PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
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Old 9th Feb 2013, 13:31
  #1014 (permalink)  
Mk 1
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Australia
Age: 56
Posts: 199
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LO, lots of 'if's' there:

IF the F-22 had continued in production...IF the F-35 production doesn't top 3 figures...

I can top that: IF they stop production and terminate the program now then it could be the F-35 is probably the most expensive bird per unit production on the planet!

LO, one fact we do know is that F-22 production has stopped well short of the anticipated numbers (187 isn't it?). Obviously the final number of F-35's won't be known for probably 15-20 years, I guess they can crunch the figures then and we'll both know.

This is the sort of thing that Joe the alien (newly arrived from another planet) isn't going to understand. In this one statement you are comparing supposedly similar numbers of airframes (rough figs F-22 was supposed to run between 800-900 airframes wasn't it?) with 3 figs F-35 and seem to be surprised that the unit cost is higher DESPITE the F-35 having 3 versions designed and tested including a STOVL unit. And you've made this comparison based on a falacy (F-22 production has stopped - no use wishing for more, it's not going to happen).

So here my 'what if' for you based along similarly biased lines - what would the unit cost of the F-22 be if it had been designed in 3 versions incl VTOL- I'll even give you the original 800 odd production numbers - compared to the F-35 (orders standing at what 3000+?).

If you cannot see that the question you have asked and the comparison you have made is wrong then you've proved my point.
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