F-22 Raptor swallows pilot

[Bunnyman4]

You’re not kidding ether! Woo, hoo, wow. ​

 

[Lord Blackadder]

The last time I was at Wright-Patterson Air Force base (the USAF museum is there) I was in the R&D hangar and they have an SR-71 (it might be an A-12), X-15 number 2 AND the sole remaining XB-70 Valkyrie parked next to each other. It made my hair stand on end.

 

[sushi]

...ahead of its time, the SR-71 was forcibly retired by Congress. Since they weren't able to cancel the program directly, a Senator was able to have the dies destroyed, effectively ending the program. Either the bird or the dies were made of titanium, a very difficult metal to work with. Incidentally, titanium is also biocompatible, making it ideal from implanting into the human body.

Actually the dies were destroyed a long time ago...long before the program was cancelled.

During DS 1, Skunk Works provided a plan to the AF to bring three SR-71's out of retirement and get them into operational readiness and provide the trained crews for the birds. The AF was going to approve the plan. However, our current VP, who was SEC DEF at the time, stopped it cold because he was afraid once it got into the system again they could not get it out!

I understand his decision, but disagree with it. Wish that the SR was still operational.

BTW, the SR-71 is from a softer version of titanium. Skunk Works found out that regular titanium was simply too hard to work with.

Reference the SR-71's top speed, technically it did not have one as we would traditionally think of it. Rather top speed was based upon the maximum compressor inlet temperature of 427 degrees.

 

[sushi]

The last time I was at Wright-Patterson Air Force base (the USAF museum is there) I was in the R&D hangar and they have an SR-71 (it might be an A-12), X-15 number 2 AND the sole remaining XB-70 Valkyrie parked next to each other. It made my hair stand on end.

Wow! Lucky bastard.

I just received a very nice Power Point Slide Show on the F22. Very nice looking bird. A bit bigger than I realized.

Looks nice.

 

[Black&Tan]

Actually the dies were destroyed a long time ago...long before the program was cancelled.

I stand corrected. It was a while ago that I read the article in Air & Space. But what really stood in my mind was the underhanded way in which politicians destroy a viable military programming. If they can't do it in committee, they'll just destroy the manufacturing process.

 

[blitzkrieg79]

So... as I was saying in my earlier posts, most of this aviation technology is based upon German R&D during WWII

 

[sushi]

I stand corrected. It was a while ago that I read the article in Air & Space. But what really stood in my mind was the underhanded way in which politicians destroy a viable military programming. If they can't do it in committee, they'll just destroy the manufacturing process.

This is from the Skunk Works book by Ben Rich:

"One of the most depressing moments in the history of the Skunk Works occurred on February 5, 1970, when we received a telegram from the Pentagon ordering us to destroy all the tooling for the Blackbird."

I am not sure if the order to destroy the tooling came from Congress via the Pentagon or from the Pentagon directly. My read from what I know is that this act was directly from the Pentagon.

As for the program cancellation, it is sad reading. It seems there were those who were for the program and those who were against the program and not much in between. Unfortunately, we know who won that battle. Sad.

 

[sushi]

So... as I was saying in my earlier posts, most of this aviation technology is based upon German R&D during WWII

Yes, the German's were way ahead of everybody else in many areas at the time.

And exported Germans after the war were responsible for many Western breakthroughs.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Actually the dies were destroyed a long time ago...long before the program was cancelled.

During DS 1, Skunk Works provided a plan to the AF to bring three SR-71's out of retirement and get them into operational readiness and provide the trained crews for the birds. The AF was going to approve the plan. However, our current VP, who was SEC DEF at the time, stopped it cold because he was afraid once it got into the system again they could not get it out!

Our family visited the Air Force Museum shortly before Desert Storm. One of the aircraft I really wanted to see was the SR-71 - but it was not there. Museum personnel told us that the museum's example had been flown out west and placed back into active service. I thought that was almost as cool as seeing one!

Standing next to the SR-71 and X-15 it is surprising how small they are - especially when dwarfed by the XB-70, which is not only very big but stands on a very tall undercarriage.

They also have the YF-22 at the museum. It's interesting to note the differences between it and the F-22.

