garey@tekig.UUCP (Garey Fouts) (08/20/84)
From: elt@astrovax.UUCP (Ed Turner) Newsgroups: net.followup Subject: Re: Star Wars Defense Plan Date: Fri, 17-Aug-84 11:00:06 PDT >4) A missile defense system is an attractive project to (at least some >elements of) the military industrial complex. It offers the opportunity >of opening up a huge new military enterprise. This may seem like a drawback >to idealists who would like to see as few resources as possible "wasted" >on military activities; realistically, however, the military industrial >complex is such a powerful and influential economic interest that it is hard >to imagine us giving up the development of new *offensive* weapons systems >without some substitute activity to replace it. A defense system could serve >this purpose as well. I would like to know the economic differences to PEOPLE between a cruise missile and,say a Boeing 727. Somehow I think the airplane has a greater return on investment. A 727 has a lifetime of 20-40 million hours of service. A missile has only a few minutes of life. The 727 employ a crew of at least three, and offers the service of transportation to passengers/cargo. What benefit does a missile give PEOPLE.
mwm@ea.UUCP (08/23/84)
#R:tekig:-224100:ea:3400028:000:625 ea!mwm Aug 23 14:56:00 1984 /***** ea:net.followup / tekig!garey / 8:31 am Aug 21, 1984 */ A 727 has a lifetime of 20-40 million hours of service. A missile has only a few minutes of life. The 727 employ a crew of at least three, and offers the service of transportation to passengers/cargo. /* ---------- */ All this is only true if you can get someone to use the 727. If they don't use it, it has an effective lifetime of 0, and provides no employment to anybody. Missiles, on the other hand, provide employment for maintenance *until* you use them. Since they aren't made to be used, they have a very long effective lifetime - 20+ years. <mike
mag@whuxle.UUCP (Gray Mike) (08/30/84)
/***** ea:net.followup / tekig!garey / 8:31 am Aug 21, 1984 */ A 727 has a lifetime of 20-40 million hours of service. A missile has only a few minutes of life. The 727 employ a crew of at least three, and offers the service of transportation to passengers/cargo. /* ---------- */ 20 million hours of service would take ~2283 *years* to rack up, if the plane is flown 24 hours a day. In general, planes seldom rack up more than 30,000 flying hours before their allowable cabin load is reduced, which makes them less cost-effective. Very few planes ever hit 100,000 hours. Mike Gray, BTL, WH