I have bought several over the years and had them crushed to remove the parts from circulation. That one has what a nitro hemi?

[mad_as_he$$]

Very amazing story. I love that aircraft. Very skilled pilot and the rear seater should kiss him and by him dinner.

[Eye of Unk]

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hdrp_0603_1962_vw_bus/index.html

1962 Volkswagen Bus - Riding with the King of Chop
Ken Prather’s Eye-Grabbing 1962 VW Drag-Style Bus is One Unique andStunning Machine

[Eye of Unk]

355 small block Chevy with blower.

[topher]

I would disagree. The crash in Missouri was linked to structural failure.

Metal fatigue has been a subject for jets for almost 50 years -- there is an ol' Jimmy Stewart film with Marlene Dietrich about this subject (it is the center of the plot of the movie).

The F-15's have a titanium frame. I imagine that since this is a high performance jet, 30 years of service is too much for the original structure.

If the jet was built totally out of titanium, it might not have this problem (the SR-71 is supposedly an aircraft that is made substantially of titanium, for example).

High performance jets can stress their airframes...

[nevergore]

"How much do you want to spend on replacing parts is the question. Do you want to put a new motor and tranny into you 15 years old Chrysler mini van?"

Only if when replaced would do Mach 2.... Now that would be a minivan!

[Paleo Conservative]

But the reality is, the F22 took too long to develop and cost way too much....the Air Force can hold the blame for that.

But a lot of the F-22 capabilities except for the flight envleope and stealth could be put into F-15's. Just look at how the Russians have updated their MiG-29 with vectored thrust engines and improved avionics to created the MiG-35. It wouldn't have been any cheaper to develop those technologies, but they wouldn't have lumped all into the F-22 program.

[pfflier]

The critics of the F-22 based their argument, in part, that the F-15 is adequate against known threats and will last for 20 more years.

Oops!

[Eye of Unk]

US Navy prepping an unmanned combat aircraft US Navy has just unveiled their plans to develop an unmanned combat aircraft that will combat Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter. Furthermore, to accomplish the project, Northrop Grumman is awarded with $636 million contract to design, build, and fly an Unmanned Combat Air System ‘that would operate from the decks of the Navy’s giant nuclear-powered aircraft carriers’. Now, if the project goes according to plans, very soon we will see that gunners will join the forces within 10 to 15 years. Moreover, if we consider our land-based automatic soldiers to fire our weapons as deployed in Iraq, then we can forecast that time is not far ahead when a full-blown robotic army will soon wrestle in wars. http://www.weaponsblog.org/

[Paleo Conservative]

If you want on or off this aerospace ping list, please contact Paleo Conservative or phantomworker by Freep mail.

[pfflier]

In a country where we traditionally fight the last war with the last wars weapons and we get our butts kicked for being unprepared, someone has to be visionary. We need to give our pilots the best equipment and the best chance of survival. It is time for the F-22.

[pfflier]

Poor response. Are you disputing the new car or the price?

[Alex Murphy]

Current and former Air Force officials said that the grounding of the F-15s -- on average 25 years old -- is the longest that U.S. fighter jets have ever been kept out of the air.

Poor Starscream - no wonder he switched forms to an F-22!

[antiRepublicrat]

What was the rated airframe life when they were introduced? If it was around 25 years, our current situation only arises because of a lack of planning.

[mad_as_he$$]

Have you met the soccer mom’s around here? Many think their mini van has 800 horses and can do Mach 2!!!!

[antiRepublicrat]

The pilot said he would have bailed had he known. Just goes to show what you’re capable of without preconceived notions of what’s possible.

[KevinDavis]

So????

[KevinDavis]

Drones are not that effective.. Especially if the satellite connection cut off.