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

[bd popeye]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

The F-35B(VTOL) wins the approval of the Secretary of Defence..Great news.

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U.S. Secretary of Defense

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addresses the

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Integrated Test Force personnel at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River,

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January 20, 2012. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Friday that he was endorsing the

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version of the

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Corp F-35 fighter jet because sufficient progress had been made on resolving technical issues.

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Marine Lt. Col. Matt Kelly provides a tour for U.S. Secretary of Defense

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(R) and House Minority Whip

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(D-MD) at the

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Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter testing facility at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River,

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January 20, 2012. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Friday that he was endorsing the

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version of the

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Corp F-35 fighter jet because sufficient progress had been made on resolving technical issues.

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Marine Lt. Col. Matt Kelly provides a tour for U.S. Secretary of Defense

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and House Minority Whip

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(D-MD) (L) inside the cockpit of the

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Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River,

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January 20, 2012. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Friday that he was endorsing the

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version of the

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Corp F-35 fighter jet because sufficient progress had been made on resolving technical issues.

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Marine Lt. Col. Matt Kelly provides a tour for U.S. Secretary of Defense

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(R) and House Minority Whip

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(D-MD) inside the cockpit of the

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Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River,

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January 20, 2012. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Friday that he was endorsing the

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version of the

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Corp F-35 fighter jet because sufficient progress had been made on resolving technical issues.

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U.S. Secretary of Defense

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looks at an engine for vertical flight on the

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Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River,

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January 20, 2012.

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A F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is seen at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland January 20, 2012.

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[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Yeah, at least the sec def is checking under the hood? Probably making sure somethings under there, must be a guy thang? How much ya wanna bet he kicked the tires too? When their standing at the aft end, It looks like Col. Kelly must be swearing it meets emmisions standards proposed by BHO?

 

[Equation]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

She (F-35) is so pretty! I can't wait to see the J-20 and T-50 as well.

 

[Scratch]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Some news here as well. Israel wants to make sure it can handle major maintenance on it's aircraft on it's own bases, or at least in country. They're also still trying to get some of their own equipment fitted.

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Israel makes fresh push to perform F-35 maintenance
By: Arie Egozi Tel Aviv - 15 hours ago

Israel's air force has again expressed its opposition to the idea of performing heavy maintenance work on its future fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 combat aircraft outside Israel.
As part of the US stealth fighter programme, Lockheed and the US Air Force want to establish regional maintenance centres for the F-35, with one such facility planned for Italy.
During recent talks between the Israeli air force and the USAF, Israel's opposition to using an overseas facility was underlined. A source close to the issue said the Americans understand the Israeli service's "special needs", and that alternative ways are now being evaluated to perform heavy maintenance on the F-35 at its own bases.
Deliveries from Israel's first order for 20 conventional take-off and landing F-35As are expected to start in early 2017, the source said, adding there is also an understanding that the air force will get permission to interface some Israeli-developed systems or equipment following their arrival.
This possibility applies mainly to the aircraft's electronic warfare suite, as previous Israeli requests to equip the type with domestically manufactured equipment were rejected.

And then, the F-35 performed it's first ever night flight.

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PICTURE & VIDEO: F-35 performs first night flight
By: Craig Hoyle London - 13 hours ago

Lockheed Martin has performed the first night flight involving an F-35 Lightning II, with conventional take-off and landing test aircraft AF-6 having made the milestone sortie on 18 January.
Flown from Edwards AFB, California, by company test pilot Mark Ward, AF-6 completed a 1h 17min test flight which Lockheed said included making straight approaches to the runway in twilight and darkness and assessing the F-35’s cockpit lighting.
The night flight achievement "clears the way for night refuelling and formation testing later this year", Lockheed said.

[video=youtube;7LIsv9LJPfU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7LIsv9LJPfU[/video]

 

[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Yes I like DIY myself, and who can blame them, with our current regime, they blow both ways on Israel in the same day, depending on who their hanging with at the moment. Its ashamed we aren't always the most reliable comrade in arms, and to our allies and friends, I am ashamed, for 200 years we've stood for the rule of law and freedom for all, but that doesn't mean embracing terrorism or giving in to blackmail. Our bill of rights says the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, and it means that. But we better get this baby bird up and running and make it clear to our partners in this freedom business that the blade cuts both ways.

