US Air Force Is Planning to Build a Super A-10 Warthog

[widnerkj]

How did you know when an F-4 was out of hydraulic fluid?

It stopped leaking.


Same for the F-14's

 

[M1911]

It stopped leaking. Same for the F-14's

 

[exo]

They should call it the A-11. It'll be 1 louder.

 

[mibro]

They should call it the A-11. It'll be 1 louder.

I like that. The new A-10 will go all the way to 11.

 

[mibro]

B-52 is very different. As a bomber, it rarely pulls any g's. The A-10 pulls a fair number of g's.

All airframes have a limited life span. Once you get near it, you either tear the aircraft down completely and start replacing main structural elements like wing spars, or the start coming apart in mid-air like some of our F-15cs.

I can see this discussion is going nowhere fast. Gs really have very little to do with it, not unless the airframe is stressed beyond its design limits.

Aircraft components are either safe life, fail-safe or infinite life, or at least they were when I was taught aircraft design practices. It's the safe life components that we're talking about here, the major airframe structures. The life of safe-life components can often be extended with appropriate statistical and engineering analysis and when that is no longer possible, hey you just replace entire pieces of the airframe.

The remaining in-service B-52s will have had the safe-life of their wings extended to 84 years by appropriate ongoing inspection and analysis until they are finally retired in 2044.

The USAF and Boeing has been rewinging the A-10 fleet as the original wings reach their safe-life limit and the wing replacement program could keep the A-10s flying past 2040.

 

[garandman]

Brrrt.

A10 pilots could not buy a drink in Germany if there were any Cav officers around.

 

[Rockrivr1]

It stopped leaking.


Same for the F-14's

AND the engine will stop smoking, which is very very bad.

 

[noddaduma]

The F/A-18 initially had its share of issues. The E/F is a major redesign from the C/D.

Yes I know. My wife worked weapons integration DT/OT for several years at China Lake as the E/F's were deployed to the Fleet in the early 2000's, running flight tests with VX-9 and VX-31. The amount of testing going on in that timeframe was immense...there were *always* Hornets in the air out there. They stayed flying for the most part.

We moved out here a few years ago...friend of mine back there sent us a window decal which I naturally put on the truck

 

[timbo]

They are going to over engineer it, and it will never be able to take a beating like they old ones.
When or what was the last military plane that was designed that has not been plagued with problems.

Dean

US Government motto: If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

 

[widnerkj]

.

 

[Gak44]

The problem is that the AF Brass want another super plane that does everything, instead of something that works.

 

[KBCraig]

P-47 Thunderbolt?

A-1 Skyraider.

 

[Fixxah]

A-1 Skyraider.

Touche'

 

[M1911]

It isn't a plan; it is a proposal. And given the DOD's current financial position, it is a proposal that isn't going anywhere.


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