F-35 Joint Strike Fighter News, Videos and pics Thread

B.I.B.

Captain
This was actually "Dojo's" first real introduction to the airshow community, and I watched that break-out at RIAT 2018 over and over and over, frame by frame. One of the old head's on Defense Talk our sister forum, called it a "bobble" there in the middle, another swore that it was not a 9G pull as testified to by "your's truly", because he preferred the "Paris Profile" flown by Billy Flynn, LochMart's senior test pilot, but that show was flown with the 7G hard limit on the FCS...

That "bobble" is actually "Dojo" "unloading" the airframe, prior to making the hard right "pull to the vertical.....

I should add that the Chinese nearly replicated that maneuver with the last solo "break-out" at Zhuhai in the J-20....

I suspect the J-20 FCS limits the J-20 to the same 7G's of the F-35B, the C is rated to 7.5 for Navy, same as the F-18... the Air Force chose's to bring G's up to 9, the highest max G that we are aware of...

The F-22 or Su-35 may be greater?? and I'm sure the F-22 has been well beyond 9 G's, in fact the A model F-35 has been to 9.9 with the limiter OFF...

Really is awesome, I think it is among'st the best demos I have ever seen.
 
Last edited:

Air Force Brat

Brigadier
Super Moderator
Really is awesome, I think it is among'st the best demos I have ever seen.

I agree, and "Dojo" who also flies the "Heritage Flight" as part of his display, where he is in tight formation with P-51's, F-86's, or whatever vintage fighter, relates that after a "Heritage Flight", and his 10 minute demo he is completely wiped...

I would say that "Dojo" is the number one "Western" showman at present, now the F-22 has a better show and I saw that in Indiana last summer, the "tail slide" is outstanding, but "Dojo" has the personality that our boy "Max Moga" the first F-22 demo pilot brought to the circuit...

More to the point that RIAT break-out would put every SDF member to sleep, including the old "Brat", and I've pulled a few G's, I love pulling G, in fact I've had the old 172 maxed out in a low altitude very steep left bank, and "broke right" with a nearly equal right break-out,, it will make your head spin, really, literally, you've got to fly the airplane, not your "inner ear" which is in a "tornadic state", fun, but I can't begin to imagine..

and let me just say, every air display with maneuvering of a high performance at max G is very disorienting, particularly the inverted sections, check out the go pro on the "Red Bull" circuit, most of us are not cut out for that, our bodies won't take it....

anyway, that RIAT display is beautiful, the F-35 dang near "stops" in mid-air, heading nearly 160 degree's in the opposite direction, "Dojo" unloads the aircraft, the burners are already at "full", lifts the nose increasing the A-O-A to close to 50 degree's and makes a roll-over right break out! that is the whole show right there, an F-16 would "eat your lunch" the sweet little F-35 takes a beating and goes exactly where the nose is pointed..

all those sweet LockMart aerodynamic tricks deliver right there!
 

Max Demian

Junior Member
Registered Member
Indeed they are Max, and this is "most impressive", the tactical break-out is a 9G turn it inside out turn, with a roll-over to the right and a very high A-O-A on the pipe climb-away, very neat, and one of the most impressive "Western" airshow maneuvers...

It's almost like a horizontal Cobra with a tail drift. They are really showing off that one.

I find the maneuver at 1:30-1:45 in this video also interesting. I thought for a second he was doing a J-turn
 
Last edited:

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Nimitz and Ford Carriers Need Upgrades to Deploy With F-35Cs
By:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

June 6, 2019 3:37 PM
Currently, the Navy does not have an aircraft carrier — either Ford-class or Nimitz-class — that can support the service’s most advanced fighters for a full deployment, service officials told USNI News on Thursday.

Earlier this week, lawmakers expressed their frustration with the Navy for accepting delivery of Ford-class carriers before they can accommodate deploying with F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, while considering the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. But the Navy currently doesn’t have a Nimitz-class carrier that can deploy with F-35Cs either.

“The Nimitz-class and Ford-class aircraft carriers, by design, can operate with F-35Cs, however, there are modifications to both carrier classes that are required in order to fully employ the capabilities of the F-35s and enable them to be more effective on a full-length deployment,” Capt. Daniel Hernandez, a Navy spokesman, said in an email to USNI News.

