F-35 pictures.
Posted on 04/04/2017 7:53:17 AM PDT by johnk
Gun: fail. Flight: fail. Software: fail. Schedule: fail. Budget: fail. Plus 270 more fails...
“The Services have designated 276 deficiencies in combat performance as “critical to correct” in Block 3F, but less than half of the critical deficiencies were addressed with attempted corrections in 3FR6”, the report states...
The problem with the wing design makes the F-35 a challenge to fly at around the speed of sound: “All F-35 variants display objectionable or unacceptable flying qualities at transonic speeds, where aerodynamic forces on the aircraft are rapidly changing. Particularly, under elevated 'g' conditions, when wing loading causes the effects to be more pronounced, pilots have reported the flying qualities as 'unacceptable',” the report states.
As a close support aircraft, Dr Gilmore's report says, the Electro-Optical Targeting System is hamstrung by low resolution and range. That means if pilots are trying to single out a ground target, they need a first approach that's too close to use guided weapons, so they have to blow their cover, then circle back to a safe distance before launching an attack.
A pilot might revert to the cannon in such a circumstance, but at the moment, that doesn't work either.
To maintain its “stealthy” radar profile, the F-35A has a door to conceal the gun. Opening the door to fire the cannon pulls the aircraft off-target – something that needs a fix in the plane's software.
(Excerpt) Read more at theregister.co.uk ...
F-35 pictures.
As a former flight test guy who flew the ‘15 in the early 70s at Edwards, the F-35 looks like our new version of the F-111, which was known as McNamara’s switch blade Edsel. The 111 did turn out OK, but not even close to what was intended for the airframe.
Methinks that we’d have been much better off continuing the F-22 for a bit, maybe doing an upgrade on the F-15, and looking into something a bit more affordable for the next gen fighter.
ping for later
Yes, it’s 100% accurate. Trump has ordered an inquiry into competition for the program by looking at modernized super hornets.
Did you ever come over to Luke when we were doing FOT&E on the Eagle? I was one of two GCI controllers for almost all the DACT/ACT missions including 64th Aggressors.
F-22 should have been kept going for the Airforce, but that wouldn’t help the Navy and Marines who were counting on F-35.
Didn’t the Israelis already fly their 2 F-35s in a combat mission?
Design by committee bad enough. Trying to please a committee of countries is recipe for failure.
My biggest concern on this is as follows:
A good percentage of people “in-the-know” will tell you that the F-35 is a fantastic plane — it aces all the tests, it triumphs over our other planes, it dominates the battlefield and it changes the very nature of air warfare.
And a good percentage of people “in-the-know” will tell you that it’s a piece of junk, can barely fly, does a poor job at each of its missions, costs too much, and is a huge waste of USAF resources which has weakened our ability to wage war in the air for the foreseeable future.
It can’t be both. Is this how we do engineering? Don’t we know???
Answer: it’s all just politics.
The most expensive piece of junk in history (Obama excepted).
F-16 pilot friend says he thinks it’s a darn good plane
F-16 pilot friend says he thinks it’s a darn good plane
I rub shoulders with a lot of Minot AFB personnel. The opinion of those who care is it’s trying to be too many things to too many end users. It doesn’t do 1-2 things really really well. It’s trying to do 1-2 dozen things pretty good.
For a definitive opinion on the aircraft, let ace naval aviator John McCain fly one. With Harrison Ford in the right seat (if it has one).
Seems the F35 hinges on a lot of hinges ..... but then I just rendered seats, guns and ordnance safe when things went wrong as a EOD tech . But if those stealthy doors fail the F35 seems to be an expensive decoy or just chaff in a fight.
Deep down I understand change is good but .... guess getting older and thinking reliable tactics , treachery, numbers and skills are still best way to go when properly orchestrated .
Would indeed like to see at least 300 of the F22’s in our inventory ......
I don’t know about Israelis but I read this from Forbes.
“Forbes.com...Author - Loren Thompson
Excerprt... “The Pentagon revealed this week that U.S. Marine Corps F-35 fighters are operating in South Korea for the first time, as they participate in joint training exercises with the Republic of Korea’s military.
The eight planes are from a squadron of F-35Bs deployed to Iwakuni, Japan in January, where they will be permanently stationed and on call to respond quickly if a crisis occurs on the Korean Peninsula.”
F22 was up and running and doing very well but the swamp bureaucrats wanted something more expensive. They got junk.
Bingo. We’ve recently seen reports from Red Flag that indicate the airframe is a game changer, and now this.
Methinks the guy may be angling for a high level defense job in a future dimmo administration...
it aces all the tests,
= = =
I hope it does not use any VW software.
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