Best Jet Warplane Currently In Operation

[HITMAN]

Pick your fave, and then post why it is your pick.

Driving by the EAA fly-in today and seeing the Warbirds flying around got me thinking about our current crop of active warplanes. I've heard some disturbing things lately about the F-22 Raptor (can't fly in the rain because of abrasion, canopy de-lamination, repair/maintenance of 30 hours for every hour of actual flight) and I started googling when I got home. One thing lead to another and here we are.

My pick is the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II, otherwise known as the Warthog. It's a combat proven design, very maneuverable, (a true pilot's aircraft, none of that disconnected fly-by-wire shit on this bitch) an ability to survive massive damage and still get it's pilot back to base in one piece, the ability to loiter for quite a while in the combat zone, giving confidence to the troops on the ground it helps to protect, and (of course) an ability to destroy just about anything on or over a battlefield with it's combination of advanced electronics, advanced weaponry and one BAD ASS MOTHERFUCKER of a gun stuffed up in it's nose. At one time slated for replacement in it's role by the F-16 :rolf, after the first Gulf war the USAF scrapped those plans and has continually updated the plane. It is slated to be kept in service until at least 2028, when it it will be replaced by the F-35. :rolf

Fast movers are like super-models: Sexy and beautiful, but they're fragile and expensive in up-keep. The A-10 is not so beautiful, but it is like the girl you hope you end up marrying. Protective of her spouse, cheap to maintain, and she can really cook (in more ways than one...:D)

[animal]

For me, it's got to be the B-1 Bomber. Something about carrying 134,000lbs of bombs faster than sound just gives me a warm fuzzy.

Death from above bitchez...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/B1bombnflare.jpg

[That_Guy]

i saw the f-22 raptor last year and all i can say is wow .. to watch that thing go through all the different stunts i was just in aw

[That_Guy]

ac-17 is hands down the most badass gun ship..

Armament:

Three larger GAU-8 Avenger 30mm guns from A-10's

Two larger M777 light weight 155mm Howitzers

Racks of side firing DAGR mini laser guided missiles for medium range engagements

Racks of side firing GBU-44/B Viper Strike GPS/laser guided glide missiles for longer range engagements

Standard loading of AGM-88 HARM missiles for suppression of radar guided air defense batteries

Standard loading of AIM-120 AMRAAM Slammer missiles for defence against airborne threats. Additionally a seekers could be slaved to the on board electronic warfare suite for airborne threat search.



Electronics:

A standard USAF AN/ALQ-131 Self Protection Jamming array pod

The very powerful AN/ALQ-99E Jamming Pod connected to the electronic warfare suite

The Bright Star FLIR target designator

The newest Star SAFIRE "HD" FLIR for long range surveillance, target search, and battle damage recording for cool liveleak/youtube videos.



Arguements:


This is a base model comparison for scale purposes only. Thus regular C-130 and C-17 models are used.


Stall speed

C-130 - 100-115 Knots
C-17 - The C-17 is meant for paratrooper deployment, as was the C-5 galaxy. The stall speed numbers for this aircraft are not only abnormally low for an aircraft of its size, but also so low that they are not published to the public. Of note, the stall speed for the much larger C-5 Glaxy are known to be 115 Knots. The reasons for the C-17's low speed ability are listed below in the conclusion section.



Max speed

C-130 - 348 Knots
C-17 - 450 Knots



Range

C-130 - with 18,144 kg payload and MIL-C-5011A reserves, 2835 Nautical Miles
C-17 - with 76,657 kg payload 2420 Nautical Miles



Minimum takeoff distance

C-130 - 1800 Feet
C-17 - less than 1400 Feet with 44,000 pounds payload (Boeing)



Minimum landing distance

C-130 - 1400 Feet
C-17 - less than 1400 Feet with 44,000 pounds payload (Boeing)



http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/A0C7500B_1143_EC82_2E7AC6AF66D2FFA9.jpg

[HITMAN]

ac-17 is hands down the most badass gun ship..



Yeah, provided it actually gets built...

[BOSS LX]

I have always been a huge fan of the F-18's!

