We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:31:52 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Raptor You can’t swing a dead cat in the milblogosphere without hitting some snark about the Air Force and its toys. But the film I posted yesterday made me think, “These guys probably won’t ever get it.” Watching the Raptor is to watch the next quantum leap in military aviation technology. Moreover, it would be a serious mistake to think that the mind-boggling maneuverability of this thing is its greatest asset. It is not. This thing is a platform for a host of capabilities that few people appreciate just watching it fly up its own moveable burner cans. Take note... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:41:03 -0600 I organized a trip to the US AF Museum at Wright Patterson AFB this past weekend (my feet STILL hurt, lol). The Raptor is on display, and was a huge hit with the boys and their parents. It's an incredible aircraft, to be sure. Raptor fly-overs are chest-thumping, smile-inducing, ear-splitting experiences which should be taken advantage of every chance you get!! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70900 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70900 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:52:55 -0600 A contrarian view on who's got the mostest bestes stuff in the air... So, aviator grognards - gimme the head-to-head...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70894 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70894 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:56:46 -0600 http://aerobatics.mit.edu/videos.html]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70893 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70893 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:30:07 -0600 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70892 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70892 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:27:16 -0600 This system reminds me of the old Clint Eastwood movie, the name of which escapes me... "Firefox"? Here's to hoping our pilots don't have to think in Russian to get the interface to work properly. Or, as an aside to an earlier post, think in Alien, or, would that more properly be, Roswellian? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70889 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70889 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:04:56 -0600 And here I just enjoyed the video for the sheer pleasure of watching a beautiful machine in the hands of a wonderful pilot. Excellent info and insight, Dusty. Makes me love the little beast even more :-) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70887 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70887 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:41:09 -0600 FD, Dude, I thought the Raptor WAS the UFO. LOL http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70883 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70883 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:57:00 -0600 The Raptor is indeed awesome. But when are we FINALLY gonna get those UFO's we've been reverse-engineering since Roswell? LOL http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70882 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/raptor_love_par.html#comment-70882 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:13:03 -0600