I was at an airshow in Brunswick, GA ten days ago. The Blue Angels were there, flying F-18s through their crowd-pleasing aerobatic routines. The most spectacular performance, however, was by a pilot flying an F-22. The combination of speed, agility, and raw power exhibited by that aircraft was jaw-dropping. There was an F-35 parked at the show, but it was roped off so that nobody could get within 50 feet of it. While I was there (all day on Saturday), the F-35 never moved. I don’t know if it performed on one of the other two days, but I was disappointed because I wanted to compare the show performance of the two aircraft.
The F-35’s performance is inferior to the F-22’s, but they are designed for different purposes.
As I understand it, the F-35 can act as a force multiplier, using its advanced avionics to enable F-18s, F-16, and F-22s to operate under conditions which might otherwise be far more deadly for them. It offers a kind of protective electronic blanket.
At least that’s what I read.
I was at the Nellis Air show early in 2017.I saw the F35 on the ground close up and saw it flying. Its internal area for carrying armaments looked to be about the length and depth of an eight foot pickup bed. When it flew it only took off and landed while the F22, F16, and F15 put on an acrobatic spectacle.
The final air act of the day featured the F22, F35, and the Korean War vintage F86 flying in formation. I asked a active Air Force pilot why the F22 and F35 didn’t fly with the WWII P51 Mustangs that were part of the show. He said the F35 can’t fly that slow.
I talked to all the active pilots that flew the other aircraft about the F35 and all were mum about the F35 with none praising it or critizing it. The F35 pilots liked their plane but I did note lesser enthusiasm with them than the other pilots and their planes.
I was left me with the impression that the F35 might indeed be an excellent air superiority fighter due to its stealth, missles and electronics but I believe it just doesn’t have the payload capacity and flying characteristics to serve effectively as a fighter bomber or ground support aircraft.
It could be a disastrous decision for the military to put all their eggs in a F35 basket.