Hi All,
What I fail to understand is the billions already pumped into that programme since the beginning not only by the U.S and the U.K. but other partner country’s that are professing to buy this lame duck. In my mind it has to be the single largest waste of money this government has pumped into an aircraft programme when the money could have been better spent developing the Harrier further like I mentioned on another thread it’s the greed of individuals behind the money and short cuts taken that then come back to bite later on somewhere down the programme.
In my mind (Very small:highly_amused:) there is to much emphasis on profit making rather than getting an aircraft that can do the job it has been created for just one design that can be operated from land and sea job done so what if the land version doesn’t use what the sea version does and visa versa, it’s quite simple build it one way just so that it can be used in all ways like the harrier it evolved from the prototype to the last variant and should have been developed further as there where already designs that would have been a natural evolution but no we have to run before we can walk and we all know that is a disaster.
I am afraid like or not Politics does play a role in this type of development this has been proven so many times before, this country was a world leader in the aircraft industry what has happened ? you can’t put it all down to money it’s a combination of factors but Money and politics being among the main two.
While BAE are involved with the F-35 it is a mistake to cut programmes and budgets that leaves in particular our Navy and RAF without a vital asset that should have at the least carried on until this so called miracle weapon was on line properly, it is my opinion right or wrong that we have sacrificed other programmes and our force capability with among others the culling of aircraft carriers, aircraft and troops for the sake of a superior addition that will be years away from entering service for example we are only planning to buy 6.5 a year to a total of 138 until 2020 approximately. (Pleas correct if wrong)

Geoff.

Hi All,
I think it all comes down to the greed of individuals who fund these projects let alone the greed of involved company’s, making a profit is one thing but to make a profit at the expense of say for example the air crew is very ugly. One thing that never get’s taken into consideration are the aircrew who have to pilot and man it’s systems if they ever bothered taking these seriously you wouldn’t have the trouble that for example the F-22 went through with the Oxygen supply.
I am no expert by any means at anything just putting an opinion across to the asked question, I accept that there are costs in development etc.etc but to my mind (which is tiny:highly_amused:) aircraft are way overpriced and more often than not over complicated weather it be a Fighter,Bomber or Airliner somewhere along the line people are making millions from overpricing from a rivet to engines etc.etc. and unless this practise is curtailed the aircraft are only going to increase in price which eventually translates into the forces not buying enough simply because off expenditure.
I would have to say honestly you can provide a new Bomber if the honesty is complete from design to first flight, to often shortcuts to solve problems bite back later down the development which is really stupid when you are designing a system that is supposed to be fairly easy to Fly,Maintain, and Arm here is just another example. Why design an aircraft that is supposed to be stealthy then hang all sorts of appendages off it negating the need for stealth to it’s supposed mission design which from what I have seen change all the time. Why not design a MRCA from the start where all weapons can be hidden that would be flown for say as long as the B-52 service career instead of trying to out do the competition all the time after all I may be wrong here but the service life of the B-52 has been extended beyond belief and possibly with the adage ‘If it isn’t broke don’t fix it’
I think that in the aviation industry particularly the military side especially there is a tendency to run before walking resulting in vast cost overruns, as an example the F-35 debacle that still continues and we never learn from these mistakes we just tend to blunder onto the next one with no accountability, personally I think getting rid of the Vulcan was a mistake like the Victor and Nimrod complete waste of money, after all if the American Air Force can do it with their systems why couldn’t we ? As we are now seeing XH558 is being improved to extend her fling life something that the RAF should have considered years ago instead of jumping into bed with various programmes that just suck this country dry.

Geoff.

Hi All,
Damn it I knew he would complain I only told him I had a headache! then that other guy thought I was ugly ? you should have seen him Quasimodo is a beau compared to that greasy faced,pock marked lump of lard! :highly_amused:

Geoff.

Hi All,
B-58 Hustler anyone ?

Geoff.

Here’s some more to be going on with…………………..

Hi All,
Stupid question time now, the video above donaldson1, Is there something wrong with the camera or is this just a visual effect as the Typhoon appears to be very unstable at some point’s it looks like a model, in particular the still clip before the video begins.

Geoff.

Hi All,
I like this one :eagerness:

Geoff.

Hi All,
What’s up with everybody changing their TUNA about this thread ? :highly_amused:

Geoff.