Can we discuss how cool A10's are?

[bleachit]

steelrat, I may be mistaken, but I believe I once read that a late model F-15 could actually hit just above Mach 1 without afterburner. As far as the F-22 picking up the A, I was rather disappointed to hear that, however, jet fighters being turned into ground attack aircraft is nothing new. Hitler insisted that the ME 262 be used as a bomber.

[Steelrat]

Right, but Hitler's insistance that the ME-262 be capable of ground attack was wrong, as it delayed the 262s introduction by quite a bit. If the F-22 didn't do ground attack it would be a hard sell, as there are no real threats to the F-15 right now, much less the F-22. The Su-27 aint bad, but the Russian airforce is in shables, and the other users just can't be taken too seriously. I think the F/A-22 isnt such a bad idea at all. Shifting mud is what air power is really all about.

As for the F-15 supercruising, it might be able to, but I would imagine its only under very specific conditions. The F-22 was built to supercruise, and it can get up to mach 1.5 without afterburners. Thats pretty impressive, and translates to much faster transit time.

[Blennidae]

I have heard the F-15 can supercruise in a clean configuration. That means no external weapons, tanks, or pylons. Not much use in the real world. The F/A-22 can do it fully loaded, which is the big advantage. As for its A2G capability, I think they gave it the ability to drop the GPS guided bombs if necessary. No real need for extensive training with those.

Like Steelrat, everything I have read about the F/A-22's capabilities puts it a in a class all its own. Not just one factor, but the whole package.

[Jeffy-CanCon]

... Shifting mud is what air power is really all about.
...

EXACTLY! Now if only the zoomies would accept that fact!

[Destructo6]

Speed never goes out of style? The F-22 is the ONLY US plane that can supercruise,

I can see that putting those two sentances together, without a paragraph break, caused some confusion. It was not a critique of the Raptor's performance potential, but a critique of some military minds who put stealth on the same, or higher, importance level as performance. So, when planes, such as the F117 and B2, lose their stealth ability (as may have happened over the former Yugoslavia a few years ago), they have little to offer.

[bleachit]

I highly doubt the f117 lost its stealth ability.... someone got lucky and just happened to put a bullet in the same spot that aircraft happened to be flying. with the amount of flak those planes fly threw, its amazing how that hasnt happened before or since.

[spectre184]

I have a couple of A-10 pics from when I was doing an ONW (Operation Northern Watch) deployment but I can't log into my FTP account I'll post later.......

But by my sig you see what kind of planes I work with. But I still like working on an F-4E, that was a real aircraft

[Steelrat]

I can see that putting those two sentances together, without a paragraph break, caused some confusion. It was not a critique of the Raptor's performance potential, but a critique of some military minds who put stealth on the same, or higher, importance level as performance. So, when planes, such as the F117 and B2, lose their stealth ability (as may have happened over the former Yugoslavia a few years ago), they have little to offer.

Stealth reduces the radar signature, it doesnt eliminate it. Someone in Yugo got lucky. Also, remember the F117 is OLD stealth technology.

[Destructo6]

Luck or not (Serbs claim they hit it with 2 missiles, using "Tamara" passive radar), the wreckage has been sold to various countries, like Russia and China.

[nameless143]

I think that the only plane that might be cooler than an A-10 would have to be the AC-130 Spectre or Spooky Gunship. I mean come on, a howitzer on a plane that circles its target like a vulture is damn cool to me. Plus two miniguns . And a 40mm Bofors cannon.