• BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        6 days ago

        If you are the one claiming it’s the perfect cargo plane, even better than cargo planes, it’s on you to prove it. What even is this conversation, it started you thinking cargo airplanes were civilian and then you just duck and weave on everything in the weirdest way.

        • YourNetworkIsHaunted@awful.systems
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 days ago

          I think the missing piece here is that B-52 isn’t just a pretty good cargo hauler, it’s a pretty good cargo hauler that we don’t need to buy a whole new airframe to get. Think of it less as “we’re commissioning these B-52s” and more as “hey look we found a way to use all these B-52s we already had” only this just keeps working forever.

          • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 days ago

            Well they upgraded all the engines at some point. I don’t know the cost breakdown between engines vs frame but I don’t think it’s good.

            • YourNetworkIsHaunted@awful.systems
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              4 days ago

              Gotta be cheaper than buying new planes which would also have new engines. Generally there needs to be a pretty substantial increase in capability before it’s worth retiring an existing platform, especially in a logistics role where you don’t get as much benefit from the bleeding edge because nobody’s supposed to be shooting at you in the first place.

              • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                4 days ago

                You need new electronics for the new engines, new training for the new handling, etc etc. The cost difference to existing cargo planes that are already in service is becoming less and less. This could easily be a case of being penny wise and pound foolish.