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| US B-1 aircraft crashes in Qatar |
| 2008-04-04 |
 A US B-1 bomber aircraft has crashed in the Gulf state of Qatar, reports from the country say. The plane exploded as it landed at al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar-based al-Jazeera television reported.The cause of the incident is as yet unknown, a US defence official told Reuters new agency. No information on casualties was immediately available. The base is used by the US as the headquarters for its air operations in the Middle East. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #12 RD: I've been up on a friend's "family compound" (i.e. huge tracts of cow pastures) in North GA before and had a B1 fly right overhead. Didn't phase her in the least, but I didn't see it comin' and literally didn't hear her until she was right over my head (came from behind me). I about did a faceplant in a nice, fresh "patty" in that pasture, as I could literally see the pilot (couldn't have been more that 250' off the ground). She said that they run that route all the time (foothills of the Appalachians), practicing "below the radar" runs out of Dobbins AFB. |
| Posted by: BA 2008-04-04 23:30 |
| #11 Apparently, the USAF-DOD's solution to finding a modern equivalent of the B52 REMAINS THE B52, as per WAFF.com > USAF B52's CONTINUE TO BE UPGRADED. PROBLEM > See WAFF.com.TOPIX > CAN EUROPE RESIST ISLAMIZATION + MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES PREPARE FOR WAR [Israel vs Syria-Iran/Hizz]+ WILL RUSSIA, ASIA FALL TO ISLAMISM, +...etc. *WAFF.com OPINION Thread [long Title] > MY SHORT/SUMMARY TITLE- CAN ANY AND ALL MAJOR MUSLIM NATIONS JOIN TOGETHER TO BECOME A MUSLIM/ISLAMIC SUPERPOWER??? IFF IRAN GETS NUKES + BECOMES YOU-KNOW-WHAT HITS THE FAN VV "RUSSIA-CHINA, etc. VERSUS RADICAL ISLAM", THE USA MAY NOT HAVE ENUFF HEAVY BOMBERS TO GO AROUND = WAGE SUCCESSFUL EFFEC MULTIPLE AIR CAMPAIGNS??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-04-04 21:46 |
| #10 confirmation pimF |
| Posted by: RD 2008-04-04 19:57 |
| #9 GK Glad to here that everyone is OK, we wait for more conformation. The B1s sure are purty, BTW I've read in several place that in A-Stan especially, and Iraq that B1s are doing yeoman's work! Very accurate guidance systems too. |
| Posted by: RD 2008-04-04 19:55 |
| #8 Glad the crew is alright. When these things "were most certainly not" practicing maneuvers out this direction there are plenty of people -cowboys even- who openly admit wetting themselves when the B1 would skim overhead. Also, interesting read about the B1 in SA&S magazine. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-04-04 19:31 |
| #7 I think the bottom line is that the USAF needs a lower tech, much less expensive, modern equivalent to the B-52. It boils down to a simple equation. 1) Much of the mission of high tech bombers has been replaced with cruise missiles. 2) However, two ideal missions for a high alt bomber are either a simultaneous strike on a multitude of targets, like a mechanized brigade or fleet of ships; or to provide what could be called "theater close air support". In the former case, the bombs can be dropped many kilometers from their target, placing the bomber out of the range of even most divisional SAM defenses. It the latter case, air superiority has been established, so aircraft reliability and ease of repair is far more important than high tech. So the bottom line is an efficient engine, a high altitude, and ordinary maintenance demands. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-04-04 18:58 |
| #6 Didn't realize they were used so heavily. I thought that the B-52 was the real work horse. |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-04-04 17:21 |
| #5 These things crashed when they were new. But the proof is in their performance. 80% of the bombs dropped during the Afghan campaign were dropped from B-1's. Hard to argue with that. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2008-04-04 17:13 |
| #4 Maybe so, Chief, but they sure do look menacing. See one of them flying around and they look like the angel of death |
| Posted by: gb506 2008-04-04 17:11 |
| #3 Thanks, GK. That's much better than crashing. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-04-04 17:09 |
| #2 Finally found a report that didn't cite Al Jizz as the source. From CBS/AP: A State Department official says the B-1 bomber caught fire at the end of a runway and some of its munitions exploded, reports CBS News State Department reporter Charles Wolfson. The crew was not hurt. It is unclear whether the incident occurred during takeoff, landing or taxiing, reports Wolfson. |
| Posted by: GK 2008-04-04 17:04 |
| #1 The cause is that the B-1 is old, and was a swing-wing piece of crap from the get-go. But don't quote me. |
| Posted by: Chief Running Gag 2008-04-04 16:16 |