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

[delft]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

While they are likely quite capable, they are basically low rate production test aircraft, due to some of the issues I mentioned, the concurrency production has been slowed to a crawl to deal with those issues. Much like the F-22 the aircraft will be upgraded in "blocks" as software and hardware are upgraded. The early production aircraft of most nations will go to the schoolhouse at Eglin AFB in Florida for maintenance and flight training, under the watchfull eye of combat qualifed operators to school on maintenance and early issues with the aircraft, and you can bet there are layers and layers of safety mechanisms to "wade" into aircraft operations in a safe and orderly way. It is very unlikely that they would be used in any combat scenario at this stage because neither the aircraft nor operators are combat qualified, but rest assured, we have layers and layers of combat capable aircraft, and those 185 Raptors are still causing bad guys to lose sleep at night. So lay your head on your pillow and rest easy, the "good guys " are geared up and they are "ready to go"!

As to specifics, I am quite certain that would be classified, but I am also certain that several of our more up to date posters will inform of us some general lrp specs?

I understood there is a US law specifying that the number of preproduction aircraft should not be more than a small percentage of the total production. For F-35 this percentage has grown to over 30 %. That's an expensive hobby.

 

[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

^^ IMO should have stuck with the C and use more UAVs/UCAVs

NYET! Sorry paint, but keep your UAVs/UCAVs out of US Airspace and off my budget, yuck, yuck, yuck. what a waste of money. An DON'T fly that junk over my house, what a sacriledge against freedom, and no I don't think they ought to be flying them over your house either. I don't want BHO or GWB violating my freedom, or yours, this is one area where Mr. Deflt and I agree completely!

 

[stardave]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

NYET! Sorry paint, but keep your UAVs/UCAVs out of US Airspace and off my budget, yuck, yuck, yuck. what a waste of money. An DON'T fly that junk over my house, what a sacriledge against freedom, and no I don't think they ought to be flying them over your house either. I don't want BHO or GWB violating my freedom, or yours, this is one area where Mr. Deflt and I agree completely!

I personally think UAV is over hyped right now, in a high risk environment such as war with China or Russia, those predator drones won't last long on the sky, it can be shot down by other jets, SAMs, AAA, hacking, jamming etc.... in fact they are only effective vs third world nations that can't do a thing to defend their own air space.

And forget about dog fighting, I watched an interview it says when you gives predator a commend, it takes about 1.5 second for them to respond, now, that vs a human pilot, who will have full situation awareness, it will not be a match at all.

The only way viable for UAV to work is to develop AI on board that let the drones themselves decide the whole mission, and I think we are few decades away from that technology... also would you really trust your drones to think all by themselves?

 

[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

I understood there is a US law specifying that the number of preproduction aircraft should not be more than a small percentage of the total production. For F-35 this percentage has grown to over 30 %. That's an expensive hobby.

While I absolutely agree with you on this as well, the lovely Raptor is out of production just as it was beginning to amortize some of the developemental costs, sacrificed for the poor little thunderhogg and all the partners holding hands and singing kumbaya together. As you can see, some folks don't like fancy Air Force Airplanes, or for that matter fancy Navy airplanes, but sub guys might end up like that anyway, the Admiral says thats not really what he means. I really don't think its likely that the F-35 would be derailed at this stage, to much is depending on it, but who knows with this current crowd? As I said all these airplanes are capable, and it will take a lot of flying and testing to work the kinks out of the whole system, it will be expensive, but how much is freedom worth?

---------- Post added at 04:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 PM ----------

i personally think uav is over hyped right now, in a high risk environment such as war with china or russia, those predator drones won't last long on the sky, it can be shot down by other jets, sams, aaa, hacking, jamming etc.... In fact they are only effective vs third world nations that can't do a thing to defend their own air space.

And forget about dog fighting, i watched an interview it says when you gives predator a commend, it takes about 1.5 second for them to respond, now, that vs a human pilot, who will have full situation awareness, it will not be a match at all.

The only way viable for uav to work is to develop ai on board that let the drones themselves decide the whole mission, and i think we are few decades away from that technology... Also would you really trust your drones to think all by themselves?

nyet!

This hot off the press at AFM Daily Report 7/11/12, three more A models and one B model, delivered since June 29, are coded operational versus test and bring the operational aircraft totals greater than test aircraft in the inventory! They will all be stationed at the School house on Egland AFB, but they do have initial capability!

 

[navyreco]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

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Denmark’s Terma is showing off, for the first time here at the show, the multi-mission pod (MMP) it has developed for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The MMP began life as the gun pod for the F-35, which Terma designed and developed on behalf of General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, but the company has developed it into a more versatile pod that should prove attractive, in particular, to overseas operators of the JSF.

