Posted on 04/05/2016 7:35:53 AM PDT by rktman
The F-35 program that emerged proposed to build a dual-role tactical aircraft capable of both air-to-ground (strike) and air-to-air (fighter) combat operations. It is a fifth-generation aircraft designed to incorporate the most modern technology such as thrust vectoring, composite materials, stealth technology, advanced radar and sensors, and integrated avionics to greatly improve pilot situational awareness.
The operational requirements of the F-35 program required 70% to 90% commonality between three versions of the aircraft—one for each of the air force (F-35A), marine corps (F-35B), and navy (F-35C). As a result, many of the high-cost parts—including the basic engine design, avionics, and major airframe structural components—are common to all variants.
Unfortunately, the F-35 program has encountered a number of significant challenges since its inception. It has been plagued by cost overruns that escalated the per plane cost from US$75 million to an estimated US$160 million. Scheduling difficulties have seen peak production delayed by over 5 years.
(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...
The first rule of system engineering is when you try to make a system work under all possible requirements and roles, i.e., a generic replacement for everything.
The end result is a system that probably won’t do all, and what it can do is marginally acceptable, if that. The cold hard facts.
To the critics of the F-35,remember this.Even with its problems the present plane is a lot better version of the plane Boeing had planned to build.That was a dog of a plane that had to have parts removed in order to hover in place.
It was damned ugly as well.They say form follows function and the Boeing jet proved that.
Now it’s up to the Contractor,Lockheed-Martin to clean up the problems and turn it into a Mig killer it was supposed to be.
LOL! Yup. My former employer better get their act together. Different program from what I worked though. And yes, the boeing plane was fugly.
As with any and all things, if the F-35's success was a priority with the PTBs, it would be a stunning success. We, the public, might know how stunning a success it is or we might not.
The PTBs seem to have progressed to a different set of priorities these days, so it's hard to say one way or another.
That the F-35 program is, or is being perceived as being, a very expensive failure, whether that perception is accurate or not, is noteworthy.
Save the Warthog.
Roger that. A-10’s ROCK!
The primary requirement is first night, deep strike, into heavily protected environments. There are other aircraft that can arguably do that, but there was a desire to go stealth (not LO) for that mission. For the Raptor lovers that want to use F-22, there is also the requirement for the stealth carriage of 2,000 lb class j-weapons.
Pregnant A-7
LOL! Looked like something in a fish tank as I recall.
This is Mcnamaras F111 program redux. It was supposed to fill all roles but turned out to be a dog that did nothing well.
Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.
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