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- Reporters need to keep attacking the way the DoD, and the Air Force especially, continue to acquire systems. For decades, we've seen government officials pushing new technologies that were never proven through the development of prototypes and proper lab & field testing of those prototypes. New component designs, new materials for manufacturing, integrating components that have never been used together, etc. create risk in a project that results in schedule slips and cost overruns. The taxpayers get hammered by the extreme cost of our weapons systems and it's all due to mismanagement up front by the DoD officials. They don't know how to take the time to develop and test prototypes and prove out new technologies prior to pressing forward with a major system acquisition, hiring an army of contractors to jump into manufacturing, system engineering, etc. I believe we need a DoD Prototyping Branch to independently control all new, bleeding edge technologies for the DoD and take it out of the incompetent hands of the DoD services. In other words, they won't be allowed to contract for anything anymore that isn't state-of-the-practice technology OR a new technology approved (via prototypes and testing) by the DoD Prototyping Branch!
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- Against 3rd or 4th world adversary air supremacy is moot. Against a first world power our 4th generation fighter airships will be at a disadvantage.
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- first off lockheed martin tried to reinvent the wheel. just like every other company in america its not what you build, its how many, how much you can charge for it, whose pocket you can line to get the contract, and hopefully it will stay together long enough to make it pass the warranty. how about you build something that i can drive without worring about a computer going crazy on me and shutting my car off or better yet leaving me and my family stranded on the road side. and by the way there is no warranty when you buy a military fighter. america used to be known for the pride our people put into building things or inventing things. we have buildings and bridges and cars that are 50 plus years old and are still standing the test of time. you can't buy anything now days without it breaking in the first couple of years thats why it comes with a limited warranty. all this f22(not the pilot situation) and goverment stuff is nothing new. its been going on for years. look at the roman empire got to greedy, and will continue to go on untill the american people say enough is enough and put aside there differences and focus on what really matters. hopefully one day our humanity will surpass the greed of our goverment and our people.
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- All investigation, it seems, is centered around the aircraft. Eliminate everything that can not be and whatever is left has to be the truth (Sherlock Holmes). Has no one given any thought about investigating the crewmen's helmet, oxygen mask and hose? They get inspected and cleaned every 30 days. What is the cleaning product?
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- If the Air Force had real brains, they would have included in the jet safety sensors that monitor the health of the pilot, and recording his vital functions, that way, the jet's computer can maneuver in a safe pilot conscious setting or not for the need to survive against the odds.
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- Certainly worth assessing just what is causing this trend. What hasn't been discussed is cases of hypoxia in other OBOGS equipped aircraft. Aircrew are trained to recognize and counter symptoms, though in the Raptor's case it's a little more difficult. One thing to consider is the increase in reporting following widespread reporting, which may indicate either a rapidly escalating failure rate or a hyper-aware community being spring loaded to report possible symptoms.
While I think these guys are being scrutinized, let's not go off the deep end with vast theories about their being singled out by the Air Force- The "Vast salary cuts" Ms. Stahl mentions is nothing more than the fact that they are no longer being paid incentive pay for subjecting themselves to the arduous and hazardous duty of flying military aircraft. - Reply to this comment
- Toxic Oxygen
This is incredible. It is exactly like in the movie "Andromeda Strain" where an extra terrestrial microbe, code named "Andromeda", mutates with each growth cycle, changing its biologic properties and creates havoc with the people and the neoprene it has contact with (thus making the pilots dizzy and disintegrating the charcoal filters).
Or it might be the highly pressurized O2 that is the culprit. - Reply to this comment
- This seems likes a simple solution. Install sensors at various junctures to monitor each process and pressure at the helmet. Failing that redesign the entire o2 system! This is not rocket science.....ok maybe it is...
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- Use of pulse oxymetry with an alarm at a threshold of <90% (or other threshold) is probably feasible.
A secondary (or multiple) O2 supply are available to use if the primary supply is deficient.
Supply of O2 can use pulse oxymetry as a feed back and the switch to pther sources of O2 supply can be automated using a simple software. - Reply to this comment
- This is one of the biggest boondoggle giveaways to the giant corporations that I have heard for a while. How can we justify this stealing and waste. This makes me (even more) ashamed to be an American.
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