"WaltBJ" wrote ...


Well, supersonic flight is not a trivial matter. I flew the F104A
equipped with the J79-19 engine. Minutes after takeoff the fuel was
down to wehere the aircraft had a 1:1 thrust to weigth ratio. With
18,900 pounds of thrust (engine was later de-rated for longevity) the
Zipper would exceed its thermal limit quite handily. The problem as I
saw it was the windshield and canopy. M2.0 in the stratosphere in a
standard atmosphere (-57F) gave us an inlet temperature of 100C. M2.0
was also the USAF limit of lateral stability. Yes, we went faster now
and then - some went faster than others (I had a wife and 2 kids' 2.2
was enough for me). 2.4 is the limit for an aluminum-fuselaged aircraft
- above that you risk de-tempering the alloy and subsequent loss of
strength. The F106 on display at the USAF Air Academy is one such
aircraft - it and its engine were expended to establish a speed record
around (ISTR) M2.45. The idea of rebuilding an A10 to make a supersonic
interceptor out of it is so far from being even remotely practical that
only total unfamiliarity with what would be required could excuse such
a concept. Sorry for the bluntness - but it's true.
Walt BJ


Thanks for a nice, readable explanation of the stresses, physical and
thermal, of high speed operations. I didn't realize the F106 could achieve
that sort of speed. The F92-102-106 lineage covered several decades, a lot
of investment, and a mixed bag of results. Losing a high school friend as
he was transitioning into 102s and later a younger neighbor in a 106
accident, I would be slow to belittle the avaiation skills of the current
President who did successfully fly the birds, by some accounts statistically
more hazardous than most military endeavors

Douglas has now been briefed from a variety of perspectives as to the
unsuitability and inoperability of hid projected "redesigned/re-engined"
A10, "Wonder Wart Hog" to borrow from the cartoonist Gilbert Shelton and
just as unrealistic as were Gilbert's cartoons, either from the Austin
_Texas Ranger_ era or the later years in Hashbury.

Somewhere in his lineage, Douglas's ancestors matched an obstinately
pig-headed gene with one from the "Just Plain Stupid" family tree, and a "Do
Not Replicate" (even for fun or at home) placard should have been attached
to all offspring of the damnable conjoining, especially Douglas (who adds to
the mangy mix the additional qualities of (a) being a few bricks short of a
full load, (b) owning an elevator which stops well short of the top floor,
and (c) possessing an ever-burning porch light when nobody's home). Having
ridden into the fair city of smn perched in the back of a watermelon wagon,
his departure huddled in the back of a turnip truck would bring joy to all
(although admittedly, he has brought to us more amusement than most of his
ilk).

TMO