tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post4149056899670189834..comments2024-03-28T18:08:20.711-05:00Comments on Bayou Renaissance Man: Interesting news from the USAFPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-43874755899940580182017-05-17T21:55:40.204-05:002017-05-17T21:55:40.204-05:00Hope one of these is included, just for a comparis...Hope one of these is included, just for a comparison if nothing else. <br />http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/air-tractor-at-802u-surveillance-and-light-attack-aircraft/<br />It is sorta slow, and not very fighter looking, so???<br />It does have the range, and load capacity though. <br />Wonder if it could take off (partial load anyway) and land from a LHD? (that should be a requirement for all involved)jon spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10886632644249920124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-8379974585958339812017-05-17T19:12:56.363-05:002017-05-17T19:12:56.363-05:00FYI, the USAF/American taxpayer is building the Em...FYI, the USAF/American taxpayer is building the Embraer Super Tucano in Jacksonville, FL right now. We give them to Afghanistan after training the pilots in Georgia. I can see the need for a cheap COIN plane as UAV supplement and I expect Beechcraft to win if the money is found...IF.tazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09863198778011036331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-30298236073151312932017-05-17T14:23:13.931-05:002017-05-17T14:23:13.931-05:00It seems to me that an underlining basis for a lot...It seems to me that an underlining basis for a lot of the USAF's thinking on aircraft selection is based on their perception of their pilots being some sort of high status or class of medieval knights. It does not require a 4+ year engineering degree to fly a plane. They started this bullshit to differentiate themselves from their fellow Army compatriots when they were part of our Army.<br /><br />This mindset colors their ideas on what constitutes a proper job for a pilot to engage in, which is one of their conflicts with CAS.<br /><br />Along with this mindset goes the eventual cost of putting that now expensively schooled person in an overly priced aircraft to try to kill some goat-herders who can bring him down with a 10 cent bullet. You end up with expensive standoff weapons, fired from expensive aircraft, piloted by an expensive person, supported by a large expensive support team, that this country cannot afford. The latest idea to protect this too important/expensive pilot is to replace him with an expensive UAV, that still requires all that expensive system set up to protect that pilot in the first place. Idiocy.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722792638246578812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-85879164792669318442017-05-17T11:37:47.666-05:002017-05-17T11:37:47.666-05:00And back tracking to some turbo-prop is just silly...And back tracking to some turbo-prop is just silly. Maybe they can resurrect the P-47 while they are at it ...Kristophrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08370888276707569365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-6922327970224171512017-05-17T11:36:43.321-05:002017-05-17T11:36:43.321-05:00Yup. Nothing will change until the Army gets permi...Yup. Nothing will change until the Army gets permission to buy and pilot subsonic ground attack aircraft.<br /><br />Apparently the Air Force just doesn't like any aircraft that doesn't have a B or an F in front of the model number.Kristophrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08370888276707569365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-72179707373101006842017-05-17T11:19:16.105-05:002017-05-17T11:19:16.105-05:00We can forget about new Hogs or Spads. The boys i...We can forget about new Hogs or Spads. The boys in charge have known about the gap in CAS for years and lack vision to address it. The JSF and advanced equipment have sucked the till dry and we are left with lightweight entries that will be able to hit a ground target but will not be able to do a good job of killing enemy combatants at close range. Of course that assumes that the ROE will allow immediate CAS instead of waiting for some off station cheese to OK the strike.<br /><br />The AF purchased the Learjet instead of the Citation because the time on the official leg length was marginally faster than the Citation. The real reason was because the individual making the decision didn't, at the end of the day while filling out the log book, want to look at the rudder pedals and see Cessna. Cessna offered a much better package including maintenance and training.<br /><br />This is just like the JPATS competition and you can bet the T-X competition will be exactly the same. Get out the popcorn.<br /><br />DaveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-28046153958963278242017-05-17T08:51:14.590-05:002017-05-17T08:51:14.590-05:00Don't be so down on the JSF. The cost is down...Don't be so down on the JSF. The cost is down to ~80 million a copy and dropping, now that the control software limiters and training have been adjusted it is a lethal weapon up close, and it will soon have near peer targets.<br /><br />WRT building more A-10's, I doubt that is an option. I doubt Congress funded storing and maintaining the plans, jigs, skill-sets, etc. that the originals were built from. :(Clayton W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09229588603043239939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-12591574902122729042017-05-17T08:20:50.690-05:002017-05-17T08:20:50.690-05:00Typical USAF think. If a prop UAV is good then a j...Typical USAF think. If a prop UAV is good then a jet powered UAV is much better. It get's there faster, can't linger, and requires more higher cost maintenance. Will it carry more weapons payload?<br /><br />+1 LL. The Sky Raider looks to be much more sturdy then the flock of replacement aircraft.