Re: Boom Supersonic Overture Development - 2023

Having raised 700 million means they are 700 million dollars closer to being able to bring the airliner to market. No, it doesn't. Progress is measured by things like tangible hardware, engineering milestones, and government certifications. Boom have none of those worth mentioning. It's also not a ...

Re: Second tier advanced fighter projects news and discussion

Some very important stealth features are as follows: 1) Leading edges of the wing, intake tails aligned at the same angle. So radar is reflected in the same direction. 2) Trailing edges of the wing, tail aligned at the same angle. 3) Horizontal line down the sides of the nose. So radar from the sid...

Re: Tempest Fighter Jet Programme News and Discussion Thread

What is option is superior. 1) One $200 million 6th gen fighter paired with a single $20 million Loyal wingman drone. 2) One $100 million twin seat 4th gen fighter sitting 200 miles back controlling six $20 million loyal wingman drones. Both are the same price $220 million, the dedicated co-pilot c...

Re: Northrop Grumman Bails On Next Generation Fighter Competition

Given the level of secrecy and low production numbers I would expect someplace like Palmdale.

Re: Northrop Grumman Bails On Next Generation Fighter Competition

I've been hoping NG would go for the Navy's NGAD fighter and leave the Air Force contract to LM and Boeing. Everyone seems to forget the Grumman part of Northrop Grumman. High time we saw another 'cat onboard the carriers. Ghostcat? Devilcat? Catcat?? The F/A-44FA Catcat. Coming to a catapult near y...

Re: SpaceX Rocket Explodes Minutes After Test Launch

I've changed my mind that the test flight wasn't a failure. Tests are supposed to fail so that the failure mode can be identified and corrected. A normal failed flight, intended as a test, is just fine. So what's the problem? The sheer stupidity of launching the world's most powerful rocket off of a...

Re: Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider Production And Delivery Thread

"Most advanced" is meaningless unless you are specifying in what area. Kinematic performance? It's not even remotely advanced compared to say, 50-60 year old aircraft like the XB-70 or B-1A. Electronic systems? You could put the same electronics on literally any aircraft from any era, as ...

Re: B-21 Rolling out on Dec.2

The DoD has requested new funding to upgrade and modernize the B-21, on top of the development & purchase contract. Also announced there will be a delay of a few months before the first flight. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/air-force-asking-for-funds-to-modernize-b-21-before-it-has-even...

Re: American Airlines heritage fleet disappearing??

Is it even worth maintaining an "heritage fleet"? TWA disappeared in late 2001 (say 2002), so 21 years ago; around 25% of the US population was born after TWA's demise. Piedmont disappeared mid-1989, so almost 34 years ago; around 45% of the US population was born after Piedmont's disappe...

Re: Rocket Labs - Tests, Launches, Developments

It's ROCKETLAB. Why do you people insist on spelling it wrong? I know you see the correct way in every single article, video, and press release.

Re: B-21 Rolling out on Dec.2

I don't find the B-21 to be particularly fearsome. You wouldn't fear hundreds of aircraft, any one of which could destroy anything on, or quite a few meters under, any centimeter of the surface of the earth without being detected? And then do it all again the next day, and the next day... It's pret...

Re: Argentina fighter competition

When the Su-75 Checkmate was revealed, it was noted that Argentina was one of the target markets. It's supposed to be a cheap export product with M1.8 and AESA, but not sure on the refueling. Avionics are supposed to be shared with Su-57, so there should be some form of datalink and electronic defen...

Re: Tempest Fighter Jet Programme News and Discussion Thread

I think it was more of a situation where Japan had joined with their significant monetary and tech contributions and suddenly Sweden went from junior partner to being unnecessary. It feels like UK and Japan are more aligned in their plans for what Tempest should ultimately be; the latest renderings ...

Re: Updated: Canada picks F-35 as CF-18 fighter replacement

Has it been stated anywhere what Canada will be naming their F-35s? CF-35 or something purely domestic?

Re: Antonov Design Bureau News and Discussion Thread

Stop living in a fantasy world. The 225 will never be rebuilt. It's an obsolete design and massively expensive in every way. Ukraine will have much bigger fish to fry in the eventual wake of the war, which may not even see Ukraine as unoccupied and independent for at least months, if not years. Econ...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - Military Aviation News and Discussion Thread

Using cluster munitions and thermobaric weapons, along with hitting residential high rises is "playing nice?" Enough of the "targeting civilian buildings" nonsense. That isn't happening; ever heard of collateral damage? The last thing Russia wants to do is waste precious munitio...

