Boeing Gets Contract to Build F-47 Fighter Jet

Joined
Jan 31, 2006
Messages
4,628
Location
Idaho
Is Boeing up to the task?

Somebody reads too many internet articles about 737s. NGAD variants have been flying for about five years, so of course they're "up to the task." From the world's best 4th-gen+ aircraft (F-15EX, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet) to the MQ-25 Stingray to the KC-46 Pegasus, Boeing is in the habit of fielding winners for the USAF and our allies. Do new aircraft have teething issues? Sure...they all do. The F-47 will be outstanding.

BTW, spent my last four years in the USAF in acquisitions and have a lot of experience with our industry partners. Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, L3, and many others are well up to the task...
 
Any idea where they'll be built at? I'm in the NW and almost certain it won't be Everett or Renton as those are commercial only. Maybe the South Carolina plant..or even the "secret" Antelope Valley plant???
 
So what's so special about this bird? Stealth? Speed? AI? Pilotless?

I have 0 knowledge about this topic but Elon does mention fighter jets and tanks might be useless in future wars with peer adversaries. It appears war is going to be drones and robots.

With the Chinese and possibly Russians eventually gaining laser weapons strong enough to knock anything out of the sky, what can an expensive plane do that some disposable jet drone can't?
 
So what's so special about this bird? Stealth? Speed? AI? Pilotless?

I have 0 knowledge about this topic but Elon does mention fighter jets and tanks might be useless in future wars with peer adversaries. It appears war is going to be drones and robots.

With the Chinese and possibly Russians eventually gaining laser weapons strong enough to knock anything out of the sky, what can an expensive plane do that some disposable jet drone can't?
Seems maybe like battleships in WW2? AI driven swarming drones seem to be the future.
 
Great, now they know they can squeeze much more money just like it happened with F35.
I am not a fan of the F-35, and if you search my posts on this forum, you’ll see my criticism of the airplane.

However, the cost on the airplane keeps coming DOWN, not up, so, your comment makes no sense.
 
How many planes for that 20 billion? Did I misread 100?

...The Air Force has not specified how many aircraft will be produced. In a statement, however, Allvin said there would be more F-47s produced than F-22s, the advanced fighter jet it’s replacing. There are now about 180 F-22 fighter jets in service...
 
IMO not without long delays, massive cost overruns, and several safety groundings.
Opinion based on what?

Boeing delivered over 600 F/A-18E/F models on time, and under contract cost. Production was extended through 2027 as the USN asked for more airplanes.

The EA-18G - the EA-6B replacement - was developed for much lower cost than anticipated, and was delivered early and under budget.

Since 1997, they have delivered these airplanes on time. Initial concerns with airplane performance were a McDonnell Douglas (designer) issue, but production has been an example of DOD procurement success.

So, based on past Boeing performance with fighter (not tanker) aircraft for the military, there is reason to expect they will do a good job.
 
Bargain. Hopefully the hardware behind the computer systems won't be obsolete when the plans are actually built. I was told this happened with the F22.
I would suspect the hardware will be updateable and re-configureable with extra rack spaces for modern avionics, as expressed here in an older article:

https://www.militaryaerospace.com/c...cent-electronics-but-plan-for-future-upgrades

"...Despite the advance technology aboard the aircraft, future growth is still an important consideration. While the F-22 already has two common integrated processors, it also was designed with space for a third, which has not been used yet. "I'm sure that extra space was put in to handle future derivative missions beyond the air-to-air requirements," Harris says."
 
I would suspect the hardware will be updateable and re-configureable with extra rack spaces for modern avionics, as expressed here in an older article:

https://www.militaryaerospace.com/c...cent-electronics-but-plan-for-future-upgrades

"...Despite the advance technology aboard the aircraft, future growth is still an important consideration. While the F-22 already has two common integrated processors, it also was designed with space for a third, which has not been used yet. "I'm sure that extra space was put in to handle future derivative missions beyond the air-to-air requirements," Harris says."

Ya. I have a cousin who who headed up the avionics and engine upgrade for iirc was C141 back in the early 2000s. He was telling me that some of the circuitry was so old on the F22 that it wasn't made anymore and became a huge headache for the USAF with those first units which entered service.
 
Back
Top Bottom