The F-35 Saga

[CV32]

The Marines though did not receive sufficient support from UN forces when things got dicey during the Blackhawk rescue regardless of who cotrolled the airport. How usefull is an airport without suport mechanisims in place? No fuel. No munitions. An LHA with a dozen F35s 10 miles offshore back then and I think Somolia might have turned out more to our favor. If their had been a similar event that was much more inland and out of range of an F35, Tehran hostage rescue attempt perhaps, and no foward base, I then think the F35 would not have had a roll then. And to perhaps clarify my previous point, I believe Marines would have benefited from a network of Marines rather than UN security forces that appeared to not have the same security concerns prior to the conflict.

 

The Somalia mission failed for a number of reasons, none of which I think had to do with a lack of VSTOL fighter jets. Attack helicopters and UAVs would filled the bill nicely.

[Steven]

The Marines though did not receive sufficient support from UN forces when things got dicey during the Blackhawk rescue regardless of who cotrolled the airport. How usefull is an airport without suport mechanisims in place? No fuel. No munitions. An LHA with a dozen F35s 10 miles offshore back then and I think Somolia might have turned out more to our favor. If their had been a similar event that was much more inland and out of range of an F35, Tehran hostage rescue attempt perhaps, and no foward base, I then think the F35 would not have had a roll then. And to perhaps clarify my previous point, I believe Marines would have benefited from a network of Marines rather than UN security forces that appeared to not have the same security concerns prior to the conflict.

 

The Somalia mission failed for a number of reasons, none of which I think had to do with a lack of VSTOL fighter jets. Attack helicopters and UAVs would filled the bill nicely.

Your right about attack helos being sufficient for Somolia but what about range, loadout capability, in-flight refueling etc that the F35 beats hands down for future scenerios? I dont see the Apaches wanting to go up agaist a J20 if China decides to side with No. Korea in a conflict with the So. Koreans. Much more to say for the F35 yet my dumb phone doesnt allow for a lengthy and smart discusion so I reserve the right to continue this discussion next week when Im off the road.

[CV32]

Your right about attack helos being sufficient for Somolia but what about range, loadout capability, in-flight refueling etc that the F35 beats hands down for future scenerios? I dont see the Apaches wanting to go up agaist a J20 if China decides to side with No. Korea in a conflict with the So. Koreans. Much more to say for the F35 yet my dumb phone doesnt allow for a lengthy and smart discusion so I reserve the right to continue this discussion next week when Im off the road.

 

(Leaving aside the argument of whether an F-35B does in fact have the "hands down" range, loadout, etc ...) I'm asking why can't a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft perform any and all of these roles? Why does it have to be STOVL?

[CV32]

From Flight Global's DEW Line blog

 

[excerpt]

 

New cracks for the F-35B, and life under probation

By Stephen Trimble on November 18, 2011 12:02 PM

 

... The F-35B is back in the news again this morning. Flightglobal exclusively reports that tiny cracks have been discovered on three of the F-35B flight test aircraft, which prevent vertical landings until they are fixed. The cracking problem had been anticipated years ago, and a redesigned actuator support beam associated with the lift fan system was already installed on the last F-35B test aircraft during final assembly.

[CV32]

From Aviation Week

 

[excerpt]

 

Lockheed Hits 2011 F-35 Test Targets Early

Nov 21, 2011

By Graham Warwick

 

Lockheed Martin has passed its 2011 flight-test targets for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, with aircraft now flying at a pace that, if maintained, will allow the company to exceed its target for a significantly higher number of flights in 2012.

 

CV32: Good news should be reported with the bad, but one should be aware that this is the 'new' schedule.

[CV32]

From Aviation Week?

 

[excerpt]

 

Are There Alternatives To The F-35 Program?

Nov 29, 2011

By David A. Fulghum, Bill Sweetman

 

Are there alternatives to keep U.S. strike aviation viable if the F-35 program is delayed, reduced or killed by the budget sequestration?

[CV32]

From AOL Defense

 

[excerpt]

 

JSF's Build And Test Was 'Miscalculation,' Adm. Venlet Says; Production Must Slow

By Richard Whittle

Published: December 1, 2011

 

WASHINGTON: Fatigue testing and analysis are turning up so many potential cracks and "hot spots" in the Joint Strike Fighter's airframe that the production rate of the F-35 should be slowed further over the next few years, the program's head declared in an interview.