 

[delft]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Yes I like DIY myself, and who can blame them, with our current regime, they blow both ways on Israel in the same day, depending on who their hanging with at the moment. Its ashamed we aren't always the most reliable comrade in arms, and to our allies and friends, I am ashamed, for 200 years we've stood for the rule of law and freedom for all, but that doesn't mean embracing terrorism or giving in to blackmail. Our bill of rights says the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, and it means that. But we better get this baby bird up and running and make it clear to our partners in this freedom business that the blade cuts both ways.

Bold face added. There were of course a few exceptions for part of that time. For a long time the negro slaves. Often the citizens of favored dictatorships. Of them the Shah of Iran and President Mubarak of Egypt are still relevant. And especially relevant in this context - the Palestinians.

 

[Jeff Head]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

But we better get this baby bird up and running and make it clear to our partners in this freedom business that the blade cuts both ways.

I know to some folks that it seems like madness up front to try and design one aircraft with three variants to perfomr the missions given to the JSF, but the savings logistically, and training and maintenance once it is built and operating in all three variants, over the years will more than make up for it through its life.

Particularly if we do not grow the mission beyond what the aircraft was designed for (which is precisely why we need to build 2-300 more F-22s.

But think of those savings with the JSF, multiplied by a couple of thousand aircraft over 20-30 years.

In addition, the needed stealth and other 5th generation characteristics of the Air Force and Naval variants, and the V/STOL characteristics of the Marine variant are capabilities that are needed.

The principle interest in the V\STOL variant is and always has been for use off of V\STOL carrier decks in support of Marine landings...a super-sonic, very capable fighter/bomber operating in that role...and to help operate as Sea Control vessels when called upon in less intensive environments freeing up the large carriers for the more intensive environs...or having them work together in the same where the V\STOL aircraft can provide fleet defense, freeing up a much larger number of aircraft from the large carriers for strike.

This flexability will also more than pay for itself.

In this way, even with the difficiencies, doing one aircraft for three missions will save billions and billions over its life, if they have done it properly, much of the savings coming later, in the logistical, training and maintenance areas.

Time alone will tell if they have done so correctly, and there are sure to be obstacles on the front end, as there were with the V-22 for example...which will be overcome so those future savings can be realized and I am willing to predict right now, short of the program being canceled by an Obama-like admin, that they will be realized and in the end the program will be considered a great success, and probably the most versatile, robust, and widely sold and distributed western aircraft of all time.

But that's just my opinion.

Still, I love to see this type of thing already happening:

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They have already built over 30 of these aircraft and will add another 12-18 this year. Then ramping up to 20-25 aircraft per year for the next three years (taking us to 2015) when full production should begin. At that time, when we really start seeing them come off the line in numbers, we will already have over 100 aircraft.

 

[delft]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Sometimes it takes a long time. The oldest ancestor of V-22 was a patent of 1930. German work during WWII didn't lead to a flying prototype.The Bell XV-3 in the fifties did fly successfully but was not yet useful. The XV-15 of the seventies was a lot better. And now, after three quarter of a century, we have the first truly useful aircraft of this kind. I would have liked it better if the first supersonic STOVL fighter-bomber in production would not have been compromised by being one of a triplet.

 

[Jeff Head]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Sometimes it takes a long time. The oldest ancestor of V-22 was a patent of 1930. German work during WWII didn't lead to a flying prototype.The Bell XV-3 in the fifties did fly successfully but was not yet useful. The XV-15 of the seventies was a lot better. And now, after three quarter of a century, we have the first truly useful aircraft of this kind. I would have liked it better if the first supersonic STOVL fighter-bomber in production would not have been compromised by being one of a triplet.

I think thew XC-142 had the best chance myself...first landing on a carrier in 1966.

But Mcnamara cancelled it. It had a lot of the same benefits of the V-22, except its wings tilting allowed it to take off vertical, STOL, or normal. it's biggest problem was that it required a small propeller in the rear for stability, which if it failed, could cause the aircraft to have dangerous problems.

 

[Joshluot-34-85]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Is there any chance that the radar of an Su-35 can detect an F-35B and shoots it down? Btw since F-35's internal weapons bay can only carry 4-6 missiles, it might have to cary some short-range AAMs on the outside, exposing itself to enemy radar.