<br /><br />GerryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-88074621514317270672017-05-16T23:07:22.476-05:002017-05-16T23:07:22.476-05:00The Textron Scorpion is reminiscent of the cancell...The Textron Scorpion is reminiscent of the cancelled BD-10 homebuilt jet. Wonder if it was inspiration for the new design or simply a case of form following function.Dan Fnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-18953097101219339202017-05-16T20:36:24.819-05:002017-05-16T20:36:24.819-05:00The main problem is the Air Force procurement proc...The main problem is the Air Force procurement process. Any new aircraft has to go through all the various divisions which add things. Remember the F-16? Supposed to be small and cheap, but they added a bigger radar, which made the airframe bigger, which required a bigger engine, fuel tanks ect. The C-5 was supposed to look more like a DC-10 and be all electric, but the division of the AF in charge of hydraulic required all the controls to have hydraulic back up which led to the giant hydraulic sump just forward of the vertical tail which always caused problems. The fighter mafia is completely uninterested in anything that doesn't have high mach numbers, like cargo and close-air support aircraft.BEFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07366438768839911325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-54261668437951593552017-05-16T20:12:57.940-05:002017-05-16T20:12:57.940-05:00All they had to do was spend a fraction of what th...All they had to do was spend a fraction of what they are wasting now, and just upgrade the A-10! It is still the best at what it does. Nothing can hold a candle to it. <br /><br />The same reason the B-52 is still around, though some of the stealth bombers are getting a little bit better.LindaGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12203719919661519350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-45287601340692174782017-05-16T18:14:33.754-05:002017-05-16T18:14:33.754-05:00I am not sure the AF will ever be mentally capable...I am not sure the AF will ever be mentally capable of providing close air support other than as a last ditch effort to keep the Army out of the air. Give CAS to the Army along with the A-10's and C-130 gunships. The AF has no interest in sub billion dollar aircraft...relieve them of that duty to keep the troops on the ground alive. indyjonesouthereindyjonesoutherenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-80402916059854484902017-05-16T17:47:59.758-05:002017-05-16T17:47:59.758-05:00So they want to ditch the Titanium Dragon and slot...So they want to ditch the Titanium Dragon and slot in a tarted up Beechcraft. [Adds popcorn to grocery list]. Ritchiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08075903551422300106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-89244934226690854212017-05-16T17:18:45.494-05:002017-05-16T17:18:45.494-05:00As Anonymous/Dave said above, we need to dust off ...As Anonymous/Dave said above, we need to dust off the designs for the A-1 Skyraider and bring it back. It will out perform any of those platforms where it counts: survivability, loiter time, payload, ease of training, navy-carrier approved, pilot/aviator friendly. The Spad can come in on the deck with 8 20 mm cannon or a wide variety of other munitions and it can be updated to use smart weapons. We have a platform that is proved in combat that is not the venerable Hawg, but works as a close second.LLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05538854359365988863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-52740016173568307892017-05-16T16:58:08.254-05:002017-05-16T16:58:08.254-05:00Not until the 1947 Key West Accord gets cancelled....Not until the 1947 Key West Accord gets cancelled. Army needs something slower, low level, large ordnance cargo, armored, and with redundant systems. They got arms helps because USAF would not do CAS until their arms got wrung.Psychokittehnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-6102583749629007352017-05-16T16:56:26.458-05:002017-05-16T16:56:26.458-05:00can't understand why its not possible to build...can't understand why its not possible to build an updated A10, same airframe, new electronics. brucehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06911036379896402069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-75469769475091914982017-05-16T16:30:23.346-05:002017-05-16T16:30:23.346-05:00So is the Army finally admitting the attack helo i...So is the Army finally admitting the attack helo is not survivable in the modern battlefield?CDHnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-6142801768533282962017-05-16T15:43:02.827-05:002017-05-16T15:43:02.827-05:00None of these planes approach the ability of the A...None of these planes approach the ability of the A-1 for loiter time or payload. This will be another one of the military acquisition shows.<br /><br />DaveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-23269356127447781692017-05-16T14:40:04.029-05:002017-05-16T14:40:04.029-05:00Huge differences in the payloads between the three...Huge differences in the payloads between the three planes. The Texan II has the smallest payload of 2000 lbs. That is not much fuel and ordinance. The Super Tucano is next at about 5000 lbs and the Scorpion tops out at 10,000 pounds of payload.<br /><br />It should be an interesting experiment.Eaton Rapids Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166969915526172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-51364919467561126802017-05-16T14:30:54.242-05:002017-05-16T14:30:54.242-05:00I don't think unmanned aircraft are ready for ...I don't think unmanned aircraft are ready for CAS yet; the precision, adaptability, and accountability needed are not yet there. Unless I have missed something big, all of the fielded armed UAVs fire (relatively expensive and small) missiles like the Hellfire, oddball and specialized munitions like the Viper Strike, and a few with small iron bombs. <br /><br />Cas needs to be able to fire cannon, launch all of the above, and carry other weapons as well including rockets, larger guided weapons such as bombs, cluster weapons, stand off weapons, etc. It also needs the quick response of an on the scene pilot, not a controller miles away, and it would be really helpful to have a rough/ improvised/ unplanned runway ability that no large UAV yet has. <br />For those reasons and more, at this point I believe the new CA plane will be manned. I think considering a turboprop is a good idea - I read one place that the AT-6 claims sub $1,000/ hour operating costs, which is incredibly low for a military plane. Jonathan Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10476185257203343474noreply@blogger.com