 

[navyreco]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Nice video explaining the JSF cockpit:

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[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Nice video explaining the JSF cockpit:

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While that is all very Kool, it would prolly confuse an analogue brained geezer such as myself. I really don't like the Hud or electronic cockpit on flight sim X, it seems confusing although after a while it would probably get easier.

 

[Pointblank]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

The F-35 decision: Disastrous implications for UK airpower

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The switch to the F-35C by the UK was a political one not a military decision. The military only found out about the decision when the PMO announced it in the media.

Buying the C would have been much more expensive for the UK in the long run, and the UK government knew this. However, in the SDSR, converting to the C gave a convenient excuse to kick the can down the road and delay the CVFs, which suited the powers that be just fine. They didn't expect the extra costs to convert the CVF's to cat and trap to show up so fast and so soon.

The problem was redesigning and the costs of the EMALS. Instead of the expected £400m, it is believed the conversion would cost about £1.8bn, excluding any other design changes that are required to change from STOVL to CATOBAR for just one ship. Not to mention the major developmental risks involved with EMALS; the UK would be the first nation to implement EMALS on a carrier, with all of the resulting technical issues.

The service chiefs were very concerned at the costs and technical risks; they are angry and never thought the revised CVF and move to F-35C was as easy and quick as the government seemed to make out. Now they are getting more evidence to support this. The extra costs just cannot be absorbed in the current and likely future budgets without even more cuts elsewhere.

 

[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

The switch to the F-35C by the UK was a political one not a military decision. The military only found out about the decision when the PMO announced it in the media.

Buying the C would have been much more expensive for the UK in the long run, and the UK government knew this. However, in the SDSR, converting to the C gave a convenient excuse to kick the can down the road and delay the CVFs, which suited the powers that be just fine. They didn't expect the extra costs to convert the CVF's to cat and trap to show up so fast and so soon.

The problem was redesigning and the costs of the EMALS. Instead of the expected £400m, it is believed the conversion would cost about £1.8bn, excluding any other design changes that are required to change from STOVL to CATOBAR for just one ship. Not to mention the major developmental risks involved with EMALS; the UK would be the first nation to implement EMALS on a carrier, with all of the resulting technical issues.

The service chiefs were very concerned at the costs and technical risks; they are angry and never thought the revised CVF and move to F-35C was as easy and quick as the government seemed to make out. Now they are getting more evidence to support this. The extra costs just cannot be absorbed in the current and likely future budgets without even more cuts elsewhere.

As I said, I really do like the C, but if you recall the B was in "deep serious", and some where calling for her cancelation, when the PM called for the C, but lots of folks got serious and addressed those concerns and the B is being delivered, as noted and "operational status B, as well as three A's, also operational status, to the Schoolhouse At Eglin this month! So IMOH the B is still the best option, and it will likely turn out to be a good choice, all humor aside the Brit's have lots of experience with lift jets and their ops, it really is part of the national psychie, and a good part at that. It is expensive, but cheaper than the option of modifying to carriers to EMALs, so I think they are well equipped to help the USMC bring the B up to full on ops. again IMHO? Cheers Brat

Don't feel too bad, lots of us are second guessing all these decisions, the one that really sticks in my craw is my beautifull Raptor, killed by a bunch of sorry politicians, and ground pounders, no offense guys, but some folks have no more idea about flying machines than I do about tanks or troop carriers, I stik to my area of expertise and listen to folks who know more than I when it comes to Army, Navy, etc.!

 

[Equation]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

As I said, I really do like the C, but if you recall the B was in "deep serious", and some where calling for her cancelation, when the PM called for the C, but lots of folks got serious and addressed those concerns and the B is being delivered, as noted and "operational status B, as well as three A's, also operational status, to the Schoolhouse At Eglin this month! So IMOH the B is still the best option, and it will likely turn out to be a good choice, all humor aside the Brit's have lots of experience with lift jets and their ops, it really is part of the national psychie, and a good part at that. It is expensive, but cheaper than the option of modifying to carriers to EMALs, so I think they are well equipped to help the USMC bring the B up to full on ops. again IMHO? Cheers Brat

Don't feel too bad, lots of us are second guessing all these decisions, the one that really sticks in my craw is my beautifull Raptor, killed by a bunch of sorry politicians, and ground pounders, no offense guys, but some folks have no more idea about flying machines than I do about tanks or troop carriers, I stik to my area of expertise and listen to folks who know more than I when it comes to Army, Navy, etc.!

LOL...none taken. Man, you won't let that go would ya(politicians canceling of the F-22)?