No aviation enthusiast should miss going to the USAF museum in Dayton, OH (the Wright brothers' hometown). I could go on all day about the cool stuff they have there - a V-2, V-1, Bockscar (the Nagasaki atom bomb B-29), just about every major combat aircraft from WW-II...They also have an ICBM collection, every major SAC bomber including the massive B-36 and B-2...there are several aircraft (like the B-18) that are the sole surviving example of their type. At the moment thery are working on the Memphis Belle in their huge restoration hangar.

Between Dayton and the Smithsonian (haven't been yet!), you have military aviation Nirvana.

I remember reading somewhere that the fuel mixture for the SR-71 cost more per liter than quality single-malt scotch whiskey.

 

[jefhatfield]

I doubt that. As the F-14 has only been in 2 dog fights. And in both situations 2 Tomcats came into a fight. And 2 Tomcats left the fight shooting down the enemy MIG's or SU's. Unless they were other dog fights that I am not aware of with the F-14.

you are probably right...it could be that the f-15 not only did not get shot down, but never had any major accidents or losses...something on the history channel stated/commented that the f-15 had a flawless record and that it was an amazing feat

the only other flawless record i know of in air force/army air force history is that the tuskeegee airmen, flying as escort fighter pilots to bombers, never lost a bomber in combat in world war II...i went to an air show once where there was a surviving member of the wwII tuskeegee airmen and it was an honor to see him there

flying above were six different P-51 mustang fighters, some of which were modified to have two seats to give spectators a ride who were willing to shell out four hundred dollars for a ten minute flight

 

[quagmire]

you are probably right...it could be that the f-15 not only did not get shot down, but never had any major accidents or losses...something on the history channel stated/commented that the f-15 had a flawless record and that it was an amazing feat

the only other flawless record i know of in air force/army air force history is that the tuskeegee airmen, flying as escort fighter pilots to bombers, never lost a bomber in combat in world war II...i went to an air show once where there was a surviving member of the wwII tuskeegee airmen and it was an honor to see him there

flying above were six different P-51 mustang fighters, some of which were modified to have two seats to give spectators a ride who were willing to shell out four hundred dollars for a ten minute flight

Nah, I forgot about SAAM's and ground launched attacks which I am not aware of how many shot down the F-14.

 

[sushi]

No aviation enthusiast should miss going to the USAF museum in Dayton, OH (the Wright brothers' hometown). I could go on all day about the cool stuff they have there - a V-2, V-1, Bockscar (the Nagasaki atom bomb B-29), just about every major combat aircraft from WW-II...They also have an ICBM collection, every major SAC bomber including the massive B-36 and B-2...there are several aircraft (like the B-18) that are the sole surviving example of their type. At the moment thery are working on the Memphis Belle in their huge restoration hangar.

Between Dayton and the Smithsonian (haven't been yet!), you have military aviation Nirvana.

Dayton sounds cool. Someday I plan on visiting there.

I have been to the Smithsonian and it is very nice. I also have visited a couple of their outlying feeder places where they restore the aircraft for display. At one, the Enola Gay was in pieces awaiting to be restored. I was able to walk through it and sit in the cockpit.

BTW, if you ever travel to Japan, I highly recommend visiting the Hiroshima Peace Park.

I remember reading somewhere that the fuel mixture for the SR-71 cost more per liter than quality single-malt scotch whiskey.

Not sure how much JP-7 costs, but I'm sure it isn't cheap!

You can drop a match into it and it won't light.

They use the fuel to cool the aircraft before it is consumed by the engines.

Edit: Reference your max speed and altitude comment, you might enjoy this archive:

http://yarchive.net/air/sr71.html

The second message down directly addresses the altitude.

 

[sushi]

SR-71 Banking Data

Found this interesting.

According to the chart that I have, if an SR-71 was traveling at Mach 3.2, at X bank angle, it would take Y turn radius in miles:

At 25 degrees --> 105 Miles

At 30 degrees --> 85 Miles

At 35 degrees --> 70 Miles

At 40 degrees --> 58 Miles

Talk about having to planning to stay ahead of the aircraft!

On a different topic, I have a cool presentation of the Raptor flying around with an F-15. What would be the best way to show it? Suggestions?

 

[virividox]

lol pwned by the defense department!!! haha