On 9 Jan 2004 07:50:56 -0800, (James Dandy)
wrote:

Seems to me like all the modern wars I can remember up from Vietnam
use mostly ordinary fighters and bombers.

I don't understand why such emphasis is put on that stealth stuff when
we use the same old planes from previously.

In 1966, while I was flying the F-105 over N. Vietnam, we lost one
every 65 missions. In 1991, during Desert Storm we lost one fixed wing
aircraft every 3500 mission. In 2003 in Iraqi Freedom we lost one
fixed wing aircraft in 16,500 mission.

So, we're going to send you into aerial combat, how do you want your
odds of survival?

I still remember when the F-14 and F-15 came out. Don't we still use
these? Aren't they better than everyone else's stuff?

Are you still driving the car you bought in 1970? Are new cars better?


My son Billy tells me I'm out of date on such matters and that the old
Reds have stuff that is better than ours. Tell me it ain't so. I saw
on tv one night a show on the History Channel that showed a new plane
that did amazing flying but I can't recall its name. It was a Red
plane tho.

Everyone has been developing not only aircraft, but avionics and
weapons as well. Flying 30 year old stuff isn't a good way to make it
to retirement.

I don't have much interest in stealth so long as we keep pounding them
Arabs with B-52 bombs! God bless the almighty B-52.

Since I'm out of date maybe you guys can fill me in on the latest.
What makes a stealth aircraft better? If they are so good how come we
don't own many? What if they were all destroyed, wouldn't we still be
able to fight with the proven stuff?

Stealth aircraft are more survivable. We don't have many, because the
military competes for $$$ against the welfare princesses and
redistribution of wealth candidates who run for election on a platform
of taking from "them" and giving to the masses. If they were all
destroyed, we'd be in deep kimchi. They are the "proven stuff."



Many thanks,

James Dandy

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8