F35B carrier ops video

Swampfox201 said:
I bet! How loud are they compared to other jet fighters?
Click to expand...
A little louder than a Harrier, but I don't think it is as loud as a Hornet. It isn't claw your face off loud.

The thing is huge compared to a Harrier. Also, with the vectored thrust, it takes off very differenty. The Harrier just shoots straight down the deck and then once off the deck edge picks up speed and climbs out rapidly.

The F35B actually rotates before the deck edge and then lifts off and looks much slower - appears to mush along until it climbs up to 500'.

The thing is literally push button to land. You fly up the stern and push a button to hoover, then push a button to cross the deck edge and then push the button when you are cleared to land. The computer system does the rest. We had some guys from our AIR department get to play in the sim a few weeks ago. Anyone can safely land the thing. It might sound weird, but they way they described the controls, it really sounds like a UAV with a pilot onboard.

It can do alot of cool stuff (most of which they don't talk about with us while they are here), but it really isn't a 'pilots airplane'.
 
I had no idea the Navy version had the ducted fan arrangement. What a waste! No internal bays to put the ordinance, so it'll have to be hung on the wings, and there goes the stealth.
 
steingar said:
I had no idea the Navy version had the ducted fan arrangement. What a waste! No internal bays to put the ordinance, so it'll have to be hung on the wings, and there goes the stealth.
Click to expand...
The F35B is not the 'Navy' version. It is the STOVL Marine Corps version. the F35C (the USN version with a tailhook) does not have the big ducted fan and toilet seat lid.

We (the Navy) are supporting the USMC variant testing since when it is operational it will be flown off ships like mine.

And FWIW, even F35B with its ducted fan has internal weapons bays, so that feature is not lost.
 
Great video, bet it is a blast to see up close and personal. I've been getting FB pictures of the Thunderbolt underway and Chris is settled into his apartment now. Reports that it is quite warm in Bahrain this time of year.
 
steingar said:
Where! I've seen the fan, it takes up almost the entire weapons bay! There's barely room for ammo, no less bombs!
Click to expand...

Same place as the USAF and USN Version, just smaller. The weapons bays are on the side of the main engine duct but the shaft for the lift fan takes up more space in the USMC version. The weapons are not where the lift fan is located, that is fuel in the other variants, thus less range for the Marines.

Cheers
 
tmyers said:
Great video, bet it is a blast to see up close and personal. I've been getting FB pictures of the Thunderbolt underway and Chris is settled into his apartment now. Reports that it is quite warm in Bahrain this time of year.
Click to expand...
It is pretty cool to see in person, although one thing is for sure, the life of a test pilot is not like the movies. The Right Stuff made being a test pilot look cool. Reality is montonous and boring. They spent the first week just flying around the pattern and never retracted the gear!

More photos can be seen on our FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.435834256533654.1073741862.422851637831916&type=3

I don't miss Bahrain in August!
 
X3 Skier said:
Same place as the USAF and USN Version, just smaller. The weapons bays are on the side of the main engine duct but the shaft for the lift fan takes up more space in the USMC version. The weapons are not where the lift fan is located, that is fuel in the other variants, thus less range for the Marines.
Click to expand...

So the boats will have to be that much closer to the bad guys in order for the Marine jets to do their thing. Great design.
 
steingar said:
So the boats will have to be that much closer to the bad guys in order for the Marine jets to do their thing. Great design.
Click to expand...

Everything in aircraft design is a compromise. If you want STOVL shipboard and shore based, you give up range/payload. Not hard to understand.

When the USMC set the requirement, they get a design to meet it.

Cheers
 
steingar said:
So the boats will have to be that much closer to the bad guys in order for the Marine jets to do their thing. Great design.
Click to expand...
I haven't seen the final performance numbers, but from what I have heard, it is no worse than the AV-8s that it will replace. They really didn't have long legs. In some cases, it seems to have fewer limitations than the AV-8s.

As far as the mother being close the bad guys....that is pretty much the nature of the amphibious Navy. We don't get far from the beach.

My issue with it (other than it isn't much of a pilots airplane) is that I question whether the capabilities it brings are really worth the price tag right now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top