Re: [GZG] [FT]Multi-abilityfightercostings

[Phillip Atcliffe <atcliffe@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hugh Fisher wrote:
> Historically multiple ability fighters have fallen to "jack of all 
trades, master of none" syndrome (eg the F-111 was going to replace 
every other USAF and USN fighter and fighter bomber). <

Not any more. The introduction of advanced computerised FCS technology 
has meant that aircraft like the F-15E and F-18 can actually do what the 
F-111 was hyped as being capable of doing. The computers allow the 
conflicting requirements of various missions (e.g., low wing loading for 
high agility vs high wing loading for low gust response at low-level) to 
be achieved in the one airframe. Build the aircraft for the most 
demanding physical requirements and let the computers handle stability, 
ride, etc. These days, if an aircraft lacks a capability, it's because 
someone has decided that they don't want it to have it (usually for cost 
reasons) or it's overloaded with weapons for another role.

> And I suspect that the training cost for the pilots becomes 
horrendous as well - anyone got any actual figures/experience for this? <

It can't be _that_ bad, or aircraft like the two mentioned above and the 
F-16 wouldn't be so widely used, nor would the F-14 have been given an 
air-to-ground role in its last few years of service.

> Your cost sounds about right for a "swing role" fighter which can 
[use] ONE ability at a time, chosen when the battle commences or when 
launched if feeling generous. <

Some abilities might be useful in any role -- Fast Interceptor vs Fast 
Attack, for instance (what ordinance is hanging off the beast?) -- so 
there might be the need for "common" abilities (e.g., Fast, Heavy) vs 
"role/weaponry" abilities. The former would be there regardless of which 
of the latter were chosen for the current game/mission. And some 
"choices" are a bit dodgy: what sort of PSB would justify a Fast fighter 
suddenly becoming a Heavy (but no longer Fast) one mid-game? (rhetorical 
question!)

> For a genuine combined ability fighter I'd suggest replacing the 
division operators by multiplications, so the second ability costs twice 
as much, the third three times as much. <

I think that would be too costly. There's got to be some middle ground 
to make the use of multi-ability craft viable but not ridiculously 
effective. I don't claim to know what it is, though....

Phil

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