RichardPrice From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 14684 times:
Quote:
The world's most expensive military project, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, is expected to take to the skies for its maiden test flight next week.
...
Marine Brigadier General David Heinz said the maiden test flight of the Joint Strike Fighter would take place in Fort Worth, Texas.
Lockheed Joint Strike Fighter
Britain's BAE systems is a key player in the project
"I am optimistic that we will see the airplane fly as early as Monday," said Brig Gen Heinz, the Pentagon programme office's deputy director.
He said the planned 60-minute test flight of the F-35 would go ahead on the day, weather conditions permitting.
N328KF From United States of America, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 6222 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 14666 times:
Is it the Lightning A, B, or C?
When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer 'Present' or 'Not guilty.' T.Roosevelt
MCIGuy From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 1936 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 14488 times:
It's the A model. The STOVL and CV variants haven't been built yet. Work has started on the first STOVL F-35B model though.
Dec 05 - Low Speed Taxi Tests
Dec 07 - Medium Speed Taxi Tests
Dec 09 - High Speed Taxi Tests
Dec 11 - First Flight
Dec 13 - Second Flight
Scouseflyer From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2006, 3255 posts, RR: 10 Reply 3, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 14463 times:
Quoting MCIGuy (Reply 2): Dec 05 - Low Speed Taxi Tests
Dec 07 - Medium Speed Taxi Tests
Dec 09 - High Speed Taxi Tests
Dec 11 - First Flight
Dec 13 - Second Flight
Or first flight Dec 9th if they taxi a bit too fast
N328KF From United States of America, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 6222 posts, RR: 3 Reply 4, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 14412 times:
Quoting Scouseflyer (Reply 3): Or first flight Dec 9th if they taxi a bit too fast
That sounds like a highly Yeageresque move. Let's hope they do it.
When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer 'Present' or 'Not guilty.' T.Roosevelt
MCIGuy From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 1936 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 14295 times:
Quoting DEVILFISH (Reply 5): Not to spoil the fun, but there is this.....
Yeah, this wouldn't be the first time the UK has threatened to drop out. Though I wouldn't have put it that way, I have to echo the sentiment in that thread that it's still a great deal for the price. The Brits are anything but stupid and I really think this will be worked out. Should it actually happen, I'd also have to echo the sentiment that in the grand scheme of things, 150 frames isn't all that many. The F-35 is the new F-16 and the program will go forward and sell at least a few thousand frames. I do hope the US and UK can work this out though. I'd love to see it in service with the Royal Navy.
Oroka From Canada, joined Dec 2006, 789 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 14133 times:
Man, the F-35 is one of the meanest looking fighters ever built! I gotta find some more good high res pics of it!
I agree with Richard, that is a big investment in hardware that would turn out to be a rental if they cant operate and maintain them independently. While I understand the US' concerns of the software slipping out, but the UK is probably the US' closest ally. I could understand stiffing Israel and maybe Japan, but not the UK.
MCIGuy From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 1936 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 14101 times:
Quoting Acheron (Reply 9): Out of curiousity, how much technology(or what parts) was/were taken from the Yak-141 for the F-35?.
I'd have to say 0%. Most of the technology used in the F-35 was learned during the development of the F-22 Raptor.
AirSpare From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 589 posts, RR: 5 Reply 15, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 13832 times:
To quote President Washington, (ok, maybe a close para phrase), "America should not have special friends, or special enemies, only special interests".
A wisdom lost on modern foreign policy, but in the vein of that philosophy, the US-UK row over the technology transfer is inexcusable.
RichardPrice From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 13692 times:
Quote:
UK defence minister Lord Drayson signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with US deputy secretary of defence Gordon England during a visit in Washington, DC today over the next phase of the project. The agreement guarantees "operational sovereignty" for the UK, Drayson says.
Operational sovereignty is defined as the UK having control over essential aspects of the aircraft so that it can be operated through life at the time of the UK’s choosing, says the Ministry of Defence. "We need to be able to integrate the JSF into the UK operating environment; operate, maintain, repair and upgrade the UK fleet to meet evolving through-life requirements; and certificate the aircraft as safe to fly," Drayson says.
