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The F-35 Could Explode In Midair If Struck By Lightning
The F-35 is unable to fly within 25 miles of a thunderstorm because engineers believe it could explode if struck by lightning. The storm restriction will not be lifted until an oxygen gauge in the fuel tank is redesigned in all F-35s. What a bargain. (www.businessinsider.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I recall then SoD Dick Cheney calling the F-14 a jobs program and an inefficient platform based on 60's technology as his reason for going with the Rhino over the AST-21 project in the early 90's. In the 90's the ATF was supposed to be unrivaled in the air but due to cost cuts, and budget overruns that ensued anyway, you're about 15 years late from initial projected EIS and now the JSF is going down the same path. An updated F-14 might have been more inefficient, but with updated engines, computers, etc, I still would have taken that over the two white elephants buzzing the sky now. Plus, NG might have still been in the fighter business which would mean keeping another competitor in the industry. Heck even the F-15SE might have been a better platform to go with in lieu of the F-22 and at a fraction of the cost. China and Russia developed theirs after the F-22, so I give the advantage to them especially in numbers. I'd say LM is a jobs program. The hypocritical Pentagon needs to get its act together.
Well, unfortunately, they need some common sense monitoring. The F14 was one of the best platforms that we've ever had as far as I'm concerned. The JSF was a good idea in theory, to have one platform for all branches, but by the time all branches got done with their little quirks, it was almost 3 independent planes. At any rate it is still one big jobs program, $ be damned. We got to keep those people working. Even if they eventually bring it to a usable standard, it will be too expensive to fly. That is evident by some of the original countries either backing out completley or cutting way back on the orders.
Yeah we're pretty much committed to them now. The JSF and even the F/A-18 programs go back to the same theory of one type of aircraft, to do all missions. In the F-14's infancy, the Marine Corp and Air Force went so far as to send pilots and rio's to training on it, so that idea was going on back then. Originally going with two engines for the 14 and 18 for redundancy and over the water ops, and now one for efficiency with the F-35 and the A-7's before her. The only thing I can suggest is better contract enforcement from the Pentagon.
It will be interesting to see what happens on the sequester.
Yeah, in light of what I've read so far, its looking a little gloomy.
As bad as most cuts are needed, I think it will be a bad mistake to do it all at once and just crash this brittle economy again. Same thing as defense though, a little common sense and housewife budgeting needs to go into the larger programs as I think that is where they are getting a big drain. I see they just busted the SCOOTER STORE. They need to do a bunch more the same way, welfare being one, but that is a whole nuther story for another place.lol
Remember the FTX? The Edsel of aircraft!
You mean TFX? Back during the McNamara days when they were trying to take an F-111 and configure it for Carrier operations and it didn't work too well? That's what the F-14 evolved from when they figured the F-111 wouldn't work and they needed a new cleansheet design.
Your right, TFX. It's been so long that I couldn't remember, but the problem is the same. It's like buying one size of shoe and expecting everybody to wear them.
It's like I said above, after each branch gets done with their quirks, it ain't nowhere near the same airplane.
(sorry, couldn't resist)