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

[Jura The idiot]

I'll pick up this:

...

and frankly some of our best friends here are playing for the other team! fly your flag gentlemen, lets not pretend to plqy on both teams!

Brother I hope I won't say something what you didn't mean, anyway you've left with an impression as if Westerners should adore Western programs because the programs are Western; I think, to the contrary,
Westerners should be watchful how the Western programs actually perform, as PR Departments always make an impression any program needs to be adored (that's PR Departments' job, and they're good in that), but simply not all programs are worth the money, and all have alternatives

I'll repeat here the line from Aug 4, 2016

... the question remains (and soon may be gone, or asked by many, that's why I'll pose it for the SDF record now) if those tremendous resources had been better used on other aircraft than F-35

EDIT what I mean by #2:
kinda abstract economics rule says one should look at what would've been achieved by alternative project(s) in comparison to the one actually procured ... for example if you had invested one mil into something, you should then compare your gain, of for example 100 Grand, to what you would've earned if you had invested into something else, and evaluate the actual investment based on this: had it been realistically possible to gain 200 Grand by investing that one mil differently, your 100 Grand surplus would be a failure LOL!

sorry if I misunderstood you ("fly your flag") I mean I'm totally pro-West, and strongly pro-American, but just because of that I wouldn't praise something which I find dubious, like the idea to spend a half of a trillion on 'one size fits all' aircraft (but who knows, and I liked the square loop Jun 19, 2017

liked the square loop most ... "in its corner":

I add what's not funny which is in a case of war, it would be different, and I've recently admitted I supported 2003 Iraq War Jun 16, 2017

 

[Jura The idiot]

time to go back to point #2 from Sep 24, 2016

I guess top two news from yesterday are

1. 
   (a picture related to what I already posted: https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/f-...os-and-pics-thread.t5796/page-387#post-416877), and
2. F-35A Catches Fire at Mountain Home Air Force Base
   
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as
F-35A engine fire at US Air Force base sparked by strong tailwinds

U.S. Air Force investigators have found that last September’s F-35A mishap at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, was indeed an uncontained engine fire — albeit one started because of tailwinds present during engine start, not deficiencies with the aircraft’s Pratt and Whitney F135 engine.

According to a U.S. Air Force accident investigation board, or AIB, report signed May 9 by the board’s president and obtained by Defense News, the engine fire started after tailwinds forced hot air into the inlet of the jet’s integrated power pack. A chain of factors, such as insufficient torque and slow engine rotation speed, caused the F-35 to continuously supply fuel to its engine at an increased rate.

“During this mishap, however, the fire became uncontained due to the increased amount of fuel added while the engine rotation speed was slowing,” the report stated. “Once the uncontained fire started coming out of the aircraft exhaust, the tailwind carried it rapidly along the exterior surfaces of the jet.”

The pilot escaped from the aircraft but sustained burns to his head, neck and face.

The service is still evaluating how much it will cost to repair the F-35A involved in the mishap, which was assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, and involved in a training flight at Mountain Home when the fire occurred. However, damage to the plane is estimated to amount to at least $17 million.

Ultimately, the mishap had little effect on F-35 training and operations. After the fire broke out on Sept. 23, the U.S. Air Force announced that it had no plans of grounding its F-35As — a sign that the service believed the incident arose because of weather or human factors rather than a design flaw. The F-35 joint program executive office has not announced modifications to the jet as a result of the event.

The AIB report noted that aircraft systems, including the F135 engine, performed as designed. Still, investigators stated that more could have been done to prevent the mishap, especially in the realm of educating pilots.

For instance, the service did not include information about how tailwinds contribute to integrated power pack failures on its engine start checklist. Pilots were also not given any additional training on concerns related to tailwinds and were not aware of warning signs that the F-35 exhibits when tailwinds cause issues with the jet’s power and propulsion systems.

“[Integrated power pack] and engine start issues with a tailwind were known prior to the incident. However, the publications were written and communicated in such a way that the F-35A pilot community had only vague awareness of the issue. This vague awareness led to inadequate training for engine starts with a tailwind,” Col. Dale Hetke, the AIB’s president, wrote in his statement of opinion on the investigation.

The F-35 is renowned for its complex software and sensor fusion capabilities, but Hetke noted that the level of automation present in the aircraft led to some complacency within the pilot community.

“The F-35A engine start process is heavily automated, which drove a perception among pilots [that] the aircraft handled virtually all of the starting procedures, and so long as the dials were ‘green’ there was no problems,” the AIB report stated.

During the incident, the fire spread along about two-thirds of the aircraft’s aft surfaces, with most burn damage occurring on the top, side and underneath portion in the center of the jet, the report said.

Because the aircraft’s weapon bay doors are open during engine start, the fire spread to aircraft surfaces, panels, cables and components. The aircraft’s landing gear was damaged, and its integrated power pack will need to be replaced.

Investigators noted that the engine’s exhaust nozzle section was engulfed in flames but did not spell out how much of the engine will need to be repaired or replaced.

source:

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[Jeff Head]

time to go back to point #2 from Sep 24, 2016

as
F-35A engine fire at US Air Force base sparked by strong tailwinds
source:

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I live in Idaho...about 60 miles from Mountain Home AFB as the crow flies.

