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Up Close and Personal With the Fearsome New F-35 Jet
GIVEN JUST 15 minutes to photograph the F-35A Lightning II, most professional photographers would choose a digital camera with a massive memory card and shoot nonstop. Jeremy Blakeslee showed up for his assignment at Luke Air Force Base with an old-school film camera, and made only a few photos. (www.wired.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Excellent, i love this plane!
Good for you! I'll let you pay my share of the price tag on them.
For once, you and I agree on something. He can pay my share too. LOL
Everyone blasts this plane, yet it's more capable than anything it's replacing. So it has problems? So did every other major aircraft system we've every deployed. The F-16 had engine problems that caused flight restrictions requiring it to remain within glide distance. The F-14 had huge teething problems also and suffered from major cost overruns. Having spoken to guys who fly this plane, I get a distinctly different impression from them that all you internet "experts". The way forward often is not an easy path. We've lost all our ability to push through problems as a nation...it's sad.
It may very well eventually and after many more dollars be made to work. That said, when we are already light years ahead of any other enemy nation from a technology standpoint, IS IT NEEDED; especially in this day of multi trillion dollar deficits.
Is it needed? Yes that's the golden question, isn't it? I think that answer will depend on what happens with China. If we find ourselves facing off with them then yes. If we fade into the darkness of failed nations, then no. It was needed back when it was first put on to the drawing board but as with most modern systems, that was a long time ago.
Obviously some of them will be built and eventually all the teething problems will be worked out. That said, just like the B2 and F22, the final number will be scaled back due to cost. It will be interesting. While I am not necessarily a vocal supporter of the A10, I am a believer in CAS. It bothers me that while this is a replacement, it won't even have a gun until about 2020 and then only have a 600 round magazine. Not really enough to wet a jaybirds tail. You do CAS by getting under the WX and seeing what you are shooting at, not from the FL's. I remember the F4 coming out with missiles only and no gun because we wouldn't be dogfighting anymore. That was all well and good but the Mig's over Vietnam didn't get the memo. I lost several good friends there in the time that it took to add guns to the platform. We don't need to lose grunts on the ground for the same reason.
Also, was it needed when it first went on the drawing board or just wanted to keep some suits in jobs?
I don't buy into conspiracy theories in the age of wikileaks, whistleblower protection, and multi-million dollar book deals.
I understand why the F35 was done this way. Given the complexity and cost of modern aircraft, wouldn't it be tempting to save money by designing something that is multirole capable? By nature multirole is a compromise. Anything specialized will be better at it's specialized task than something designed to do several roles. The F35 won't replace the A-10's sheer capability at CAS. It can't. The A-10 was designed around the gun and you'd have to design another airplane around the gun to get that capability. Most certainly whatever THAT plane was wouldn't look anything like the F35. The F-16 is a multirole aircraft. As such it's neither as good at CAS as the A-10, nor is it as dominating in ACM as the F-15. But that aircraft has served this nation and others quite well. As far as multirole aircraft go, the F35 looks to be a quantum leap beyond the aging F16 in every respect. Will it beat the A-10 in the CAS role, or hang with the F22 on CAP? Nope, and it wasn't designed to. I am betting that designing a modern A-10 for specialized CAS and then a modern fast attack aicraft would be more costly than the F35 - especially when you consider logistics - but would yield aircraft better suited to those specialized roles.
Whats the right call? Who's to say. Not me, I don't have enough info. Time will certainly tell but our teen series jets were being left behind by foreign powers and that's a fact.
I understand why the F35 was done this way. Given the complexity and cost of modern aircraft, wouldn't it be tempting to save money by designing something that is multirole capable? By nature multirole is a compromise. Anything specialized will be better at it's specialized task than something designed to do several roles. The F35 won't replace the A-10's sheer capability at CAS. It can't. The A-10 was designed around the gun and you'd have to design another airplane around the gun to get that capability. Most certainly whatever THAT plane was wouldn't look anything like the F35. The F-16 is a multirole aircraft. As such it's neither as good at CAS as the A-10, nor is it as dominating in ACM as the F-15. But that aircraft has served this nation and others quite well. As far as multirole aircraft go, the F35 looks to be a quantum leap beyond the aging F16 in every respect. Will it beat the A-10 in the CAS role, or hang with the F22 on CAP? Nope, and it wasn't designed to. I am betting that designing a modern A-10 for specialized CAS and then a modern fast attack aicraft would be more costly than the F35 - especially when you consider logistics - but would yield aircraft better suited to those specialized roles.
Whats the right call? Who's to say. Not me, I don't have enough info. Time will certainly tell but our teen series jets were being left behind by foreign powers and that's a fact.
Well, I'm not sure about the being left behind but as you say, not for me to decide. The fact that the F35 may not be as good on CAS though, does not take the CAS mission off the table. I guess that is my beef. A major upgrade, as opposed to a clean sheet, has to be cheaper though. History will tell.
For sure it doesn't take CAS off the mission list. I personally think they'll keep the A-10 flying for awhile. Aircraft such as the Super Tucano are interesting. It leaves me wondering if a lighter, cheaper CAS aircraft that can loiter for hours and not minutes is a better answer than a cold-war era tank-buster. The Air Force seems to think that it might be a viable solution for insurgencies or areas where the SAM threat is less.