[extropy-chat] planes

[Spike]

> 
> What ever happened to the F12?

Do you mean the Flying Dorito?  Cancelled by the Bottom Up review.
The A12 Avenger II which was suppose to replace the A6, 
was ultimately deemed as too expensive and was cut by then SecDef 
Dick Cheney becoming the largest defense contract cancellation 
in the history of the Department of Defense. 

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/a-12.htm


> That F22 can only do vectored thrust. It
> can't take off vertically.

It can take of vertically, if you don't have ordinance
or much fuel aboard.  {8-]

http://popularmechanics.com/science/military/2002/5/flexible_flyer/print
.phtml

> Besides, it was nowhere near as beautiful as
> the F-23 (ducking....)

Surely Mike means NOT!  As soon as we saw the mockup
of the x35, we knew we were going to win.  I bought a
bunch of LM stock that day.  I lost most of my money,
but thats a different story.  We figured no self-respecting
AF officer would fly such a thing as the x35, nor any
Naval Aviator would want to fly "Monica."

http://www.ebtx.com/oats/x32vsx35.htm

Of course, had the services chosen the x-35, then at least
the army would no longer suffer the ignominy of having
the ugliest plane, the A-10 Warthog.

http://members.aol.com/cbmjets/homepage/A10.html

In any case, we are seeing perhaps the end of the line
for fighter planes.  Humanity doesn't need them anymore.
I don't suspect they will be much use in our last remaining
great conflict: the massive culture war the west faces against
the Taliban, the Al Qaida and their ilk.

I am interested in seeing the civil applications
of a ducted fan lifting system.

spike