Doug "Woody" and Erin Beal wrote:
On 5/18/04 7:50 PM, in article
t, "Thomas Schoene"
wrote:

If you're denying it's overweight, then I think you're in denial. It
is... That comes from folks working in the program. They're trying
to deal with it, but 2,000 lbs (I hadn't heard 3,300 lbs.) is a lot
to lose.

No, I'm not denying that it's overweight. However, I'm questioning whether
the weight issue is as bad as presented. Planes are *always* overweight at
this point in the design process. I think the reports tend to confuse the
current design weight with the final target weight. If it's 3000 pounds
over now, that does not mean it will be 3000 pounds over at IOC.


Presto, a 2000-lb weight savings.

Presto! Diminished striking capability for a STOVL aircraft... How
novel.

Shrug. That's why STOVL isn't suitable for all users. The Marines don't
necessarily need big bombs; smaller ones are actually more appropriate for
most CAS missions. As long as it can haul the 8 x 250-lb small-diameter
bombs they're talking about, the plane is well-armed for CAS.

--
Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail
"Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right, when
wrong to be put right." - Senator Carl Schurz, 1872