4 ms·
OA-X sounds like the polar opposite of the F-35. Simple, single-purpose, inexpensive, resilient, and maintainable. Congress will hate it.
by sevensor 10y ago
OA-X sounds like the polar opposite of the F-35. Simple, single-purpose, inexpensive, resilient, and maintainable. Congress will hate it.
- Terr_ 10y agoYep. I think "single-purpose" is perhaps the part from which the rest flows. I think this principle is humorously well-illustrated by this clip from "Pentagon Wars": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXQ2lO3ieBA&t=0m16s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXQ2lO3ieBA&t=0m16s
- squozzer 10y agoYou've touched on a cultural misalignment - and here's another - who in the USAF would be willing to fly it? It's essentially an assignment to the minor leagues of air combat. Moreover, such planes would depend heavily on air supremacy gained by the Mach 2+ stuff. OTOH, it would probably be a helluva lot of fun.
- Terr_ 10y ago> Moreover, such planes would depend heavily on air supremacy gained by the Mach 2+ stuff. I think that's part of the intended use-case, yes. Currently "anti-insurgency" implies opponents who do not have an air-force.
- e5india 10y ago|who in the USAF would be willing to fly it? Warrant Officers. The Army had a program during OEF/OIF where enlisted servicemembers could take a test and qualify for flight school to become helicopter pilots as a warrant officer. I found this tremendously attractive as an enlisted service-member and would have gone that route if I hadn't planned to leave and go to college instead.