[CV32]

From AOL Defense

 

[excerpt]

 

McCain Slams JSF, Calls Program 'Scandal And A Tragedy'

By Colin Clark

Published: December 5, 2011

 

CAPITOL HILL: Sen. John McCain took to the Senate floor this afternoon to criticize Lockheed Martin's handling of the Joint Strike Fighter program and pressed for the company "to assume an increased share of any cost overruns."

[CV32]

From AOL Defense

 

[excerpt]

 

McCain Misfires on F-35: Rushes Towards the Past

By Robbin Laird

Published: December 6, 2011

 

Robbin Laird, a member of the AOL Board of Contributors, is a well known supporter of the F-35. When he read Sen. McCain's recent criticism of the program Laird immediately began to pen a rebuttal. We present his analysis and commentary.

[CV32]

From Ft Worth Star-Telegram, Sky Talk blog

 

[excerpt]

 

December 06, 2011

F-35 clearly not ready for prime time

 

Some things have come into sharper focus about the state of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in the wake of both Vice Adm. David Venlet's interview with AOL Defense and a story Monday by Tony Capaccio of Bloomberg News (subscription).

 

The first is that in almost 10 years of development, and despite a reportedly strong period of successful flight testing, is that the airplanes are apparently still far from ready for even really challenging testing. With 90-plus F-35s of the three variants -- really very different planes -- already built or in production, much, much more development and testing remains and, we know now, re-work too. ...

 

In one recent month, apparently October, there were 725 pending design "change requests," according to the Bloomberg piece. “These figures are indicative of the large volume of change on this program and low design maturity,” it said.

...

 

One of the big problems is with the tail hook arresting gear mechanism on the F-35C that is supposed to bring the planes to a screeching halt in landings aboard Navy carriers.

 

The tail hook mechanism failed all eight landing attempts in tests and requires significant and, apparently, challenging redesign of the system and perhaps the aircraft structure itself.

[TonyE]

I would like to see any more tailhook details. Is it being ripped right off of the aircraft for instance?

[CV32]

I would like to see any more tailhook details. Is it being ripped right off of the aircraft for instance?

 

Me too.

 

The previous references to numerous "hot spots" (i.e. areas of structural weakness) and the news about tail hook "failures" seem to point to (at the worst end of the spectrum) signs of cracking or something similar.

 

Alternatively, it might just mean that the hook is not catching the wire because of some limitation in structural design (i.e. location).

 

The web chatter seems to point in this direction.

 

Keep in mind that the F-35A also has a tail hook. These are typically a bit different from naval aviation gear, but are the problems the same or similar?

 

With no drag chute, the tail hook becomes more important up here on potentially icy runways.

[CV32]

From Aviation Week's Ares blog

 

[excerpt]

 

F-35 power battle - timeline

Posted by Guy Norris at 12/9/2011 5:41 PM CST

 

Although consigned to history, the furiously-debated battle over the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine continues to stir up controversy. ...

 

Here’s a final timeline outlining the mixed fortunes of the two JSF engine contenders from the earliest years.

 

Link to F-35B cutaway at Aviation Week.

[CV32]

From Defense Aerospace

 

[excerpt]

 

Pentagon Contract Announcement

(Source: U.S Department of Defense; issued December 9, 2011)

 

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $4,011,919,310 fixed-price-incentive (firm target) (FPIF) modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-10-C-0002).

 

This modification provides for the manufacture and delivery of 30 Low Rate Initial Production Lot V F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Aircraft for the U.S. Air Force (21 Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft); the U.S. Navy (6 Carrier Variant (CV) aircraft) and the U.S. Marine Corps (3 Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft). ...

 

(EDITOR’S NOTE ... Consequently, the cost of each LRIP 5 aircraft can be estimated at $133.7m + $12.4m + $13.6m, or about $159.7 million per aircraft. ...

[CV32]

DOD F-35 JSF Concurrency Quick Look Review, 29 November 2011, PDF document via Project On Government Oversight (POGO)

 

... and (unsurprisingly) a summary of same at Aviation Week's Ares blog:

 

JSF - What's Really Happening

 

My own quick and dirty:

 

"No fundamental design risks sufficient to preclude further production", but

 

Five "major consequence" areas of concern:

 

1. Helmet Mounted Display System

2. Fuel dump subsystem

3. Integrated power package (this is the one behind a grounding previous)

4. Arresting hook system (CV variant)

5. A "classified" issue.

 

Three "potentially major consequence" areas of concern:

 

1. Buffet (and high AoA testing has not yet occurred).

2. Fatigue life.

3. Test execution.

 

Five "moderate consequence" areas of concern:

 

1. Software.

2. Weight management.

3. Thermal concerns.

4. Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS).

5. Lightning protection.