Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Re: More on B-1 vs B-52 Message-ID: <5388@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Fri, 19-Oct-84 11:10:00 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.5388 Posted: Fri Oct 19 11:10:00 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 20-Oct-84 07:43:42 EDT References: <3220@rabbit.UUCP>, <2190@hplabsc.UUCP> <665@ihnp4.UUCP> Organization: Ballistic Research Lab Lines: 28 Just out of curiosity: Given the age of the B-52 fleet, but still having a continuing requirement for a number of aircraft to fill their role, and given the high cost of the B-1, would it be feasible and cost-effective to use an existing and proven commercial aircraft design (747, DC-10, L1011, or some standard cargo or passenger craft) and modify it to become a carrier of ALCM (or maybe even an actual bomber)? Couldn't such a modified standard aircraft be built at a cost close to that of a commercial airliner, using existing tooling and facilities, and have a very low development cost and short design time to boot? I would think a bunch of these could be churned out to replace the B-52's while the B-1 and stealth development continued; after all, the missions these aircraft would perform would be different. Maintenance on these new aircraft would be cheaper and easier; not only would they be so much newer, but they would use many industry-standard parts or subassemblies, which could be bought off-the-shelf the same as the airlines do. Am I completely off-base here? Are the airframe requirements for a military aircraft so different from the commercial airplanes that one of the latter designs is completely inappropriate? I was under the impression that the Soviet air fleet is all designed for a dual civil/military role, but does that mean simply that passenger-type aircraft would carry troops, not that an airliner becomes a bomber? Will Martin USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA