User Panel
I love the idea of the F-35 JSF. In many instances, the technology on it is more advanced than what is on the F-22.
It would be nice if we bought 400 JSFs...or more. |
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Cool technology! |
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O hell yea, that kick ass. |
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Here's an interesting tidbit. The USAF version will have an internally mounted 25mm gatling cannon while the USMC and Navy versions will have an external pod-mounted version. I guess it will probably be a conformal mounting like the Harrier. www.gdatp.com/products/lethality/jsf/jsf.htm
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Why the differences between the three services? The different core missions not withstanding, is it (for example) that important that the Navy have an arresting hook version instead of the STOVL version simply to have the arresting hook version |
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Go watch "Macross Plus" to get an idea of just where this kind of tech is leading to. I've always been a firm believer in the "life imitates art" philosophy when it comes to things like this. I remember a story that was in the book about the making of "Space: 1999". Some of the people involved in making that show toured the plant where Concorde was built. One of the techs asked who they were. They replied that they were in television. That lead to the inevitable "what shows have you done?" They hemmed and hawed a bit and finally mumbled "Thunderbirds" (among others). They were swamped with techs and designers wanting to talk about the designs of the craft and their capabilities, their ideas for similar craft in the real world. Almost all were serioius fans of the show. |
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The STOVL version is different enough that there are major differences in payload/range. The internal fan takes up a rather large chunk of real estate behind the pilot, where the F-35C (and F-35A) will have a fuel cell. |
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The Navy version needs a lot of stronger structures and space to be able to land on a carrier. Why can't the USAF use the Navy version you ask? Well all that beefed up structure comes with a cost. IIRC only two 1000lb bombs and 2 AMRAAMS vice 2x 2000lb bombs and 2x Amraams in the USAF version, no gun on the navy version, a gun on the AF version, and I believe the AF version is rated for higher G's. I could be wrong on some counts... Give it already is 70 to 90 percent common there is not THAT much cost savings to over come the lack of abilities when operating off land. |
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Exactly. And most of the differences are built into the airframe. That means it's not a repair or spare parts issue, as the parts that can be replaced or forward-repaired are common amongst the variety of airframes. Enough commonality to spread the development costs (except for the F-25B STOVL) across the entire series of aircraft, driving down the final cost-per-airframe. This means more F-35s, just like the F-16. |
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See, thats the thing, the USMC Harrier lands on amphibious assault ships (carriers too sometimes)! As far as my limited knowledge knows, using an arresting hook dictates all that other structure. Is it so important to have that 'aura' of "our [range considerations aside] edit: clarification |
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Two words:
Aerial rearming. "initiating re-arming sequence." *clunk clunk whirr whirr pffsssstttttttthhhhhhhhhhhh* "rearming sequence complete" Or Fly into the bay of a super large cargo plane mid-air and have techs re-arm and refuel, then re-deploy! |
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Have you guys heard any rumors of the USAF version having the lift fan drive of the STOV/L series, without the fan? I heard somewhere that it could drive a power source for a weapons-grade laser that's in the works.
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Just on here. But there's a ton of PTO stuff you can get for a John Deere, imagine what the DoD could come up with. |
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Kharn |
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What are you gonna do if the lift fan is broken, the fan doors won't open or the three-bearing swivel for the engine doesn't operate? The F-35B will have to land like any other naval aircraft, only with stubbier wings than the F-35C. |
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US Navies LHA(R)... the return of the Light Fleet Carrier.... |
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Cooler than you can imagine! When I sat in the sim a few years back I tried out the pilot/plane interface.....Ubercool! You talk to the plane , it talks to you. Your helmet has full surround sound. When you get a warning of a plane behind you it comes from the 'direction' of the threat. As you turn your head towards the sound the symbology on the visor slews around too. You then see your Face Up display show the target. Look, tell the plane which missile to use and shoot. You can tell the plane by voice to switch your visor display between, IR, Radar, TV or a combination of them. It's like the Firefox but without the 'Thought Control'... but they are working on that too! ANdy |
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ooooohhhhh... very nice. Or is it merely a refit of the current amphibious assault ships edit: Googling reveals that it may be a bit of both |
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It's an excellent design concept IMHO... LHA(R) details |
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Interesting stuff as always Andy. The F-35 is gonna kick major ass, even though the F-22 is getting all the glory.
Oh, and for the poster who earlier was wishing we'd buy 400 F-35's, you should be happy to know that we'll probably end up buying 1500-2000 of them! The Navy and Marines will probably take 400 or more each with the USAF getting the rest. So there should be plenty of F-35 goodness in the skies in coming years. |
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Maybe retiring the FRS-2 is Tony's way of getting out of troubling military actions
"You see George, I'd love to go and bash Iran with you, but we just retired our navy fighters, so there's not a lot we can do. I really can't send RAF Harriers in without heavy escort, and we don't want to be a burden to you guys..." That way, he doesn't get his New Labour arse kicked by his old Labour communist party. Gordon Brown will be PM by the time the F-35 comes on the scene. Not Tony's problem. |
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Jon Beesley was one of the Lockheed F-22 test pilots while I was part of the test program.
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Have you guys read about the JSF and the F-22 in the P.N.A.C?
It's really offensive, the PNAC wants to stop JSF's, and downgrade the # of aircraft carriers, but supports the F-22. I lived in Dayton while the F-22 was being developed, and I am a licensed pilot... however I fear the raptor is a bit of a white elephant. |
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Why don't they put angled decks on the new LHAR's? It would give more options to the USMC. Maybe even allow Harrier deployments off of them in small numbers. It could also allow Helo ops forward and JSF ops (landing or taking off) on the angled deck.
I mean its just deck space and a bit of a over hang.... |
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I think that will be a variant forced on the Navy by Congress when the UCAVs become a more mature technology. That and when they see the final bill for the CVN-21s. |
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My understanding is that during Gulf War 2, the amphibious assault ships became "Harrier Carriers" after the Marines (and all equipment) went ashore. jsut some links when googling "harrier carrier" www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=6134 www.flagshipnews.com/archives_2003/apr032003_10.shtml Approximately two squadrons per ship. Problem is that the mainstream Navy gets real nervous about the mention of 'baby' carriers. Gets real territorial if you know what I mean. |
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I would like to hear from Harrier pilots that are/have deployed |
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They don't need it, it will carry 20-25 F-35B's JSF's and 25-35 MV-22 Ospreys along with 1,800 Marines. All the aircraft are STVOL/VTOL. ANdy |
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Kharn |
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Isn't that usually an OR on the aircraft? |
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AFAIK this is the USN's ARFCOM model... you get both! The "LHD plug plus" would be 77 feet longer and have a flight deck 10 feet wider than that of the Wasp class. The extra room would accommodate about twenty F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, along with an assortment of helicopters and MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. The "plug plus" name refers to the addition of two hull sections -- one 21 feet long, the other 56 feet long -- to the current LHD design. The 22% increase over the Wasp-class would provide room for the F-35 and the MV-22, both of which are larger than the aircraft they replace. The new ships would carry an assortment of landing craft and more than 1,800 Marines. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/lhx.htm |
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Look at the PNAC, it's got a lot of brass in the navy hacked-off I've heard. |
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