Posted on 04/07/2013 10:46:46 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Boeing unveils updated F/A-XX sixth-gen fighter concept
Boeing
The Boeing concept also features canards, which is somewhat of a surprise because the motion of those forward mounted control surfaces is generally assumed to compromise a stealth aircraft's frontal radar cross-section. But the lack of vertical tail surfaces suggests the aircraft would be optimized for all-aspect broadband stealth, which would be needed for operations in the most challenging anti-access/area denial environments.
Also of note in the manned version of the company's F/A-XX concept is the placement of the cockpit-rearward visibility appears to be restricted without the aid of a sensor apparatus similar to the F-35's distributed aperture system of six infrared cameras.
The Boeing F/A-XX concept is a response to a USN request for information (RFI) from April 2012 soliciting data for a replacement for the service's Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleets in the 2030s. The Super Hornet fleet is expected to start reaching the end of the jet's 9000h useful lifespan during that time period.
"The intent of this research is to solicit industry inputs on candidate solutions for CVN [nuclear-powered aircraft carrier] based aircraft to provide air supremacy with a multi-role strike capability in an anti-access/area denied (A2AD) operational environment," the navy RFI stated. "Primary missions include, but are not limited to, air warfare (AW), strike warfare (STW), surface warfare (SUW), and close air support (CAS)."
Navy leaders had said at the time that they expect any new F/A-XX design to have greatly increased range and offer far superior kinematic performance compared to existing tactical aircraft.
Nice thought, but not exactly on topic...
Not exactly off-topic.
How are we going to build these, when all “our” manufacturing is going to China?
I don’t think the F-35 is deployed yet. Perhaps a few trainers are but it is not deployed for combat. That is still years away.
On the technical/software side I've heard the project uses C++ and not Ada like the F-22 does/did. {I'm unclear as to whether the F-22 transitioned to C++ or not; I seem to remember an article talking about it because they "had difficulty" finding Ada programmers... as if the cost to training competent programers to use it was less than the cost of hiring incompetent/unwilling programmers.}
Personally I want to use a language that helps me catch stupid mistakes rather than just pass detectable mistakes into production.
Really? How long did it take to develop and deploy an atomic bomb from a cold start?
With slide rules, chalk, and all manual machine tools?
How long should it take now with high performance computers, CAD/CAM, CNC machine tools and 3-d printers?
*sigh*
AKA, the Monica...
Which means it will be delivered in the mid-2040's and hundreds of billions overbudget.
No, not for combat yet...but very little is deployed for combat right now because we aren’t fighting anything. The training squadrons are operational and have been for a few some months now. It takes time top build up enough supply of planes and pilots. The F22 was fully operational for several years before they sent one to a war zone.
A modern fighter is much more complex than an atomic bomb. You can make computers and Cad twice as fast but that does not make an engineer twice as productive.
They aren’t. Don’t believe everything you read.
Don’t tell VMFA-121 that they don’t have any F-35Bs or that their TOE will not be at full complement by the end of CY 2013.
What is Mil Spec on code generation? How many lines of code were written, beta tested, reviewed, corrected and released during the Manhattan project? Any idea how many lines of code are required for each variant of the F-35?
These are probably being developed for sale to China so we can fund ObamaCare. ;)
Yup. And unless we are willing to double the bill UP FRONT and have two companies compete all the way to production, then we are stuck with that. I would rather we did that. At least then the costs would ONLY double (hopefully :P).
Millions. Several of them. And every one has to be thoroughly reviewed and tested.
Definately better looking.
Manufacturing fighter jets is still something we can do at home.
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