On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:45:00 -0600, Dave S
wrote:

Jay Honeck wrote:

To put that in perspective, that would be like our fathers and
grandfathers flying Spads and Sopwith Camels against the Luftwaffe in 1943.


Hardly a fair comparison.

The F15 is still an excellent air superiority fighter. It has a PERFECT,
unblemished record - its never been shot down. Granted much of this is
because of the integrated system in which its deployed - stealth takes
out the enemies eyes, AWACS serves as your eye in the sky, etc.. - even
if it had to operate without the system, it would be formidable.

The B52 assembly line was shut down in the 60's.. and its said the last
crews to fly it have yet to be born. Despite being superseded by the B1B
and the B2, its still the front line workhorse.

Aging issues in the fleet are a serious concern, but that does not mean
the design itself is obsolete or faulty. If new parts and airframes were
readily available, it would still be top dog for quite a while.


Dave

To add to your good post.

Here is an extract on the F-15 problem. Jay, note the number of birds
that have been returned to flight status in the marked paragraph.


Big John
-----------------------------------------------------


11/21/2007 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- Gen. John D.W.
Corley, commander, Air Combat Command, sent a message Nov. 21 to F-15
pilots, weapons systems officers and maintenance professionals
outlining the actions the Air Force has taken following the Nov. 2
F-15C Eagle mishap that resulted in the loss of the aircraft.

The message reads:

(Quote) Airmen

On 2 November, the Air Force experienced an F-15C mishap resulting in
the loss of the aircraft. The circumstances of the mishap indicated
catastrophic structural failure. On 3 November, the Air Force grounded
its F-15 fleet. This decision was not made lightly. It was the right
thing to do based upon the nature of this mishap.

Grounding a fleet of nearly 700 front-line aircraft has significant
operational impact. Total force, joint and coalition partners were
able to mitigate that impact.

The cause of the mishap remains under investigation. Air Force
maintenance and operations professionals and industry experts are
working with the accident investigation board to examine all aspects
of the mishap. At the same time, structural engineers have conducted
in-depth technical reviews of data from multiple sources. We continue
to proceed in an inclusive and transparent fashion to derive, as best
as humanly possible, the cause of the mishap.

We evaluated the grounded fleet. First, we focused on the F-15Es. They
are the newest F-15s and have been exposed to less stress. They are
structurally different than the A-D models. Problems identified during
years of A-D model usage were designed "out" of the E-model. Given
these differences, and after consultation with Warner Robins Air
Logistics Center and the AIB, we returned the F-15E fleet to flying
status following successful inspections.

Next, we concentrated on the remainder of the grounded fleet. The AIB
is now focused on the area just aft of the cockpit and slightly
forward of the inlets. Warner Robins ALC mandated a thorough
inspection and repair of all structural components in this area. I
have directed each F-15 aircraft be inspected and cleared before
returning to operational status. Today, ACC issued (a flight crew
information file) and Warner Robins ALC issued an Operational
Supplemental Tech Order to further direct and guide your pre-flight
and post-flight actions.

The F-15 is a formidable war fighting aircraft and workhorse for our
Air Force. I applaud each and every Eagle pilot, WSO and maintainer
for the meticulous and disciplined way you approached this challenge.
Mission accomplishment entails risk. Together, we must remain vigilant
and focused on operational risk management to mitigate this risk.
Airmen speak up when they see something wrong. I rely on you to ensure
all operations and maintenance parameters are in order before flight.
The F-15 community can take great pride in the fact that you have met
this challenge. We must deliver air power on time, on target given our
overriding duty to defend our Country. (End Quote)

NOTE THIS PARAGRAPH-----------------------

There are nearly 700 F-15s in the Air Force inventory. As of today,
219 of the 224 E-models and 294 of the 442 A-D models in the inventory
have been inspected and cleared for flight.
------------------------------------------

In releasing the F-15 fleet to fly, General Corley said the Air Force
was accepting a degree of risk.

"We accept this risk because of our overriding duty to provide
unrivaled combat air power for the defense of our Country," the
general said.

(Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service)