Together at last....Match made in heaven?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Haven't met one yet lol but that's saying something (no offense boomer )

I wonder how many have a copy of Kenny loggins "danger zone" hiding somewhere lol.

a reply to: mindseye1609

Fighter pilots are told from the start that they're the best. I'm always amazed that they can fit in the cockpit with their ego.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I imagine the fact that less then 1% of applicants actually make it to the cockpit of a fighter helps a little with the ego. I know id feel like a BAMF lol.

Without breaking opsec (which I know you love to do so much ) how much work does the pilot have to do regarding the new networking tech? The linking of the planes to bombers and all that jazz. Controlled from the ground and monitored by IT techs? Or does the pilot have to be a pseudo network tech while he's doing everything else?

a reply to: mindseye1609

It's all controlled by the pilot. It's amazingly simple though. It's pretty much all at the touch of a few buttons.

a reply to: Zaphod58

That's awesome. I used to work in wireless and when i read through some of the f22 technical jargon a lot of stuff jumped out to me as familiar.. I could barely do my job some days all by myself using a laptop and on the ground and in good comfort lol wireless is finicky. I'm sure that price tag buys you some pretty stout tech but still I couldn't imagine in a high stress moment lol.

a reply to: mindseye1609

They're already interconnected before they get to that point.

US fighters since Vietnam have been designed with the HOTAS philosophy. Everything the pilots needs to fight is displayed on the HUD, so he never has to look down, and all the weapons related controls are on the throttle and stick, within easy reach of his natural hand placement on both. You can run most of the sensors like that, without ever even looking down into the cockpit, even in the middle of a fight.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I've said it before and il say it again, Nerds are awesome! The stuff we've come up with blows me away sometimes.

Soo lemme ask you this, hypothetical if a couple f22's suddenly are outnumbered 25 to 2 and a Bone that's over yander somewhere nearby for other purposes is needed for a little assist in the payload area it would all integrate seamlessly? Like when the bone is on scene they automatically connect Or it was always connected?

Would f22's be running around in a possible hot environment without a dedicated ammo carrier bone?

Sorry for all the rookie questions but the possibilities interconnectivity opens up really intrigues me. All new weak spots to exploit as well, I'm sure china and Russia have similar connectivity correct?

a reply to: mindseye1609

No. Without either a BACN platform, TTNT link, or a TALON HATE pod F-22s can only link to other 5th generation platforms. Fourth generation platforms use Link-16 to communicate, while the F-22 uses the MADL/IFDL. Link-16 isn't an LPI link, which means that other platforms can detect and get an idea of where the platforms are. MADL/IFDL are LPI links, which are much harder to detect. But they can't talk to each other, as they use different protocols, among other things.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Right on. Do we know if this is our strategic direction we will be taking? 5th gen bomber platforms assisting fighters from a distance?

The super low ordinance numbers on the f22 and f35 make me nervous for some reason. I haven't even looked do they have guns? Like 20mm cannons?

a reply to: mindseye1609

They recess into the fuselage.

No, the bombers will be doing their own thing. Bombers as air to air missile trucks has been bandied about for a long time, but nothing has come of it. It would require at least some modification to the fire control system, as well as the datalink and radar mounted on board.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I feel like against a peer state it might have some draw backs like wearing too big of a radio or whatever. Crucial targets earn bullseyes and then your SOL if that's what your relying on.

Any word on a possible mid level 5th gen. A cross over so to say kinda like the 111-117 series? A bomber by blood but fighter by style sorta thing.

a reply to: mindseye1609

The F-111 was another one that was TECHNICALLY a fighter, and carried air to air missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders IIRC), and was originally designed to carry the Phoenix and other missiles in that class, but was a FAR better air to mud platform, and would get eaten alive in an air to air fight.

The -111 was like the F-15E. It's an Eagle, and technically a fighter, but the only air to air kill by an E model was a helicopter that they dropped a 2,000 lb laser guided bomb on while it was coming in to land.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Lol the "aardvark" right? Bet that pilot was like "HAH who's buying me dinner!"

Are we going to make 5th gen in this class? Something with the f22 or f35 capabilities EW and other tech wise but with a much increased payload? Just not such a massive increase its now in the bomber category. You know what I mean I'm just trying to spell it out lol.

originally posted by: mindseye1609
a reply to: Sammamishman

Like peas and carrots!

What benefit is it to run a mixed squadron? Does the. F35 have Capbilities the 22 doesn't or vice versa?

When it comes to EW and avionics, the F-35 is well ahead of the raptor. And quite a few sources, including the commander of ACC came out and said the F-35 has a lower RCS than the raptor as well. Id like to see data on that but prpb not in my lifetime.

The super low ordinance numbers on the f22 and f35 make me nervous for some reason. I haven't even looked do they have guns? Like 20mm cannons?

Actually for the air to air role, the raptor can hold 6 AMRAAMS and two sidewinders internally. That's not bad. And the F-35 is meant to fight the first couple days with internals only and after SEAD/DEAD is taken care of they can haul quite a bit externally.

You mean those F 35s actually can fly?
I stand amazed after all the negatives ive heard since the program began.....
Maybe they will turn out to be the real deal after all the bitching.....
But 100 million dollars better buy some serious airplane.....
That's way over a billion bucks a squadron.....operationally expensive if they end up on the receiving end of things.....But I suppose that's why the F22s are paired up with em for right?

They had a rough start but so did just about every other aircraft built. In 2019, the F-35A will cost less than legacy forth gen aircraft. And we haven't even seen everything the F-35 is capable of. Like using its electronics to beam a stuxnet like virus into an enemies radar station...

originally posted by: mindseye1609
a reply to: Zaphod58

I hear boomers got the big ego

"Stinkin birds wouldn't make it out of the back yard without ME!"

Lmao some of us do. But our egos are born from the fighter pilot egos just as a way to counteract them and put them in their place .

After all, NKAWTG...N!

a reply to: boomer135

The thing with boomers is they still have work as loadmaster/flight attendent. The Air Force works them pretty good getting 2 jobs in one AFSC. So the ego can get pretty big when they actually get to fly the boom.

a reply to: boomer135

One of my favorite patches. I saw a video where a guy is giving a seminar and he demystified a few of the funnier patches. The NKAWTG got a good laugh out of the crowd. Am I wrong in remembering one that was a little different like NKAWTG EU for "even us"? It had something to do with a black project I think.

a reply to: Pyle

I only encountered one boomer I would have gladly taken into a dark alley. He was on a KC-10 a group of us hopped for a local, and seemed to think anyone not on his flight crew was too stupid to understand what was going on at any given time.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Only boomers (Pilots as welI) I really had a problem with were ex-maintenance guys. They were some of the biggest jerks around. They thought they knew everything about maint. and limits after being out of the loop on revisions and changes for years. Unlike a normal crew member that would take your word on something these guys I would have to literally get the book to show them in black and white and even then they wouldnt be happy about it. Heaven forbid a drop of hyrdo be coming out of the dry bay after you serviced it earlier.

a reply to: Pyle

We used to see that with some of the guys fresh out of school. Right up until they did something incredibly stupid.