The modifications required to make each aircraft carrier class able to deploy with F-35Cs don’t require a fundamental redesign of either class. Hernandez described the modifications as involving work to support the long-term deployment of F-35Cs, such as adding classified spaces to the carriers and installing more robust jet blast deflectors.

Each class of carrier is currently able to launch and recover F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, the variant designed for catapult launching and arrested landing on carriers. Without the carrier modifications, the ships are unable to support an F-35C for more than a short visit.

“These F-35C modifications for CVN-78 and CVN-79 are currently scheduled for a future post-delivery modernization maintenance period that will occur prior to the planned F-35C operations on those carriers,” Hernandez said. “This has always been the plan for CVN-78 and CVN-79 over several budget cycles. CVN-80 and CVN-81 will be constructed with those modifications made during construction and will not require a post-delivery modification.”

Members of the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee sought to speed up the Navy’s modification schedule by including language in their FY 2020 NDAA mark
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
Ford-class carrier, John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) until the carrier can deploy F-35Cs.

There are no technical difficulties involving either the aircraft or the catapults and recover systems aboard the carriers that are preventing the F-35C from deploying.

The
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
aboard a Nimitz-class carrier occurred on Nov. 3, 2014.

The Navy plans to make the needed carrier modifications during the next several years as carriers are available to receive the modifications. The Navy’s first F-35C squadron, VFA-147, is expected to deploy aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in 2021, USNI News previously reported.
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Wash., undergoing a $34.3 million dry-docking planned incremental availability, expected to be completed in July 2020, according to the Navy

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


I am sure the Cynics will imply more here.
 

KFX

New Member
Registered Member
Seems to me they're just honouring the threat. It's not like we have any information as to how many J-20s the PLA wants to acquire in the medium to long term, so it's only natural that the US would want to prepare for all eventualities.

As far as DACT is concerned, for the US you obviously need a 5th generation fighter to simulate something like J-20, and between the F-22 and F-35 it obviously makes far more sense to use the F-35 given how much more plentiful it is.

I don't see how any of the articles are particularly inaccurate or misleading in those aspects.
It could also mean that the early F-35s simply are not fit enough for combat usage. They likely have a degree of uniqueness given the challenges early on in the F-35 programme. Bringing them to a standard baseline probably isn't worth it.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
It could also mean that the early F-35s simply are not fit enough for combat usage. They likely have a degree of uniqueness given the challenges early on in the F-35 programme. Bringing them to a standard baseline probably isn't worth it.

Regardless of whether they are fit for combat or not, it would make sense to use earlier production models of a new fighter for DACT than more recent production ones, and this goes for all aircraft not only F-35.

And regardless of whether the US was going to use early F-35s for DACT or not, I think everyone can agree that the US was eventually going to have a stealthy DACT unit and that it would likely have ended up being made up of F-35s anyway.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
It could also mean that the early F-35s simply are not fit enough for combat usage. They likely have a degree of uniqueness given the challenges early on in the F-35 programme. Bringing them to a standard baseline probably isn't worth it.
65th Agressors are slated to get their F35A in 2022.
They will be early block birds this is true but around that same time there is supposed to be a Block upgrade in 2021. As such judging how they are now may not be relevant then.
Regardless of whether they are fit for combat or not, it would make sense to use earlier production models of a new fighter for DACT than more recent production ones, and this goes for all aircraft not only F-35.

And regardless of whether the US was going to use early F-35s for DACT or not, I think everyone can agree that the US was eventually going to have a stealthy DACT unit and that it would likely have ended up being made up of F-35s anyway.
indeed.
Use by Aggressor Squadron means that they are not tasked for combat operations. As such much of the combat systems capability IE weapons is unnecessary. Much as how other training or demonstration team birds start from early block production birds or are specially modified for the task.
Aggressor Squadron birds don’t fire shots in anger. They don’t need to be loaded with live ammo. The main task is to provide an air to air and electronic threat.
 
Nimitz and Ford Carriers Need Upgrades to Deploy With F-35Cs
By:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

June 6, 2019 3:37 PM


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


I am sure the Cynics will imply more here.
LOL! I already started 5 minutes ago
...

how came those "classified spaces" had not been set up from the beginning?

for years I've been hearing how the Fords operating F-35Cs should be revolutionary transformation quantum-leap game-changers, and now what:
 
Top