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2024-11-27 Home Front: Politix

Pentagon mum after Musk calls its most expensive project 'obsolete'

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Posted by Skidmark 2024-11-27 09:59|| || Front Page|| [11145 views ] Top
File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats

#1 In Augustine's Laws it was projected that one day the Pentagon will have such an expensive aircraft that it could only afford one. At which time the Navy and Air Force will use it on alternating date, with the Marine Corps getting it on Leap Day.

Posted by Procopius2k 2024-11-27 14:01|| 2024-11-27 14:01|| Front Page Top

#2 "The F-35 design was broken at the requirements level, because it was required to be too many things to too many people,"

The art of design is knowing what to leave out, not what to put in. As I understand, the problem with the current F-35 is heat - all those fancy avionics are hot. As originally specified, the plane had sufficient cooling. But as with all things designed by committee, feature creep set in. More features, more electronics, more heat. Unfortunately, adding a radiator to a stealth fighter is a greater challenge than squeezing in yet another box of avionics.

For an amusing take on feature creep, watch "The Pentagon Wars" - a comedic version of how the Bradley Fighting Vehicle came to be what it is today versus how it started life as a light cavalry scout vehicle.

Posted by SteveS 2024-11-27 15:10|| 2024-11-27 15:10|| Front Page Top

#3 During manufacturing of the F-35 skins, the L-M requirements were far in excess of anything my former company ever experienced; some good, some not so much. Having to use a L-M mandated cheesecloth for wiping down w/solvent, costing over 2X the amount of “ACME” cheesecloth is just one example.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2024-11-27 15:24|| 2024-11-27 15:24|| Front Page Top

#4 I think the plan for the F/A-XX, which would be a 6th generation fighter/bomber will sacrifice speed.

The theory is, IIUC, that if the enemy can't see you, well you don't need to be that fast.

This should, in theory, allow a less expensive product to be developed.

Posted by Lord Garth 2024-11-27 17:42|| 2024-11-27 17:42|| Front Page Top

#5 My take is that the F-35 project is a trojan horse concealing the development and deployment of a number of other, far more effective, dark-budget killing machines.

Posted by Anomalous Sources 2024-11-27 19:53|| 2024-11-27 19:53|| Front Page Top

#6 What an interesting theory Anom.

Posted by Besoeker 2024-11-27 21:19|| 2024-11-27 21:19|| Front Page Top

#7 ^ A-yup

Posted by Frank G 2024-11-27 21:43|| 2024-11-27 21:43|| Front Page Top

23:06 Skidmark
21:51 JohnQC
21:46 JohnQC
21:43 Frank G
21:40 JohnQC
21:19 Besoeker
19:53 Anomalous Sources
19:50 Frank G
19:06 NoMoreBS
17:47 Frank G
17:42 Lord Garth
17:05 Pancho Poodle8452
16:58 Skidmark
16:56 ed in texas
16:50 ed in texas
16:49 ed in texas
16:47 Grom the Reflective
16:47 ed in texas
16:44 Skidmark
16:41 Skidmark
16:41 Lord Garth
16:18 NoMoreBS
16:15 Chomomp Glinert5355
16:03 Besoeker