I like this new challange for the air force I don't like the people making fun of the name of the cadets If you know enough about it the going to be called cyber-warriors.
I couple years I'm applying for USAF OTS with a major in computer science this is why i'm liking this Cyberspace challange.

Posted by: Francisco at January 27, 2007 7:10 PM

Consider that the F-14 was operational in 18 months, complete with swing wing. There has been no significant increase in the systems on board new aircraft. Certainly nothing that would account for an order of magnitude jump in cost and schedule. Is GPS going to add a decade to development? I don't think so. Digital avionics and busses should make things easier not harder, as should the plethora of other benefits the digital age has brought. There is no excuse for these jokers. This is a first rate scam, and the US Air Force has only itself to blame.

It's taking a toll on them too. I remember a couple of years ago Wright Patterson AFB had a safety stand down for about a week as I recall. Too many of their people were dying. They were killing themselves, as in, insert barrel, pull trigger. They've got these poor guys living in hotel rooms. They would see their families more if they were in the Navy. They are prevented from doing the job they'd like to do by officers who are more concerned about their careers than they are about doing what's right.

Too much responsibility and no authority. When I think of these poor guys being stressed to the point where they'd do something like that, it breaks my heart. And what did the Air Force do for them, hire a bunch of counselors to come in and tell them they had to "let go". Good idea there, tell an Air Force full of Type A personalities to "let go". Typical.

Posted by: Dfens at December 13, 2005 7:32 PM

Careful, Dfens. There are a few errors in your arguments.
Simply- modern aircraft are an order of magnitude more complex than planes like the F-86 or B-29.
The state of the art in 1950 hardly bears comparison to the state of the art in 1980, let alone today.
Let's look at this from an engineering perspective. Consider the P-51: it went from a rough design in 1940 to dominating the skies by 1944. The A-1 Skyraider was designed in a single night, according to air lore. The development cycle for a new airframe might be completed in a few years.
Now add in modern radar, comm, navigation, life support (and that's only the tip of the iceberg) as well as the flexibility, speed, and endurance we expect from a modern combat aircraft and suddenly you're lucky if your production will spin up inside a decade.
This isn't to say the development and acquisition process doesn't need reform- it does- but you can't judge this century by the standards of fifty years ago.

As for those snarky comments about MS-DOS (which hit too close to home for this old comm hand) you should see the mix of equipment AF 3CXs and 2E2s have mastered.

Posted by: TheMasterTimekeeper at December 13, 2005 2:46 PM

I've never seen an electronics box make an airplane stealthy, have you? You don't think aerodynamics matter in airplanes? You've got to be kidding me! Has anyone ever explained to you that drag goes up with the square of velocity? It can go up even faster once a vehicle exceeds Mach 0.3 due to compressibility. In the '50s there was some doubt as to whether or not we'd ever be able to build a supersonic airplane. Now it just doesn't matter? It's funny how it seems to matter with race cars that run around in circles at Mach 0.25. If you build an airplane that goes Mach 2, suddenly it's like picking a shoe off a rack. Who'd have guessed?

You've been paying too much attention to that sorry Air Force of ours, but I assure you, aerodynamics still count when it comes to airplanes. I am ashamed of the Air Force we have now. When I was young, they were rolling out newer, hotter planes all the time. None of this once every quarter century crap! We certainly didn't get kicked around by 3rd world countries then, and if we had, we would have done something about it, not just try to spin the news like some 2 bit, snake oil selling politician. Hell, about every third pilot I meet these days is geekier than I am, and I'm an engineer! High tech Air Force, indeed. How about a kick ass and take names Air Force? I wonder if words like honor, pride, and honesty still mean anything at that little school they have in Colorado?

Posted by: Dfens at December 12, 2005 8:40 PM

New name for the the cadets at the Air Force Academy "Space Cadets.

Posted by: john at December 12, 2005 2:21 PM