Lumberton From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 4708 posts, RR: 21 Reply 17, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 13637 times:
Quote: Canada has increased its involvement in the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter program, setting the stage for the eventual multibillion-dollar purchase of up to 80 of the stealthy aircraft.
Canadian and U.S. officials signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington Monday that covers Canada's involvement with the aircraft over the next 39 years and acts as a road map for any future purchase.
"When all is said and done, more will be said than done".
Lumberton From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 4708 posts, RR: 21 Reply 19, posted (6 years 5 months 2 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 13620 times:
Quoting DEVILFISH (Reply 18): Might we see Australia, Denmark and Norway follow suit?
IMO, yes, but only after mounting the requisite furious and vitriolic press campaign WRT "operational sovereignty".
"When all is said and done, more will be said than done".
Boeing4ever From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 13435 times:
Latest news...
F-35 FINISHES ALL TAXI TESTING, PREPARES FOR FLIGHT
FORT WORTH, Texas, December 12, 2006 --
The first Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II successfully completed all ground taxi tests today, among some of the last activities clearing the way for its inaugural flight.
Thorny From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 24, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 13317 times:
Quoting Gary2880 (Reply 22): Man, the F-35 is one of the meanest looking fighters ever built!
In a fat bloated ugly as hell way?
Stop whining... we could have ended up with Boeing's F-32... now that's a profile only a mother could love...
25 RichardPrice: Now thats a supposition I highly doubt
26 Eniranjanrao: The only thing is USAF and US navy has departed from its two engine formula
27 RichardPrice: The AV-8 was single engined only, so this isnt really a surprise.
28 N328KF: USAF has never had a problem with single-engined fighters. Going back to World War II, they almost all were single-engined. After that, you had the F
29 DEVILFISH: Given that LockMart also have a share of the work on the F-22, you could indeed say the two are siblings.
30 N328KF: I'm sure that was the point. That is why the F-35 R&D was not more expensive...it drew quite a bit from the F-22. Plus it will hopefully mean similar
31 DEVILFISH: Precisely why I take exception to the opening quote of the thread..... Besides, the F-22 is hands-down more expensive per copy, while the Lightning I
32 MigFan: I am not sure what that aircraft looks like, a Marlin w/o a long nose? /M
33 MCIGuy: Really? I can see it being more successful, in the long run. There are more developing nations than in the Viper's time so I'd think that there are m
34 Thorny: First flight was successfully completed today, 15 Dec 06... http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061215/bs_nm/fighter_usa_lockheed_dc_1
35 Boeing4ever: From the horse's mouth... LOCKHEED MARTIN F-35 LIGHTNING II STEALTH FIGHTER COMPLETES FIRST FLIGHT Fort Worth, Texas, December 15, 2006 -- The Lockhee
36 Venus6971: here is http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,120713,00.html Another link for the first flight today
37 DEVILFISH: More pictures here..... http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles...st+flight+%e2%80%93+short+but.html Despite a sensor anomaly, things went well - report
38 Boeing4ever: Any idea when the next flight test aircraft will roll out? I believe it's an F-35B STOVL varient... B4e-Forever New Frontiers
39 DEVILFISH: Make that 14 optimised airframes - it's in the linked report..... Quote: "The first of these -- BF-1, the first short take-off and vertical landing F
40 Boeing4ever: Interesting. I'd read about the changes to the F-35B STOVL due to weight issues. When I was interning for Progressive Inc. (now part of Heroux-Devtek
41 Oroka: I noticed they painted the radome from white to grey. The white made it look a bit Russian.
42 DEVILFISH: Update: Picture of F-35 AA1 in reheat for the first time..... http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...er-soars-on-first-afterburner.html Quote: "The ai
43 DEVILFISH: Update: This report was supposed to have a video of the F-35 performing manoeuvres..... http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...rike-fighter-begins-man
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look's like an F22's ugly sister
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