[subliminal1284]

F-14 owns all

[lordairgtar]

I just like the look of the A-10. I saw those on practice flights over my grandfathers farm in Wood county. Awesome as hell. As for old stuff, I'm partial to the Polikarpov WW2 prop driven fighter.
When the tiny I-16 flew for the first time in December 1933, it was far ahead of any other fighter design in the world, featuring retractable landing gear, a cantilever wing and variable pitch propeller. Although not among the best remembered aircraft of the thirties, it was nevertheless a very able and rugged machine and featured prominently in the events of the time. Also, the Spanish captured several of these and both sides used the plane in their own civil war. I also like the Yak 7-A.

[Al]

B-52 should be on the list. The plane has been around forever.

[VroomPshhTsi]

A-10 Thunderbolt... saw one flyover at Road America about 4 years ago, I still have a boner from it

[HITMAN]

B-52 should be on the list. The plane has been around forever.

Option 10: Other (Bombers, older fighters, etc.) :thumbsup

[Reverend Cooper]

raptor

[That_Guy]

A-10 Thunderbolt... saw one flyover at Road America about 4 years ago, I still have a boner from it

the arsenal that it carries is just overwhelming

[07ROUSHSTG3]

i saw the f-22 raptor last year and all i can say is wow .. to watch that thing go through all the different stunts i was just in aw

i have to agree. i saw that thing at EAA and all but wet myself. gives me goosebumps just thinking about the badasseness of that machine. USA!!

[USMARINE1108]

Apples to oranges for most of this stuff. Everything has it's role. I've got to say (I am a little bias) that the Hornet takes it. It will fight it's way to the target, kill it, and fight it's way back. All from a floating airport.

[94greenbandit]

Too bad the Raptor has been shelved by Obama No more spending money on it

[07ROUSHSTG3]

Too bad the Raptor has been shelved by Obama No more spending money on it

yeah. we still have like 180 or something though, and with the capability of that thing, 180 would be enough to destroy the world if wanted :thumbsup

[94greenbandit]

I wouldn't mind having one in the garage. I think the MSRP is a little high though

[HITMAN]

yeah. we still have like 180 or something though, and with the capability of that thing, 180 would be enough to destroy the world if wanted :thumbsup

Provided it wasn't raining on the day we decide on that course of action...:rolf

[Prince Valiant]

So torn...A-10 is far and away my fav. It was the first model I've built...and what I've dreamed of flying ever since.

That said, it's hard to decide...of course, the F-22 would be the air-superiority king; but a good argument could be made that the A-10 thunderbolt, though limited in it's scope, does it's specific job as good or better than anything ever produced.

But the f-22 is something else as well...same w/ the f-35.

Got to hand it to the russian and euro's...the Su-35 and Dassualt Typhoon's are both very capable fighters.

Also, it's hard to argue against the f-15...a kill ratio of over 100:1 (hell, infinity:1 since one's never been lost in a dogfight/ecounter, lol).

In the end, my vote is for the f-22, with a sentimental check by the a-10.

[HITMAN]

In a pure air superiority role, with all systems running as advertised, the F-22 has NO peer. In EVERY mock engagement with F/A-18, F-16 and F-15 it has won.

But, there are reasons the program was killed, and only the congressmen from the states from where the parts are sourced really give a shit. Bush didn't want it, Cheney didn't want it and Gates didn't want it. It's expensive ($138 Million per copy) high maintenance (30-34 hours for every hour flown) fragile (the radar absorbing skin accounts for over half of the maintenance hours and the radar absorbing canopy has been clouding up and de-laminating far short of the 800 hours it's supposed to last) and it was designed and built for cold war combat situations, which really don't exist anymore. It's also over 4 times as expensive per copy as a fighter that's never lost in actual combat. (F-15 Eagle) I love the F-22, but it's a high-tech trophy plane for the USAF, and other than fending off a massive air attack on our nation from some future lunatic country, it's a jet without a mission. The A-10 proves itself daily on the front lines.

[Reverend Cooper]

All I know is that the A380 is the biggest thing I have ever fucking seen. cant wait to show you all the pictures and video of it

[HITMAN]

Apples to oranges for most of this stuff. Everything has it's role. I've got to say (I am a little bias) that the Hornet takes it. It will fight it's way to the target, kill it, and fight it's way back. All from a floating airport.

