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Originally posted by FredT
Originally posted by TACHYON
Thats pretty fast, I thought it was Mach 2.5 tops. Anyway is the F-15 skin alumunimum or something and what about the raptors.
Titanium 64 (Ti-64) 36%
Thermoset Composites 24%
Aluminum (Al) 16%
Other Materials* 15%
Steel 6%
Titanium 62222 (Ti-62222) 3%
Thermoplastic Composites >1%
www.globalsecurity.org...
Originally posted by TACHYON
Considering that the F-22 is mostly titanium it will expand less due to thermal variations:
Originally posted by WestPoint23
Actually the Air Force gave the Raptor an oficial speed of Mach 1.8+ and it is listed as a Mach 2 aircraft. The 1.5 is without afterburners. Plus wasn't the BlackBird made of mostly titanium like Raptor?
Originally posted by TACHYON
Bill Sweetman has said that "the F-15 can attain its top speed only iwth a minimal weapons load and no external fuel, and most pilots never see 2.5 on the machmeter. The F-22 has plenty of thrust for Mach 2.5, but providing that performance would have demanded variable inlets and higher-temperature materials throughout the aircraft."
Originally posted by WestPoint23
............. Plus wasn't the BlackBird made of mostly titanium like Raptor?
Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
What I was getting at before Westy was that as well as the external 'skin' composition things like the materials/methods for fixing/bonding the skin to the internal structure and the internal structure itself all come into play in the realities of 'heat soaking'.
Originally posted by FredT
Christ Sminkey two days in a row.
The blackbird used its huge low volitile fuel stores as a giant heat sink to reduce airframe temperatures. As special pumping system circulated fuel so that the hottest fuel was burned first.
Without an adequate ssytem to deal with all that heat buildup, the Raptor, even if it had enough thrust, would begin to suffer from the effects of heat well before it reached mach 2.8 or so.
Remeber all those speed quotes on planes is usually dash speed. The one convention fighter that can achieve Mach 2.8 is the Mig 25 (at a cost of burning out its turbines) and is constructed of stainless steel for heat resistance. The oly other Mach 3+ plane the XB-70 uses stainless steel honeycomb as well to help with heat resistance.
Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
IMO it just isn't worth the candle to push things further.....rapid reaction is fine and all but what plausible scenario could there be that would call for more speed anyway (given the current global surveillance/early warning capacity) versus the costs/capability reduction it would impose?
Originally posted by FredT
I think rapid global strike will be the cornerstone of US strategy in the future.
As the avalibilty of oversea bases declines,
the ability to base Mach 6+ aircraft int he US and strike targets all over the world rapidly will be of great benifit.
Thats why the Non nuclear ICBM makes sence. push a button, 30 minutes later, target hit.
Recall was always the big deal before but given the stated desire for speed (and the availablity and quality of recon from other sources) surely that becomes redundant? What could a manned ultra-highspeed plane see that the satellite couldn't?
Maybe. But then again the handful (like the B2) that that 'policy' would require would be so specialist and non-typical of the general USAF.....why bother with such a demanding and difficult aircraft?
Originally posted by WestPoint23
Satellite flight paths can be found and all you have to do is throw some cammo nets until the satellite leaves your area.
But a Hypersonic stealth plane can be a surprise it comes out of nowhere and zooms by at Mach 7 snapping photos before you even have a chance to move.
I think if the US has 20 Hypersonic stealth planes
Having some is better than having nothing.
Plus the US always pushes the envelope we never stay with one thing to long or others could catch up.
If they have no real plausible functional role what on earth is 'better' about it?
LOL, you really want - and need - to believe this stuff, huh?
A 'plane' at mach 7 within the atmosphere at high or medium altitude is going to trigger every IR detector on the globe (even if they can do something about the noise) and at low altitude is, frankly, so unlikely as to be impossible
Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
- That's only partially true Westy. In a serious situation tensions would trigger the altering of flight paths and probably even a few new satellites going up (secretly/covertly).
Most countries do not have backups ready to go as far as I we know. The really high end birst are pricey to say the least.
Originally posted by Cjwinnit
It's a bit of a pain to launch a military spy satellite compared to civilian comms satellites because the spy satellites use very heavy mirrors. I would guess it takes a lot of planning to launch one into the correct orbit. Hence I doubt any country has spy satellites sitting on a launch pad ready to go.
Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
IMO the idea that a situation could or would develop any faster than that with no warning or notice of any kind is just not feasible.....