Comments by "Valen Ron" (@valenrn8657) on "F-22 Raptor Makes Its Combat Debut" video.

  1. Rafale's program cost to date is around €45.9 billion (Y2013) with 130 units (June 2014). That's about 61.27 billion USD. F-22A program cost is $67 billion USD with 188 units.
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  2. jonnywaselectric F-22s was upgraded to have F-35's more durable RAM material.
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  3. edubogota1 edubogota1 General Mike Hostage On The F-35 vs F-16 The F-35, he says, has “at least” the maneuverability and thrust and weight of the F-16. The F-35 is to the F-22 as the F-16 is to the F-15. General Mike Hostage has stated F-35's stealth is superior to F-22. F-35A Block 5 has support for six AIM-120 type missiles in it's bomb bays which is second to F-22A. 187 F-22A directly replaces 220 F-15C units. F-35A replaces F-16 F-35C replaces classic F/A-18 F-35B replaces Harrier II/Sea Harrier USN's 6th gen fighter program replaces Super Hornet. USAF's 6th gen fighter program replaces F-22A. US has TX program which calls for "5th gen" fighter trainers.
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  4. edubogota1 From http://breakingdefense.com/2014/06/gen-mike-hostage-on-the-f-35-no-growlers-needed-when-war-starts/3/ General Mike Hostage On The F-35 vs F-16 The F-35, he says, has “at least” the maneuverability and thrust and weight of the F-16. The F-35 is to the F-22 as the F-16 is to the F-15.  From http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Pages/2014/June%202014/June%2011%202014/No-Growling-Needed.aspx The F-35 is beating the stealthiness expected of it “at maturity,” said Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program manager. Officials must still verify this claim “with more data,” she told reporters on June 9 during a company-sponsored media day in Arlington, Va. She noted that Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mike Hostage recently told Breaking Defense that the F-35 needs no jamming support from other aircraft, such as Boeing’s EF-18G Growler, in a heavily defended battlespace to “go where it needs to go.” Hostage said the F-35 actually has better stealth than the F-22. “I can’t say some of those things” due to classification, commented Martin, but she said Hostage accurately represented the F-35’s capabilities. The Growler and similar platforms are going to be “helpful” if there are “fourth generation aircraft … and they need some protection,” but the F-35 has “all the stealth we said it would have,” and can “get in and get out safely with the electronic warfare it has on it,” she asserted. The F-35’s stealth is checked as it exits production and again just before government acceptance. “And, after we fly it a few months, we put it back through the [stealth test] range and verify the stealth is still there,” said Martin. ------------------- Apples to apple comparison WITH engine fuel consumption rates. F-15E Wing area: 608 ft² Empty weight: 31,700 lb Fuel:  14076 lb ** Weapons: 2000 lb six AIM-120 type A2A missiles Max take-off weight: 81,000 lb Combat Weight: 47776 lbs Estimated on the available lift force: 33224 lbs (max takeoff weight - combat weight) Thrust: 58000 lbf Power-to-weight: 1.21 : 1 Wing loading: 78.89 ft lbs/ sq feet. From http://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11567 F-15E's F100-PW-229 (MIL) 17,800lbs @ 0.726 lb/Hr/lb st (MAX) 29,100lbs @ 2.060 lb/Hr/lb st At max, duel engine would result in 4.12 lb/Hr/lb st ----------------------- F-16C Block 52 Wing area: 300 ft² Empty weight: 18,900 lb Fuel:  3800 lbs (50 percent)** Weapons: 2000 lb six AIM-120 type A2A missiles Combat Weight: 24700 lbs Thrust: 28,600 lbf Power-to-weight: 1.158 : 1 Wing loading: 82.33 ft lbs/ sq feet.<------- F-16C Block 52 also uses F100-PW-229 engine. F-35A Wing area: 460 ft² Empty weight: 29,036 lb (240-4 build) Fuel:  7038 lbs ** Weapons: 2000 lb six AIM-120 type A2A missiles Max take-off weight; 70,000 lb Combat Weight: 38074 lbs Wing loading: 82.7 ft lbs/ sq feet. Thrust: 40,000 lbf Power-To-Weight:  1.05  : 1 <---- old. Thrust: 43,000 lbf Power-To-Weight:  1.129 : 1 <---- current, before year 2013 upgrades. Thrust: 45,150 lbf** (Feb 2013 info update, 5 percent higher thrust) Power-To-Weight:  1.186  : 1 <---- Thrust: 47300 lbf** (just Sep 2013's 10 percent increase against 43000 lbf). Power-To-Weight:  1.24 : 1 <---- Thrust: 49,665 lbf** (Feb 2013's 5 percent increase + Sep 2013's 10 percent increase) Power-To-Weight:  1.30 : 1 <---- From http://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11567 F135-PW-100 (MIL) 28,000lbs @ 0.886 lb/HR/lb st (According to J@ne'$, but seems too high? 0.700 is more likely) (MAX) 43,000lbs @ (~1.950?) lb/HR/lb st USAF's expectation for F-35A is F-16 with stealth and advance electronic warfare. At max power/max fuel consumption, F-35A consumes about half the fuel rate of F-15E, hence I loaded F-35A with half of F-15's fuel load i.e. apples to apple comparison. References F35's year 2013 engine improvements.* From Feb 2013, read http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pratt-amp-whitney-to-test-upgraded-f135-this-year-382781/ Adds 5 percent on top of 43000 lbf i.e. 45150 lbf. This improvement has 5 percent fuel efficiency increase from USN's Fuel Burn Reduction (FBR) programme. From Sep 2013, read http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pratt-amp-whitney-and-afrl-start-testing-on-adaptive-fan-test-390994/ Pratt has another engine update for F35 i.e. another 10% increase in thrust and 25 percent fuel efficiency increase. This is adaptive engine upgrade. http://www.pw.utc.com/Press/Story/20130619-0600/2013/All%20Categories Year 2016 for adaptive engine test with higher 10% increase in thrust power AND  25 percent increase in fuel efficiency. From Norwegians' F-35 briefings http://www.regjeringen.no/upload/FD/Temadokumenter/JSF_RBI-svar.pdf Notional Block 6 has + Range improvements + Propulsion Improvements. ----------- General Mike Hostage's statement supports my F-35 wing loading and power-to-weight calculations.
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