This was a training/maintenance issue. They were not sufficiently trained for operations during a high tail wind scenario (which at many of these bases in the west and great planes) is not going to be uncommon.

However, the issues are known and how to operate with those issues are known...but the ground crew did not do what it should have done, and even the [pilot had not been sufficenmtly trained.

Anyhow...like with all new programs, and particularly cutting edge ones where so much is new in how the aircraft is programmed and how the pilots and ground crews have to learn...problems like this are simply going to occur.

Heck, we still lose F-16s because of errors...and F-18s and they have been around for decades.

Tis is dangerous stuff folks...even when you are not at war.

The Chinese are learning this with their new aircraft. They have built 23 J-15 production birds for carrier use and have already lost two of them.

I do not blame anyone for this...it is the nature of the beast and if you want to be well prepared and effective you have to train a lot. When you train a lot with inheritantly dangerous equipment...there are going to be accidents and issues.

In the case of the F-35 though it is a shame becuase people are like sitting around waiting for any little thing to happnen and then blame the whole program for it.

 

[FORBIN]

where's the surprise here Jura, everyone has warned that the sequester and other cuts would exponentially raise prices, particularly our own Jeff Head, whose integrity is as high as BD Popeye's, there are NOT two more honest men on the planet??

In comparison with initials forecastss in 2010 before sequestration i guestimate annual orders inferior of about 20 % for the max rate/year we go for at less 48 normaly 60 initialy planned 80 F-35A/year.
For the B no decrease we go for 20/year and C much less than planned.... normaly about max 10 - 20/year initialy planned 20.

For price have much decrease sure but remains not clear with others suppl. cost not included in deals for Lots seems fault to LM and also DOD and ofc a more big and sophisticated fighter than F-16 must have a flight hour price to 24000 $/hour F-16 about 18000 logic.

 

[bd popeye]

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ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 12, 2017) An F-35B lands on the flight deck aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). Wasp is currently underway acquiring certifications in preparation for their upcoming homeport shift to Sasebo, Japan where they are slated to relieve the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) in the 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Levingston Lewis & Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Galbreath/Released)

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ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 12, 2017) Sailors refuel an F-35B aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). Wasp is currently underway acquiring certifications in preparation for their upcoming homeport shift to Sasebo, Japan where they are slated to relieve the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) in the 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Galbreath/Released)

 

[Jura The idiot]

now noticed Written question HL516: Marquess of Lothian 05-07-2017

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Q
Asked by

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Asked on: 05 July 2017
Ministry of Defence
HL516
Her Majesty's Government whether they remain committed to the purchase of 138 F-35B jump–jets for the Royal Navy.

A
Answered by:

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Answered on: 12 July 2017


As part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015, we reaffirmed our commitment to procure 138 F-35 Lightning II aircraft. The first tranche of 48 aircraft will be of the F-35B variant, which will be jointly operated by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, and capable of operating from both land and the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. The decision on the variant of subsequent tranches of Lightning will be taken at the appropriate time.

 

[Air Force Brat]

No he is dodging from his Russian connection darts. His son is already being investigating.




So it's Obama's problems and fault regardless if Trump was in office. The bottom line is how much can the American tax payers can continue to pay for this "flow" process and manufacturing that keeps on increasing due to continuing cost in everything?

of course its Obama's mismanagement and destruction of the nations economy,, and his loathing of the US military,,, their not fond of him either!

 

[Equation]

of course its Obama's mismanagement and destruction of the nations economy

Experts says other wise.

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and his loathing of the US military,,, their not fond of him either!

NOT ALL military personnel both current and former loathed President Obama just the haters. And NO President Obama doesn't hate the military no matter how much the naysayers and hates scream.

 

[Jeff Head]

I do not "hate" Obama. But I knew he was not a President I would be proud of, or could ever vote for.

You see, I read both of his books when he was running the first time. From the books it is clear that...

1) He is an absolute very strong socialist, bordering on Marxist.

2) He believes that most of the world's problems are a result of the United States.

The first meant his policies would be disastrous...and they were on almost all fronts.

The second meant he simply had an absolutely warped sense of history and that would end up hurting the US and its policies...and it did.

Despite its problems and mistakes, the US has been a God send to the free people and thinkers of the world, and has helped save the earth from tyranny three times...at great cost in lives and treasure.

But he is gone now, and we have a new President. I do have to say that it is clear that Obama has no intention of doing the historical norm, and proper thing, to let the new President govern without interference from someone who is no longer in office.

Despite differences (though not nearly as many or as fundamental) that I had with George Bush, I have to say that he was very gracious in not tryng to speak out against or interfere with the man who took his place...even though he strngly disagreed with most all of his policies. He let him govern because the people elected him and BBush had respect for that.

OBama? Not at all. IMHO, it is pretty shameless.

But...'nuff said. Now both sides of that have been heard and no more politics like this will be brooke

Back on topic../politics!

 

[FORBIN]