Biased indeed. :thumbsup The Hornet is a great plane indeed, but it will be superseded by the F-35 before the A-10 gets replaced. And if a B-25 Mitchell could launch off of a Carrier with out the benefit of a steam catapult, I'd be willing to bet that an A-10 could be launched off of the same deck with one. Strengthen up that nose gear, and slap a hook on the ass end, and I'll bet you could land one on a Carrier deck, as well. Put an air-to-air avionics package on the A-10 and I'll bet it would be an outstanding dog fighter. All it lacks is the high speed that would help it's survivability during certain missions.

[WhiteZCamaro]

I like tomcats and im glad to see that they ARE still flying!! (IRAN):thumbsup

How ever much i dont want to say this probably the best aircraft on that list would be the F15 they are proven in both air to air and air to ground....and on top of it doesnt cost a hundred some millon to produce or maintian. They can also fly in weather...:rolf

But thats just what i think.......

[Al]

Anyone here ever go to Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH, and see the Air Force Museum?

[Goat Roper]

F-14 owns all

Damn right Goose

[USMARINE1108]

In a pure air superiority role, with all systems running as advertised, the F-22 has NO peer. In EVERY mock engagement with F/A-18, F-16 and F-15 it has won.
.


That is not true. Hornets have beat F-22s, just as 16s and 15s have. In fact, that's the reason we have a Decepticon decal on the nose of one of our jets. Anything is defeatable in 1V1. The thing that most people dont think about is while systems are designed and developed, they are incorporated into older airframes in addition to being factory installed on new platforms. That being said, I'm not saying it's not a great airplane and overall superior.

By the way, no love for the F/A-35?

[Goat Roper]

That is not true. Hornets have beat F-22s, just as 16s and 15s have. In fact, that's the reason we have a Decepticon decal on the nose of one of our jets. Anything is defeatable in 1V1. The thing that most people dont think about is while systems are designed and developed, they are incorporated into older airframes in addition to being factory installed on new platforms. That being said, I'm not saying it's not a great airplane and overall superior.

By the way, no love for the F/A-35?

X 11venty billion

[WhiteZCamaro]

Anyone here ever go to Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH, and see the Air Force Museum?

Yea i was there a couple years ago. It is worth going if you get a chance!! The XB-70 is awsome to see in person :thumbsup

[Exitspeed]

The A-10 proves itself daily on the front lines.

This is why I voted A-10.

[VroomPshhTsi]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXg6J9upaCg FTW!! :headbang

[Yooformula]

I voted for the F14 although that A10 is a very close 2nd if not tie for me. The first model I ever built was an F14 also as I was obsessed with that jet.

[Prince Valiant]

Good f-22 vid

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cool stuff :thumbsup

[Holeshot]

My Favorite is not in use anymore. If it were The SR -71 Black Bird was and still tops my list.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Sr71_1.jpg/764px-Sr71_1.jpg

[Al]

My Favorite is not in use anymore. If it were The SR -71 Black Bird was and still tops my list.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Sr71_1.jpg/764px-Sr71_1.jpg

My grandpa had a hand in designing the 13 computers in that plane responsible for guiadance and control.

[Al]

Yea i was there a couple years ago. It is worth going if you get a chance!! The XB-70 is awsome to see in person :thumbsup

The intakes on that thing are the size of garage doors!
The back end looks like something out of a sci-fi movie!

[HITMAN]

Yea i was there a couple years ago. It is worth going if you get a chance!! The XB-70 is awsome to see in person :thumbsup


The intakes on that thing are the size of garage doors!
The back end looks like something out of a sci-fi movie!


http://www.murdoconline.net/2008/xb-70_stbd.jpg

[Gregor]

A-10, I have heard its main gun fire in fire missions when training at Fort McCoy.


Thats a sound you will never forget.

[ND4SPD]

I've always been a sucker for the F-16. Most maneuverable, best dog fighter out there. I was really jazzed when I moved back to the Madison area and saw they'd traded in the A-10s for '16s. I'm not going to be very happy when they trade them in on F-15s.