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The U2 spy plane, quite an engineering marvel, was about a million bucks to buy. Yes I know the fed reserve's been steadily devaluating the dollar (and some st

The U2 spy plane, quite an engineering marvel, was about a million bucks to buy. Yes I know the fed reserve's been steadily devaluating the dollar (and some standard inflation), but I think it's still telling.

Retric 8y ago
U2 spy plane as originally designed is actually really quite simple. They keep updating the equipment inside, but the aircraft would be easy to replace. It has a minimal payload which allows for very high altitudes. Replacing it for under 10 million unit cost the USD equivalent in 1955 money seems very reasonable. PS: The F-22 for example along with a huge swath of military aircraft can also fly over 65,000 feet. But, rather than just carry a camera they also need to have weapon systems etc.
- wallace_f 8y ago
  Are you sure? A more-reasonable comparison would be the Global Hawk, which is the U2's successor, and costs (220,000,000. I agree a 10 million seems reasonable today. That was the point.
  - Retric 8y ago
    Global Hawk does 34 hours without refueling. That's well beyond the U2's performance and the core issue. The military wants to push the envelope on what's possible which get's expensive. Also, be careful comparing just the name. Today's U2 were built in the 1980s and are about 40% larger than the original design. They also include a lot more electronics where the orional needed to land and get film developed.
    - wallace_f 8y ago
      Yea they garnered a lot differences over the years. Even different engines, cockpits became partially pressurized, etc. But that doesn't mean the comparison between what could be built in the 1950s and today is invalid. And then of course, the GH is an unmanned drone, with a little lower ceiling, etc. These would reduce costs. Obviously it's a far-more advanced project, but it's also had outrageous cost overruns. I think it's crazy when you think one of our military's highest-performing planes, even if not as exotic as an SR71, has some kind of reasonable cost comparison to an air conditioning service that a high schooler built in their spare time. Remember, a lot of that inflation is devaluation (this is debated) from Fed printing money and playing games with Wall St, but not all of it.

Retric 8y ago

U2 spy plane as originally designed is actually really quite simple. They keep updating the equipment inside, but the aircraft would be easy to replace. It has a minimal payload which allows for very high altitudes. Replacing it for under 10 million unit cost the USD equivalent in 1955 money seems very reasonable. PS: The F-22 for example along with a huge swath of military aircraft can also fly over 65,000 feet. But, rather than just carry a camera they also need to have weapon systems etc.

wallace_f 8y ago
Are you sure? A more-reasonable comparison would be the Global Hawk, which is the U2's successor, and costs (220,000,000. I agree a 10 million seems reasonable today. That was the point.
- Retric 8y ago
  Global Hawk does 34 hours without refueling. That's well beyond the U2's performance and the core issue. The military wants to push the envelope on what's possible which get's expensive. Also, be careful comparing just the name. Today's U2 were built in the 1980s and are about 40% larger than the original design. They also include a lot more electronics where the orional needed to land and get film developed.
  - wallace_f 8y ago
    Yea they garnered a lot differences over the years. Even different engines, cockpits became partially pressurized, etc. But that doesn't mean the comparison between what could be built in the 1950s and today is invalid. And then of course, the GH is an unmanned drone, with a little lower ceiling, etc. These would reduce costs. Obviously it's a far-more advanced project, but it's also had outrageous cost overruns. I think it's crazy when you think one of our military's highest-performing planes, even if not as exotic as an SR71, has some kind of reasonable cost comparison to an air conditioning service that a high schooler built in their spare time. Remember, a lot of that inflation is devaluation (this is debated) from Fed printing money and playing games with Wall St, but not all of it.