Raptor Ready to Fight

[alphamale]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=1410224

This is a good thing!

[MonCapitan2002]

While it is certainly a very impressive plane, I think the expenditure dedicated to itsd development is a waste. At least, I hope it will be. If it turns out we never needed it, I would be very happy.

[wei yau]

One weird thing about living in the Washington DC area (and by no means the ONLY weird thing) is that you often hear radio commercials for military equipment such as The Raptor.

It's obviously NOT targeted at the average consumer, unless I actually can purchase one for a mere $130 mil. I suppose the commercials are targeted at those who actually have a hand in making these decisions, but that's one narrow demographic for broadcast radio.

Still, whenever I hear these commercials, I start day dreaming about buying some of these weapons for home defense.

[TomJoe]

For the price of one tenth of an airplane, I could easily do all of my research for my entire career. This is one of the drawbacks of working for the government.

Yes, we're building a new wing on the building.
Oh wait, we went to war with Iraq.
That new wing is going to have to wait for a decade.
Yes, we know it's half done, it's just going to have to wait.

[alphamale]

Originally Posted by TomJoe

For the price of one tenth of an airplane, I could easily do all of my research for my entire career. This is one of the drawbacks of working for the government.

Yes, we're building a new wing on the building.
Oh wait, we went to war with Iraq.
That new wing is going to have to wait for a decade.
Yes, we know it's half done, it's just going to have to wait.

Unfortunately, the first duty of a government is to protect its citizens.

[Jesus Christ]

So, why then did we invade a country that any person capable of analyzing cursory information would realize posed no threat to us?

[TomJoe]

Does that include protecting it's citizens from infectious diseases*?

*We also have this danger called bioterrorism.

P.S. Idjit, don't tell someone to put you on ignore and then reply to stuff they say. It's bad form.

[wei yau]

Originally Posted by TomJoe

Does that include protecting it's citizens from infectious diseases*?

*We also have this danger called bioterrorism.

Well, if the terrorist bio-engineer checks out a library book like "Dummies Guide to Killer Germs", then the Patriot Act has got that base covered.

[TomJoe]

Originally Posted by wei yau

Well, if the terrorist bio-engineer checks out a library book like "Dummies Guide to Killer Germs", then the Patriot Act has got that base covered.

Thank God for John Ashcroft!

[godfry n. glad]

Originally Posted by TomJoe

Thank God for John Ashcroft!

Why do you want me to hate your god?

[TomJoe]

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Why do you want me to hate your god?

Would it help if I told you I was being facetious?

[Shake]

Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002

While it is certainly a very impressive plane, I think the expenditure dedicated to itsd development is a waste. At least, I hope it will be. If it turns out we never needed it, I would be very happy.

Well, from one side I can see what you're saying. On the other, I wouldn't say the development is a waste. There are quite often civilian spinoffs to military projects.

[alphamale]

Originally Posted by MonCapitan2002

While it is certainly a very impressive plane, I think the expenditure dedicated to itsd development is a waste. At least, I hope it will be. If it turns out we never needed it, I would be very happy.

That's both the truth and the irony - the stronger you are, the less likely someone will fight you.

[alphamale]

Originally Posted by Jesus Christ

So, why then did we invade a country that any person capable of analyzing cursory information would realize posed no threat to us?

Why does everything get back to iraq for you? Did you post any of these in the food section yet?

[alphamale]

Originally Posted by TomJoe

Does that include protecting it's citizens from infectious diseases*?

*We also have this danger called bioterrorism.

P.S. Idjit, don't tell someone to put you on ignore and then reply to stuff they say. It's bad form.

Why? They won't see it.

[ceptimus]

Originally Posted by alphamale

That's both the truth and the irony - the stronger you are, the less likely someone will fight you.

Let's hope the Chinese develop an even more impressive plane then. That way the USA won't want to fight them.

Not much chance of the Arab states developing such a plane however - they don't have the technological resources, and of course if they started to build up towards having such resources the USA would attack them first, to make sure they couldn't build them up.

[Petra]

No wonder the US need to run around looking for (or creating) conflict - it needs to justify the public spend and secure the private war corporations profits.

Military. Industrial. Complex.


The US is fast becoming a Goliath.

[Petra]

How much fuel does that thing use, btw?

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by alphamale

Unfortunately, the first duty of a government is to protect its citizens.

Which:
1. has nothing to do with a multi-billion dollar pork project;
2. and clearly explains why we are in Iraq

D'OH!

[Jesus Christ]

Originally Posted by alphamale

Why does everything get back to iraq for you? Did you post any of these in the food section yet?

Illiterate AND ADD!

Originally Posted by alphamale

Unfortunately, the first duty of a government is to protect its citizens.

Pwn3d.

[viscousmemories]

Since this seems to have evolved into a political discussion, I've moved it to the politics forum.

In the future if your goal is to have a science oriented discussion I recommend providing a little more content in the OP to make that objective more obvious. There are enough different ways to access threads that sometimes simply putting it in the Science forum isn't enough.

[Shake]

Originally Posted by pepperspray

How much fuel does that thing use, btw?

Actually, IIRC, it's better on fuel than its predecessors as it has "supercruise" technology. That is, the ability to fly supersonic without the need of extremely wasteful — albeit powerful — afterburners.

You see, what basically happens in afterburners is dumping more raw fuel to the already heated exhaust. This provides further combustion and added thrust.

Newer, more powerful engines combined with improved design and materials — making for an overall lighter aircraft — allow for "supercruise". This also serves to increase service range.

So, to get back to your question, probably about as much as a similar sized subsonic jet would, but with the added capability of supersonic travel.

Engines have often been a limiting factor in aircraft design. The original P-51 Mustangs were equipped with weaker engines than the ones flying at the end of WWII. Thus, they had neither the speed nor the range of later models.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by TomJoe

Would it help if I told you I was being facetious?

I thought he was being facetious, too, joking that, if you're going to assign credit for John Ashcroft to your God, then you're spreading bad PR about Him.

[TomJoe]

Originally Posted by Adam

I thought he was being facetious, too, joking that, if you're going to assign credit for John Ashcroft to your God, then you're spreading bad PR about Him.

I know.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by TomJoe

I know.

Hehe. OK, hard to tell. Just didn't want to see another flamewar.