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

siegecrossbow

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Jura said:
I now did google search with
aim-9+f-35+internal+bay
found in
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(dated Apr 14, 2016; part Weapons Integration):
"The F-22 provides for this with an ejection system for the missile, but the F-35 doesnt have this, and this may create problems qualifying the AIM-9X to fire from inside the bay."

and in
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"... will be introduced along with more frivolous munitions capabilities (including the 'lock on after launch' AIM-9X as well as the
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based Joint Strike Missile among other weapons and capability upgrades) as part of the Block 4 upgrade somewhere around 2022, hopefully. "
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Brumby said:
I think the internal bay is a Block 4 development.

View attachment 28960

The prevailing argument seems to be that the wing mounted AIM-9X will only marginally increases the RCS profile of the F-35A. I saw some discussions in the F16.net forum regarding this but can't remember the details.
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Cool that answers the question. Thanks!
 
FORBIN

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Jura said:
pulling this:



from
F-22 Raptor Thread

indeed,
"The current F-35 development program is projected to end in 2017, when Block 3F
developmental flight testing is complete, with a total development cost of $55 billion."
according to p. 5 of 19 in
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(I know it's not news, but related to
Thursday at 7:06 PM
... as
"By the time initial operational testing is complete, currently planned for 2019, the program
will have procured 498 aircraft at a cost of $85.7 billion."
according to p. 15 of 47 in
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and I didn't realize the percentage of R&D cost would be that high in 2019 ...
85700/498 = 172
... so? so I'm just trying not to trick myself :)
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$55 billion up to Block 3F really cheaper thinking Block 2 :) but remains Block 4 and 5 :confused:

But for F-22 on $60 billion how many for R&D 15, 20 o_O
 
Jura The idiot

Jura The idiot

General
Brumby said:
Lockheed sees deal soon with Pentagon for 160 more F-35 combat jets
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...
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... related (dated 12:09 p.m. EDT July 9, 2016):
Program Head Hints F-35 Contract Could Be Announced at Farnborough
The US Defense Department’s long-awaited contract for F-35 low-rate initial production (LRIP) lots 9 and 10 is in its final stages and may be settled in time for Farnborough International Airshow next week.

"My guys are back at home right now finishing up this deal,” F-35 Joint Program Executive Officer Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan said Saturday at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT). “We think we're close enough such that my contracting officers can close this deal out."

The timing of the agreement, which will cover more than 140 aircraft valued at approximately $14 billion for US and international customers, will be up to aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin, Bogdan said.

"We are in the end game. We all understand what the costs are in building that many airplanes, and now it's just a matter of us working a business deal that's fair to everybody. And that's not always easy either,” he said. “But we've gotten past the big rocks, so to speak. We're in the end game, and the important thing here is to now to come up with a business arrangement that's fair to everybody."

A Farnborough contract announcement would be another publicity coup for the F-35, which is making its first UK appearance at RIAT and Farnborough. The aircraft was planned to make its international debut at Farnborough two years ago, but an engine fire led to the grounding of the fleet and the cancellation of its appearance.

This year, the US Marine Corps sent three F-35Bs and the US Air Force sent F-35As to RIAT for demonstrations. Both performed Friday, and the Marine Corps’ planes will also fly at Farnborough.

“It’s a big deal. For many years people thought it was a paper airplane, and all they would hear about are the negative things about it,” Bogdan said. “Now they have the opportunity to see the airplane fly and to watch its incredible capabilities.”

The joint program office originally expected an LRIP 9 and 10 contract early this year, but Bogdan said the government needed more time to understand the full cost of the airplane.

“It's just taken us longer to explore all of the costs all the way through the supply chain to make sure that the taxpayers are getting a good deal,” he said. “And so I don't blame anybody for the delay, other than the government had to do its due diligence on $14 billion worth of work."

The Defense Department and F-35 engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney announced a $1.5 billion agreement for F135 engines on Thursday. The company will manufacture 99 engines as part of the LRIP batch.

The program office is also eyeing a block-buy contract in fiscal 2017 for international partners and foreign military sales customers buying lot 12 jets, with US participation beginning in FY18 for lots 13 and 14 if approved by Congress.

“I think it is for sure on track for the services and the Congress to do that in ’18,” Bogdan said.

A full block buy, including US jets, could save anywhere from $2 billion to $2.8 billion, according to industry estimates. Without the US planes, savings would drop by “hundreds of billions,” Bogdan said.
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source:
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FORBIN

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Plans under way for October F-35B sea-based test

Lockheed Martin’s F-35B is due to embark on a third phase of ship-based developmental testing (DT) in October, the final step before it begins qualification trials on the UK’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.

Two examples of the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant will embark on the USS America amphibious assault ship for three weeks at the end of October. It will evaluate operations at the minimum requirement of sea state five, but is expected to go up to sea state six.

Five F-35B test aircraft – designated BF1-5 – are currently being used for the programme, and it is likely that the BF-5 plus BF1 or BF2 will be used for the October tests.

“We’re in the last phases of planning,” Peter Wilson, STOVL lead test pilot for the F-35 programme told a media briefing at RAF Fairford on 7 July. “We are currently in the throes of testing the high levels of asymmetry, which we have to do before we go to the ship in October.”

Asymmetry has to be evaluated to ensure that the aircraft can effectively operate from the ship once some of the weapons payload has been dropped; there are “literally a couple of tests” left to be carried out ahead of the DT-3 phase, Wilson says.

“The US Marine Corps is completely happy with the capability we’re providing,” Wilson adds.
A separate round of qualification trials will need to be performed using the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, on which the UK’s F-35Bs will deploy, but Wilson is hopeful this can be wrapped up quickly: “I think the shortest amount of time to do this will be a couple of months,” he adds.

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