F-35

Tell me about this airplane. Is it a lemon? Obviously Canada is considering buying it as a replacement for our aging F-18's. But it seems it has a ton of short comings.

Small payload, not good in a ground support roll, not good in a dog fight, it's stealth capabilities are very questionable, not vary maneuverable due to its short wingspan, cost over runs are brutal, singal engine etc.

Any of you fine folks have inside info you can share on this thing? It's been quite the news story up here, and it's obviously an issue for the USA government with its cost overruns. Is this thing a joke? Or is it truly a viable platform..

 

The truth is, most likely the only people who know what this can do are the test pilots. I would take most of what you read in the media about it with a grain of salt given that there are almost no impartial people... it's pretty much Republicans vs Democrats out there when it comes to the F-35.

 

Except the cost overruns part.

 

If it matters much, one Canadian test pilot loves the aircraft

Test pilot raves about F-35 | Canada | News | Toronto Sun


And, if you're interested, there's a good documentary on the JSF's development available on YouTube

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WnQROVmik4[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukbr2UtzH3Y[/ame]

 

Are you by chance talking about the ground roll..? The STOVL plane has a very short roll, the other versions are not overly long.

The STOVL has, for obvious reasons, a much smaller payload.

It's performance is not sub-par from what I've read.

 

Never mind the above... you meant ground support role...

Was reading too fast.

 

Just like everyone waiting in-line; you do not have many other viable options.




The other available Western jets, are all just about obsolete.

F-15E, F-16 Block 50, F-18E/F, Rafale, Eurofighter, and Gripen.





I wanted to see the advanced F-15 / Silent Eagle.

The Air Force did not want the F-15SE.

The SE, was viewed by USAF, as a threat to the 'pet' F-35A.

 

Ralf- Difficult to band-aid an aircraft for stealth. F-15SE likely has a radar signature 2 orders of magnitude more than an F-35 and IR even greater. My test squadron had an F-111D/F, glued together from two crashed F-111s to F-111F spec that was modified for stealth. Useful reduction in radar signature from the standard F-111F, but miles away from even a first generation system like the F-117A.

 

Has Pentagon grounded *all* of them now?

 

Wax- They are back flying again. You can look at Defense News online for the story.

 

Thanks - Before, I'd seen just one branch was grounded [Navy in January story?] - then a few minutes ago, Bloomberg ran a Dual-Headlined, non-distinctioning, non-updating talking-loud-but-saying-nothing babbler about how F-35s were grounded by Pentagon due to cracked blades - while affected suppliers stock was on the rise. So I had to ask. . . WTH?

 

True.

The intakes and nose of the Eagle, do not help when building a modern stealth airplane.

I read a Boeing engineer claimed (AFM ?), on-board ECM, would help ease the radar signature of
the SE, and the airplane would approach the stealth characteristics of the F-35A.

 

see: Boeing F-15SE (Silent Eagle) Multi-Role Stealth Aircraft - History, Specs and Pictures - Military Aircraft

and: Old School Jet Retooled to Slay Stealth Fighters | Danger Room | Wired.com

Art

 

I just came across this about all the F-35's grounded due to cracks in the engine.

US grounds all F-35s over engine blade crack

 

Bring back the Arrow!

 

Wow, Zach Rosenberg is misinformed (or, just wrong). From his article:

"Those incidents, which both occurred in the F-35B vertical-takeoff variant, were traced to high-cycle fatigue."



The F-35B is not a "vertical-takeoff variant".

It is a STOVL plane... SHORT TAKEOFF VERTICAL LANDING plane.

Vertical takeoff requires a lot more power, smaller payloads, etc. than a SHORT TAKEOFF plane.

 

Yup, grounded again after just receiving permission to restart flying. When you only have one engine, cracks in it are not a good thing.

 

OK - Got it. Thanks, Gents.


via rubber ducky

 

The timing of this new grounding is particularly inauspicious.

BOEING is working on the next iteration of the good old F-18. That could prove a great move if the entire F-35 program is cancelled.
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That is not going to happen.

 

All I can say is that I hope Canada cancels it's purchase of this overpriced political lemon......which it looks like it may end up doing.

We should buy the new Sukhoi GEN5 stealth fighter for 1/3 the price.........and get twice as many planes, while still saving 1/3 of the money.

We'd have a better aircraft as well.

 

Sure, and the first time you chapped off the Russians, no spare parts.

 

A seemingly good and technical discussion here about this subject -- Russia unveils its stealth fighter Sukhoi T-50 - Xbox 360 & Xbox Forums

I like this line " French thinking static defenses still work in WWII = Hitler vacationing in paris"




We all lost when the hacks at the pentagon didn't choose the F23, and then lost again when obumbler stopped production of the raptor.

 

The pretty obvious choice for Canada is to get the most advanced version of the F-18. I do not believe they are serious about procuring a Rafale, a Typhoon or a Gripen.

As for the F-35, chances are that the "B" and "C" models may be cancelled due to non affordable cost and inferior performance.

 

+1 There is no chance that the F35 will be cancelled.