Do I feel old or what......

bmc · #1 08-17-2010, 02:00 AM

On July 17th, the B-2 bomber turned 21.

Seems like only yesterday.

MIJ-VI · #2 08-17-2010, 03:02 AM

*backs slowly towards the door*

Relic · #3 08-17-2010, 04:59 AM

21 years old? I'm still thinking that it's new... geez.

I'm old enough to remember when the F16 was brand new

bmc · #4 08-17-2010, 05:01 AM

The Boeing 767 made the aging airline category about six years ago. That shocked me. But, it's a 30 year old design.

Relic · #5 08-17-2010, 05:11 AM

Know what never ceases to amaze me?

When you look at WW2-era fighter planes let's say, they had such a short life span. Like the F4u Corsair, it was one of the ones that served a little bit longer since it made it to the very beginning of the Korean War. So that gave it a service life with the US military of about what? 10-15 years?
Now look at modern fighters like the F15. That's been around for almost 30 years! Even the brand new stuff - F22 for example first flew in 1990, so even that one is at least a 20 year old design.

hover · #6 08-17-2010, 06:21 AM

The SR-71 Blackbird is over 40 years old. And still kicks ass.

i_got_a_mohawk · #7 08-17-2010, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

Know what never ceases to amaze me?

When you look at WW2-era fighter planes let's say, they had such a short life span. Like the F4u Corsair, it was one of the ones that served a little bit longer since it made it to the very beginning of the Korean War. So that gave it a service life with the US military of about what? 10-15 years?
Now look at modern fighters like the F15. That's been around for almost 30 years! Even the brand new stuff - F22 for example first flew in 1990, so even that one is at least a 20 year old design.

I think a lot of it comes down to the sheer cost of these planes. While we will have made advances in design and tech, the cost of replacing the planes would be huge with minimal advances. (speculating here)

P. Aaron · #8 08-17-2010, 06:46 AM

Time marches on.

How old is the Precision Bass? How old is the Stingray?

bmc · #9 08-17-2010, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hover

The SR-71 Blackbird is over 40 years old. And still kicks ass.

I thought it was retired.

The Harrier has been in service with the RAF for 42 years. That airplane still amazes me.

Selta · #10 08-17-2010, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmc

I thought it was retired.

I was almost certain it was too...

Relic · #11 08-17-2010, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

I was almost certain it was too...

It's retired from military service but I think NASA still has one or two for research purposes. At least that's what I had heard.

bmc · #12 08-17-2010, 08:46 AM

The ultimate flying club airplane: an SR-71. Nice little VFR on top machine to do circuits with. Maybe attend a flyin breakfast or two. Flour bombing contests.

hover · #13 08-17-2010, 08:49 AM

retired or not doesn't matter, they are still a viable design, and they made 32 of them. There are still 20 or so left. And they are still an incredible design.

stratovani · #14 08-17-2010, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

Know what never ceases to amaze me?

When you look at WW2-era fighter planes let's say, they had such a short life span. Like the F4u Corsair, it was one of the ones that served a little bit longer since it made it to the very beginning of the Korean War. So that gave it a service life with the US military of about what? 10-15 years?
Now look at modern fighters like the F15. That's been around for almost 30 years! Even the brand new stuff - F22 for example first flew in 1990, so even that one is at least a 20 year old design.

The most successful design ever has to be the B-52 Stratofortress. First operational in the mid-50s, it's projected to still be in the USAF inventory in the year 2040.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-52

bassteban · #15 08-17-2010, 09:14 AM

FilterFunk · #16 08-17-2010, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hover

The SR-71 Blackbird is over 40 years old. And still kicks ass.

IIRC, its swan song was flying coast-to-coast in a little over an hour. What a way to go out!

blendermassacre · #17 08-17-2010, 01:56 PM

this is similar to when, in my politics class two semesters ago, the "where were you when 9/11 happened" conversation happened, and the kid sitting next to me proudly proclaimed " In 4th grade"... I nearly died

sloasdaylight · #18 08-17-2010, 02:29 PM

I was at a memorial for one of my High School teachers who died in a kayaking accident in Indiana a month or two ago, and one of the girls that got up to say something was in his home room, and will graduate in 2013. When she said that, me, and my friends, who graduated in '05 all just looked at each other and said "Wow!"

i_got_a_mohawk · #19 08-17-2010, 02:40 PM

The one that hit me was my 'little' brother turning 18. He's been with his girl for about 4 years, he's working his dream job.

Still my kid brother, but him being all grown up really only struck me on his birthday.

Relic · #20 08-17-2010, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

The one that hit me was my 'little' brother turning 18. He's been with his girl for about 4 years, he's working his dream job.

Still my kid brother, but him being all grown up really only struck me on his birthday.

ahh wait 'till you're a dad. It gets worse.

My oldest son will be turning 16 soon and I swear that it seems like it was maybe 3 years ago tops when I was changing his diapers and telling him bed time stories... turns out that was 14+ years ago! Hell be DRIVING soon!!