Re: Germany Tornado Replacement News and Discussion Thread

tommy1808 wrote:

I am more thinking along the lines of nuclear delivery not going to happen like ever.

Re: James Webb Space Telescope has a launch date: Dec 18 2021

The deployment trigger was event-based, and not time-scheduled. Webb was put into a stable trajectory/configuration earlier than estimates, which were conservative. Another thumbs up to Ariane 5 I guess.

Re: Dallas / Fort Worth (DFW/DAL) Aviation Thread - 2021

RJNUT wrote:

Denver Air Connection will begin flights to DFW from Clovis, NM once a day using the Dorner 328 jet.

Re: St. Louis Aviation Thread - 2021

Just read this little piece of goodness. August 6, 1927 - Albert Bond Lambert offered to sell the 169-acre St. Louis Flying Field to the city for $60,000. That amount was his cost for the land alone. The aviation booster had graded, drained and developed the field at his own expense. While the city...

Re: United Launch Alliance - Tests, Launches, News, Developments

I think Elon could sell a few engines. At ULA prices, of course. Thrust-wise, the engines are quite comparable, 2.4 vs. 2.2 meganewtons of sea level thrust. Oh, I didn't realize it was as easy as a simple swap-in replacement. :roll: In the real world, rockets are designed around their engines and u...

Re: Mars 2021 Trio Of Missions

Talking about Mars missions. "BEIJING, June 24 (Reuters) - China aims to send its first crewed mission to Mars in 2033, with regular follow-up flights to follow, under a long-term plan to build a permanently inhabited base on the Red Planet and extract its resources." That's nonsense. The...

Re: The most advanced spacecraft in recent times

I think if Starship lands on the surface of Mars, we can name this spaceship one of the most advanced at the present time or even the most advanced spacecraft) You need to choose between present and future. The truth is that Starship does not exist yet, nor do prototypes. All we have are technology...

Re: The most advanced spacecraft in recent times

The obvious answer is the one we know least about: The NRO's latest KH-11 Kennen optical recon sats. Basically a Hubble telescope, but pointed towards Earth instead of away from it, and incorporating any number of super-classified advanced systems. They cost as much as a Nimitz class supercarrier.

Re: NASA Super Guppy Replacement?

If NASA wanted a B-747-LCF, the FAA would not stand in the way. Agree, if the US government wants something for one of its agencies, it won't let a different agency hold it up. Special exemption or USAF designation, etc. Not to mention it would probably have different specs than a "standard&qu...

Re: SpaceX - Tests, Launches, Developments - 2021

No "country" is copying anything. But a company, Electron Labs, is already copying SpaceX, IMO. You clearly don't know what you're talking about. There is no such company. If you're referring to Rocket Lab and the Electron booster, they are very different than SpaceX, although both are &q...

Re: Tempest Fighter Jet Programme News and Discussion Thread

mxaxai wrote:

The inlets remind me of the F-105 ...

Re: SpaceX - Tests, Launches, Developments - 2020

They had multiple cam angles from the Go Explorer earlier, and they should also have footage of re-entry from the WB-57 at high altitude.

Re: SpaceX - Tests, Launches, Developments - 2020

NASA is still saying "Go" for the undocking and return of the Demo-2 mission capsule, despite approaching Hurricane Isaias. CONTINUOUS coverage tomorrow (saturday) beginning at 17:15 EDT all the way through splashdown on sunday at 14:42! 21 1/2 hours of live space happenings; nice to see m...

Re: LEGO V22 Osprey SAR

I have always loved the LEGO product, but their management are awful for consumers. I won't go into the ridiculous prices that every set has these days, but I will say that their "brand values" are hypocritical at best. They appease the peace crowd by not making contemporary military sets,...

USN Begins Process to Select New Jet Trainer/T-45 Replacement

Article at FlightGlobal: http://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/us-navy-begins-search-for-next-jet-trainer-to-replace-t-45-goshawk/138400.article Another jet trainer competition about to kick off, this time the US Navy is looking for a two-seater to handle intensive land-based training and carrier t...

