You can't just say (Bullet hole here) + (returned plane) = (don't need to as much armor there). You also need to understand the circumstances of how the plane returned. Was it crippled and just barely made it back with critical systems straining? Or was it mostly functional?
If there was a common place where planes were shot that caused the airplane to fly home for an emergency landing, then that spot is a good place for armor.
Not necessarily. I'm assuming adding armor incurs some form of debt so to speak on performance, cost, development time, etc. In some cases those debts might overshadow the cost of armor...
The related factors of weight, speed, and fuel consumption would be the obvious downsides to adding armor. Especially considering that a heavier, slower plane is an easier target, thicker skinned or not.
There's a fine balancing point between just enough and too much armor.
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You can't just say (Bullet hole here) + (returned plane) = (don't need to as much armor there). You also need to understand the circumstances of how the plane returned. Was it crippled and just barely made it back with critical systems straining? Or was it mostly functional?
If there was a common place where planes were shot that caused the airplane to fly home for an emergency landing, then that spot is a good place for armor.
Not necessarily. I'm assuming adding armor incurs some form of debt so to speak on performance, cost, development time, etc. In some cases those debts might overshadow the cost of armor...
The related factors of weight, speed, and fuel consumption would be the obvious downsides to adding armor. Especially considering that a heavier, slower plane is an easier target, thicker skinned or not.
There's a fine balancing point between just enough and too much armor.