Soren-a From Denmark, joined Sep 2001, 235 posts, RR: 0 Posted (10 years 3 months 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 2498 times:
Hi
I have just seen an artist impression of the proposed new British carriers, and it has a "ski jump" ramp at the front where the planes take off. The carriers are to be equipped with the STOVL F-35B JSF, and I have the following question:
Can the F-35B perform a short rolling take off (Like the Harrier do from the present British carriers) or will it do a "normal" take off run (like on the Russian carriers)?
Jwenting From Netherlands, joined Apr 2001, 10213 posts, RR: 21 Reply 1, posted (10 years 3 months 4 days ago) and read 2459 times:
The STOVL version is designed to replace the Harriers in the USMC on their carriers. Those aren't large enough for a conventional takeoff roll.
Profile will be similar to the Harrier, with maybe increased payload for full VTOL operations.
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12715 posts, RR: 80 Reply 2, posted (10 years 3 months 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 2380 times:
The CVF design has provision for easy conversion to cat and trap operations, officially it's to 'future proof' them over the planned 50-year life.
Really it's insurance if the F-35B gets cancelled, this F-35 is only (so far) for the USMC and UK, the smallest production run, most technically challenging and most expensive, the USN will not be happy funding it, when they really want the USMC to take F-35C and operate them off the conventional carriers.
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12715 posts, RR: 80 Reply 3, posted (10 years 3 months 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 2390 times:
The Ministry Of Defence have asked the UK branch of RAND to investigate the desirability of establishing a UK (BAE) production line for RAF and RN F-35s.
Until now, the plan has been to have only the LM line, but concerns about delivery rates needed from 2010 onwards and the inevitable changes to UK F-35s have caused a re-think.
Supporting the aircraft, with these mods, is a major concern over the decades of service.
LM have taken BAE's advanced production line technology, developed for the Eurofighter, for the F-35 programme, so not as difficult to set up as you might think.
This is a major part of UK investment in F-35, along with the avionics, airframe components, and R/R's work on the engine for the STOVL version.
Although some 150 aircraft are currently planned for the UK, the F-35C must be a front runner for at least part (the manned part) of the programme to replace the Tornado GR.4 from 2018 onwards. This could add another 100 or so aircraft to the UK requirement.
Of course, if the F-35B is dumped by the DoD, the UK will be getting F-35C's by default.
Soren-a From Denmark, joined Sep 2001, 235 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (10 years 3 months 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 2330 times:
Hi
I think you have misunderstood my question so let me try to clarify.
When a Harrier makes a short takeoff using the ski ramp on one of the British carriers it turns its engine nozzles downwards about 60-70 degrees. My question is now:
Can the F-35B perform a similar take off using its lift engine and main engine at the same time, or will it rely only on its main engine when taking off from a ski ramp?
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12715 posts, RR: 80 Reply 5, posted (10 years 3 months 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 2461 times:
I would think that the F-35B, being a far more modern aircraft than the Harrier, with a modern, very powerful engine, will just take off from the ramp with the main engines nozzle in the normal flight position.
Its landing back on the carrier where the STOVL features will be used, as Sea Harrier pilots like to say, 'it's easier to stop and land than to land and stop!'
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