F-35 Joint Strike Fighter News, Videos and pics Thread

[delft]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

We see here the development being run with more than sixty aircraft, necessary because of the complexity of building three versions in parallel. In the J-20 thread many of us agreed that only one or at most two aircraft were used in the, agreed very early, flight tests. Because of the huge costs of the program it seems to be impossible to abandon a version except perhaps
-B. That's funny because you want a single-engined plane for STOVL, while the Navy would be better served by an aircraft with two engines. And a carrier aircraft should have a proper hook.
Btw, with stealth aircraft as expensive as they will remain for a very considerable time most of the countries now slated to buy F-35s will certainly not use them against an opponent with equivalent aircraft. So they buy them not to cover their own needs but to please the US. But they have to reduce their buy to soon ridiculously small numbers because of the rising price and the growing financial crisis. For the Netherlands that might be a few dozen.
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[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

I think thats what they call "Pie in the Sky, by and by". Now lets keep our sense of humor, and get to work to save this little pooch! Air Frame Buffet? gives designed by committee a whole new illustration doesn't it. But to be honest delft we might all need them? Hope not bro. Brat

 

[delft]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Do we really need them? The only threat against The Netherlands is an invasion by US Marines if US war criminals were to be brought for the International Criminal Court in The Hague. In that case F-35 would probably of little value. Going out to occupy other countries doesn't make sense nowadays. G.W.Bush hoped to establish a garrison in Iraq for the next half century but it left last month. In the 19th century the matter was very different. The UK was able to collect a quarter of the Earth's land surface. The book that taught me about the changing strength of offense and defense is Tom Wintingham - Weapons & Tactics.

P.S. I just remembered Obama's remarks about the US needing new methods to overcome cheap defenses of countries that are greatly outclassed by the US forces in his speech at the Pentagon on 5 January.

 

[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

No delft you probably don't need them, the US Marines have defended far more ungratefull folks and will again. The difference with the US military, is that excersising our freedom of expression may encourage folks who haven't been properly raised, to think its alright to do certain politically incorrect things, like pee on the international criminals court or insulting the United States Marines, and two United States Presidents. Let me assure you that any dishonorable acts, by any member of the US military, is met with swift and certain punishment. Now sir, lets get back on topic of the F-35, and if you have no interest in said aircraft or rational discussion of same, please feel free to cease and desist. Good Day

 

[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Sorry delft my bad, in general I think your a very bright dude, you may disagree with our foreign policy, and you certainly don't have to buy our F-35, I don't want to buy it either. I want my Raptor back! So where is that buffet coming from guys, someone has to have a theory on that, engineer?, mig29? anybody? delft? Its a great looking airplane, but burning the tailfeathers in AB? Jeff? Somebody needs to help fix this thing so you guys have a bird for your boats.

 

[bd popeye]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Somebody needs to help fix this thing so you guys have a bird for your boats.

It will get fixed AFB. And the USN has ships not boats...

Both the Tomcat and Phantom had problems with their tailhooks.. but those problems were solved and both aircrat served the USN for decades.

 

[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

It will get fixed AFB. And the USN has ships not boats...

Both the Tomcat and Phantom had problems with their tailhooks.. but those problems were solved and both aircrat served the USN for decades.

Sorry Chief, no disrespect intended, but Naval Aviators refer to their carrier, as "The Boat", as to the Phantom, is that why the F-4K had an extended nose gear, a rather ducky lucking affair. I do well recall that the Turkey had some difficulties as well, and the carbon fibre outer wing panels on the F-18 were also problematic. The F-35 seems like the proverbial "Headless Chicken", what is unusual, given the scope of the situation is no one talking about what we're doing to fix it.

 

[Scratch]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Near term production for the F-35 has already been slowed, and given the circumstances, it may even be prudent to halt production for some time.
Significant flaws in the design have been found. I think there's really no point in spending precious money on airframes that we already know will have to be expensively modified later on. By now, there are enough airframes to do all kind of testing to find any other problems beyond the ones already known. I think it's better to make a clear cut now, address the issues expeditiously and then restart the whole thing. Better at least than to drag on with it in the current situation.
That would of course mean to temporarily shut down a rather big & diverse production line, wich isn't really economical either.

On the other hand, testing was ahead of schedule at the end of last year. And depending on which model has what flaws, maybe it's ok to just not buy carrier variants for the time being, although the buffeting problem affects all models I guess.

P&W has recently been awarded $194M for long lead production items of the 6th lot of F135 engines to begin delivery in 2013. 37 engines 18CTOL for the AF, 7for the Navy, and 6STOVL for the Marines; 4CTOL for the Italian AF, and 2 for the RAAF.

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Press Release

Pratt & Whitney Awarded $194M F135 Long-Lead Production Contract

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Jan. 10, 2012 – The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Pratt & Whitney a $194,097,296 long-lead production contract for F135 engines to power the F-35 Lightning II. The low rate initial production (LRIP) contract covers long-lead materials for the sixth lot of F135 engines, and provides Pratt & Whitney the ability to start procuring long-lead items for production engines. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company. ...

 

[bd popeye]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Sorry Chief, no disrespect intended, but Naval Aviators refer to their carrier, as "The Boat"

Yes I know. All sailors call their ship the boat. I did. It's a term of endearment. But you as a zoomie(USAF type) or a civilian or Soldier must refer to the ship as a ship. Marines are permitted to refer to a ship they are assigned to as the boat.

 

[navyreco]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Read that problem is with the geometry of the hook itself... The hook edge is higher that the cable diameter. They will redesign the hook with a lower profile so it doesn't bound on the cable anymore