Re: Aerion moves forward with supersonic AS2 for 2024, unveils new final design

What could actually be done is to buy an "obsolete" fighter jet with weapons disabled or removed, and jump through the remaining hoops to get them operational. Are you serious? Do you have any idea what the range of a fighter aircraft is at full afterburner, or even just military power? I...

Re: A220 range and A223LR

keesje wrote:

No doubt Breeze would probably stuff their A220-300 with up to ~160-165 seats.

Re: Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider Production And Delivery Thread

A few details about operating altitude and engines: http://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/new-usaf-materials-hint-high-altitude-role-b-21 “The B-21 is not expected to use low altitude training routes,” the Air Force poster says. The B-2 was originally conceived as a high-altitude...

Re: DFW Foreign Carrier Estimated December 2019 Loads

Before the repeal of the Wright amendment... Never happened. Explain? Per Wikipedia: "The law was partially repealed in 2006 and then fully repealed in 2014." Wikipedia is wrong, or there is a lack of technical detail. The WA is still in effect, with severe restrictions, and can only be r...

Re: DFW Foreign Carrier Estimated December 2019 Loads

FSDan wrote:

Before the repeal of the Wright amendment...

Re: St. Louis Aviation Thread - 2020

It would only take a Lion's Choice or Cecil Whittaker's/Imo's to vault STL to number 1. If they had all three, I would never leave.

Re: F-35 News Thread - 2020

USN's new F135 engine delivery van is now flying: The US Navy CMV-22B Osprey made its initial flight at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center in Texas. The Bell Boeing CMV-22’s first flight comes ahead of its manufacturers’ plan to deliver the tiltrotor to the Naval Air Systems Command’s Air Test and Eval...

Re: Finland in talks for F-18 replacement

Flying evaluations have kicked off with the Eurofighter up first:

http://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/finland-launches-hx-fighter-evaluation-work/136063.article

Re: Embraer E2 Testing/Production Thread - 2019

That side shot looks like a twin-engine DC-8!

Re: Boeing 747-400 Passenger Fleet Tracking/Retirements Thread 2019

jfk777 wrote:

So sad to see the 744 fleet end their 30 years of flying at BA. The only version they didn't buy was the 747-300,

Re: LATAM opens for sale its new route to the Falklands

For a route which only supports 1x weekly and doesn't have any legs over 2000nm, I wouldn't have expected a B763. Must be a cargo-oriented operation.

Re: Thoughts on DL 717 longetivity

Actually, the 717 has more in common structurally with the DC-9 than the MD-80/90. When the DC-9 was stretched to the MD-80, a wing root extension and horizontal stabilizer root extension was added, the latter being needed to maintain pitch authority from the significant weight increase. Due to the...

Re: What's Going On? Egyptian C-130 In Baltimore

I shot an Egyptian C-130 at BWI around 2008. You could see the exhaust trails before the aircraft.

Re: UK unveils new Tempest fighter jet model as replacement of the Typhoon

Article about production processes being developed by BAE from Aviation Week: http://aviationweek.com/combat-aircraft/bae-envisioning-future-factory-tempest The Tempest seems to be, unlike the Franco-German FCAS, moving steadily forward and showing real signs of being a serious program that can deli...

Re: Aeromexico reports loss; cancels PVG, suspends 5 other international routes

ilovepabst wrote:

I'm no mathematician but what is that, maybe $29 dollars?

Re: Airbus A220 (CSeries) Delivery/Production Thread - 2019

rrbsztk wrote:

Although i am fearing that the orange window trim and that orange line on the front of the wing are the airplane equivalent of painters tape. But i love garish orange trim so hopefully it stays /

Re: Canada - Future Fighter Capability Project

What a bloody joke this 'competition' has devolved into... I think India and Canada should team up for a joint-RFP so that multiple hundreds of planes could be endlessly bid, cancelled, and re-bid all in one easy-to-follow farce. The endlessly-potential cost savings could possibly be enormous, perh...

Re: Last flight of the Avianca's E190

Are we talking Avianca proper (Colombia) or the whole group? I was doing dummy bookings to SAL and GUA for December a few hours ago and the E190 was shown on most flights.

Re: New FCAS Unveiled by Dassault for France, Germany & Spain

mxaxai wrote:

Nuclear weapons remain a weapon of only theoretical use.