PIF: “You missed the point.”
So, if I understand, when you posted about “range”, you were not referring to normal “combat radius”, but rather to extended range with external fuel tanks?
You think for extended range, even “conformal tanks” unmask the F-35?
And this is a limitation somehow not shared by other stealth aircraft such as the F-22, do you say?
It sounds to me like loss of some extended range is a price of stealth, unless you do things like fill weapons bays with fuel tanks.
And I still note that published numbers show F-35 normal combat radius equal to or better than any except the F-15 Eagle.
But that must be assuming the F-35 is carrying bombs while the F-15 normally does not.
So, comparing apple’s to apple’s, how much range does the F-35 really lose?
Seriously, I don’t need to know that, but it is nice to hear the F-35 pilots are confident their weapons will bring them home from real combat not only victorious, but healthy.
Yeah external tanks are dropped for stealth mode, right?