In the event the F-22 is cancelled which would be the best way to go? (Talk about opening a can of worms :-) )

"John Cook" wrote in message
...
IF F-35 ever gets ready...and it can't really replace F-22 in any case.
Unless given more money...

There's several tens of billion dollars if the F-22 is cancelled,
the JSF price just took another hike, I'm on the record as saying
something's got to give as the numbers don't stack up,

Oh, they will, when you increase the budget a bit...

5. Buy foreign?

Not a hope, but out of interest - if forced to which would the US
prefer Typhoon, Rafale, or a Russian jobbie.

It would never happen in a million years. No, make that a billion. However
should the decision come to that I don't see why they would choose anything
else than Typhoon; French have too many systems totally unique to them, to
say nothing about Russian planes. Whether Typhoon is the best available
plane, is totally another can of worms...

I'm on record saying in 1997 or so that cancelling F-22 would be
gigantically stupid because the program is too far advanced. Cancelling
it
now would be...well, something.

Its only development money:-) , hopefully the JSF will be better
managed, canceling the F-22 only means a red face for the US, but its
the lengths they will go to avoid canceling it, that's the real
question, if the reports of the F-22 being a bit of a lemon are true
how far will they go to defend it.

At some point, programs will proceed to point where you just have to soak it
up even if things are not progressing 100%, because cancelling it will be
even more expensive (in the long term). In case of F-22, that point IMHO has
been reached years ago.

Of course it doesn't mean that it CANNOT be cancelled...

On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 12:12:16 +0300, "Yama"
wrote:


"Scott Ferrin" wrote in message
.. .
1. Would it be possible to completely ****-can the avionics and
software and use the same as is going to be used in the F-35? I mean
IDENTICAL other than the differences to deal with the different flight
characteristics of the F-22?

No idea, really...perhaps it would be possible, but would it save anything?

2. Stuff the latest generation Strike Eagle avionics into an
F-22/F-119 combo as a stopgap until you could do #1? It would
essentially BE a faster, stealthy F-15.


I'm not sure you can just insert F119 to F-15. Very costly anyway. However
if F-22 is canned, some sort of Eagle upgrade is obvious.

That's not what I said. Gut the F-22 of electronics and use Strike
Eagle avionics in an F-22 engine/airframe. Think an F-22 that is a
Strike Eagle under the skin.

"Scott Ferrin" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 12:12:16 +0300, "Yama"
I'm not sure you can just insert F119 to F-15. Very costly anyway.
However
if F-22 is canned, some sort of Eagle upgrade is obvious.

That's not what I said. Gut the F-22 of electronics and use Strike
Eagle avionics in an F-22 engine/airframe. Think an F-22 that is a
Strike Eagle under the skin.

My bad, I misread. Anyway, my uninformed opinion is it wouldn't much good
either.

"Yama" wrote in message
...

If we were to be gutting electronics, a transfer from the F/A-18E into some
Super Eagle would be a low risk option. The electrics in the F/A-18A were
basicly F-15 developed, including the FBW system. Such a change would also
introduce USAF procurement to the present, as defined by AFRL's changes.

In article , Scott Ferrin
wrote:

1. Would it be possible to completely ****-can the avionics and
software and use the same as is going to be used in the F-35? I mean
IDENTICAL other than the differences to deal with the different flight
characteristics of the F-22?

Not in any near-term timeframe. Also, since the airframes are so different
the electronics would have to be re-packaged in most cases.
Plus the airframes would have to be completely re-wired: $$$


2. Stuff the latest generation Strike Eagle avionics into an
F-22/F-119 combo as a stopgap until you could do #1? It would
essentially BE a faster, stealthy F-15.

Nearer term, but the F-15 uses a federated architecture.
Since the airframes are so different
the electronics would have to be re-packaged in most cases.
Plus the airframes would have to be completely re-wired: $$$


3. Can the F-22 entirely which would mean you flushed billions away
and got nothing for it and then buy F-15Ks with AESA APG-63s as a
stopgap until the F-35 is ready?

USAF are going to buy more of something anyway, this is the most likely
scenario. Not K's for sure. More F-16 Block 50's or more F-15's are pretty
much a sure thing regardless of what happens with F-22 and F-35.


4. *shudder* buy "Super"Hornets for the Air Force?

And start a whole new logistics tail? Not bloody likely.


5. Buy foreign?

See #4

--
Harry Andreas
Engineering raconteur

"Harry Andreas" wrote in message
...
In article , Scott Ferrin
wrote:


4. *shudder* buy "Super"Hornets for the Air Force?

And start a whole new logistics tail? Not bloody likely.

An RPL model based COTS logistics trail used in the F/A-18E is not optional.
It is the future and the major reason to believe the F-35 will have a better
chance of success than the obsolete logistics system the F-22 sufferers
from. It could be very educational for USAF to see how USN has applied
AFRL's changes.

6.Call Northrop,and have 'em make some F-23's? Awww never mind :-)