4 ms·

Ironically, the F-111 was the only model/mission of the TFX development effort to survive. The TFX was the '60s version of the F-35, except it also tried for t

by hga 12y ago

Ironically, the F-111 was the only model/mission of the TFX development effort to survive. The TFX was the '60s version of the F-35, except it also tried for the air superiority role the F-22 now fills. Nominal peacetime is when the bureaucrats try to save money with a single weapon system that "can do everything" ... but it seldom does more than one thing well. The M14 rifle is another '50s example.

arethuza 12y ago
And meanwhile a few miles up the road from here the UK is building huge aircraft carriers (at least by UK standards) specifically to carry the F35.
stcredzero 12y ago
Nominal peacetime is when the bureaucrats try to save money with a single weapon system that can do everything ... but it seldom does more than one thing well. Clueless German higher-ups were asking that every aircraft also be able to dive-bomb, causing design compromises and delays. Yes, they even did that with their revolutionary jet aircraft! (The fighter and the high speed bomber!)
- hga 12y ago
  Dive bomb, or just bomb? At a certain point in the war, the utility of the fighter-bomber was very well established, the Germans even had their own name for it, Jäger-Bomber I think it was, or Jabo. (I'd recommend the Wikipedia article, but it claims the P-38 was a poor fighter (!!!)). In general Nazi procurement was extremely subpar at this level. One might think Arthur C. Clarke's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superiority_(short_story) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superiority_(short_story) was based on them.
  - stcredzero 12y ago
    Dive bomb, or just bomb? Dive bomb. There were attempts to get both the Me-262 and the Arado bomber to do this!
  - arethuza 12y ago
    The Luftwaffe had an obsession with dive bombing after the initial success of the Stuka. However, making every aircraft design capable of dive bombing wasn't a good idea (fortunately): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luftwaffe#Dive-bombing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luftwaffe#Dive-bombing

by hga 12y ago

arethuza 12y ago

And meanwhile a few miles up the road from here the UK is building huge aircraft carriers (at least by UK standards) specifically to carry the F35.

stcredzero 12y ago

Nominal peacetime is when the bureaucrats try to save money with a single weapon system that can do everything ... but it seldom does more than one thing well. Clueless German higher-ups were asking that every aircraft also be able to dive-bomb, causing design compromises and delays. Yes, they even did that with their revolutionary jet aircraft! (The fighter and the high speed bomber!)

hga 12y ago
Dive bomb, or just bomb? At a certain point in the war, the utility of the fighter-bomber was very well established, the Germans even had their own name for it, Jäger-Bomber I think it was, or Jabo. (I'd recommend the Wikipedia article, but it claims the P-38 was a poor fighter (!!!)). In general Nazi procurement was extremely subpar at this level. One might think Arthur C. Clarke's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superiority_(short_story) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superiority_(short_story) was based on them.
- stcredzero 12y ago
  Dive bomb, or just bomb? Dive bomb. There were attempts to get both the Me-262 and the Arado bomber to do this!
- arethuza 12y ago
  The Luftwaffe had an obsession with dive bombing after the initial success of the Stuka. However, making every aircraft design capable of dive bombing wasn't a good idea (fortunately): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luftwaffe#Dive-bombing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luftwaffe#Dive-bombing