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I know article writer is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, however:

Flight-testing of Block 2A, the last non-combat software release, started in March 2012 with the goal of finishing in February, but was only 35% complete at the end of May. The Marines' IOC software release, Block 2B, was to be delivered for flight-test in August, according to the IMS, but is now not expected before April 2014, only six months before the due date for completing those tests.

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_07_01_2013_p23-592154.xml&p=1

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I know article writer is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, however:

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_07_01_2013_p23-592154.xml&p=1

Yeah its the same type of article he wrote in january, and the same one he will write often until 2020.

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_01_14_2013_p0-536481.xml

I thought this was interesting from the same source:

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_06_24_2013_p45-588048.xml&p=1

I don't agree with his numbers at the end, but this is one of the more even handed sweetman things I have seen in a while.

Edited by TaiidanTomcat
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Korea Lulz!

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/594377.html

Mixed signals on budget and air force’s preference for F-35 mean companies all making maximum price bids
Experts believe that if the bidding for the third next-generation fighter project is to be concluded at an appropriate price within the year, DAPA must have the ability to disregard the air force’s desire to purchase the F-35A. “There’s no reason to pin all of our hopes on the F-35A,†a national defense expert said on condition of anonymity. “The only way that we can induce price competition among the companies is going into this with the idea that it’s okay if we don’t purchase the F-35A. If it turns out we really need the F-35A, we can always buy it later.â€

Come for laughs stay for the whining.

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“If the government lets it be known that it is willing to choose any one of the three that meets the budget, the companies will then have to match the price. The companies can compensate for the loss through armaments or operational and maintenance fees.â€

And herein lies the problem. South Korea KNOWS they are asking for way more than their budget allows. And two of the competitors are development efforts, the third is an overpriced dog.

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UK Will Try To Boost F-35B Landing Weight

Aviation International News -- 5 July 2013

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ain-defense-perspective/2013-07-05/uk-will-try-boost-f-35b-landing-weight

 

German air force bill for Eurofighters escalates: report

Reuters -- 7 July 2013

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-rt-us-eurofighter-germany-20130707,0,3389627.story

 

The German air force's bill for an order of 180 Eurofighter jets is rising beyond the planned 14.7 billion euros, said a German magazine on Sunday. Der Spiegel said the Luftwaffe now expected to have paid 14.5 billion euros by the end of this year for only 108 of the fighters and will pay 16.8 billion euros by 208 for 143 jets - paying more money for less fighters.

 

"It is correct that the cost of the Eurofighters is rising," said a ministry spokesman, but he declined to give details.

 

The Eurofighter multi-role Typhoon jet is manufactured by Airbus-owner EADS , Italy's Finmeccanica and Britain's BAE Systems . The manufacturers did not respond to a request for a comment on the report.

 

The new chief of the Eurofighter Typhoon said at the Paris Air Show last month that he will lay out plans this year to make the fighter cheaper in an increasingly competitive market. The Eurofighter's main competitors include Lockheed Martin's F-35 jet, Dassault Aviation's Rafale fighter and the Gripen by Sweden's Saab .

 

Battle Over Fighter Jets in Vermont Heats Up

New York Times -- 5 July 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/05/us/battle-over-fighter-jets-in-vermont-heats-up.html?_r=0

 

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One word: Flatlanders.

This will be yet another job win for the south...

The whole thing is a little amazing to me. The Government lollipops are going to get smaller and more rare with time. We aren't debating F-35s vs C-130s for the Vermont Air Guard. Its F-35s or nothing. If they don't want them, someone else will take them. Gladly. Come to New Mexico!! F-35 Tacos. Come to Texas, get treated like kings.

100_2963.jpg

Its looking like their senator actually rigged it to get them these aircraft to keep these jobs in state and they are upset. If they don't want jobs, someone else will gladly take them.

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This assumes Vermont's only source of jobs is the Guard, or that a louder jet won't negatively impact net jobs.

Actually the F-35 isn't any louder than the AV-8B or the F-18 it is replacing. The only time it is even close to being any louder in db than any other aircraft is when it is doing its STOVL maneuver. On traditional take offs it is no louder than an F-16. Even in STOVL I don't think it is louder than the AV-8B I watch these things fly almost every day.

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It actually is significantly louder than an F-16 if you look at the data collected on it. Google the EIS. Almost as loud as a B-1 (4 engines for those keeping score at home and 5 dB louder than the SuperBug) on takeoff, louder than any other single engine jet compared to on landing. Only F-22 and SuperBugs are louder for modern aircraft.

And that's all on CTOL, BTW.

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Its not just the people in Vermont that are complaining about the increase in noise. Even here in military freiendly Utah there are grumblings from homeowners, businesses and school districts about the noise increase the F-35 will bring. There haven't been many news stories on it and to my knowledge there aren't any citizen/activists groups lobbying for the new jet not to come, but nonetheless a lot of people are upset at how loud the jets are reported to be.

NIMBY

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Actually, I was on the receiving end of a low-level flyby from a B-2 once--this was for the dedication of "Spirit of Washington" up here at Boeing Field--and the bird was almost dead silent until it passed directly in front of me... then you got ALL the noise all at once.

That seems to be why the B-2 SEEMS so loud, it's acoustics are just by design or coincidence happening to shape it so that all the noise gets directed into the rear ARC.

It was a VERY effective demonstration of "be glad WE built these and not anybody else... 'cuz if they were serious YOU'd be dead"--and as it was, the bird was so hard to see on approach that if we hadn't been given a heads-up from the tower and a specific slice of sky to watch we woulda missed it except for that wall of noise out the tailpipes.

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I only meant the "stealth and Loud" comment as a bit of humor ... :thumbsup:

I had a similar encounter with the B-2 on a couple of occasions as Diamondback Six ...

One was at an airshow and the other was while driving down a rural highway ... The rural highway occasion was very cool, it was a late Spring day and I noticed a wedge shaped object in the sky out the side window of the car I was driving ... My first thought was "Hang-glider" ... Then I took another glance at it approaching and immediately knew "B-2 !" ... It flew over us at about 1,200 - 1,500ft ... Rather quiet on the approach side and quite loud as it passed us ...

-Gregg

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There's a big difference between "Frontal" and "All Aspect" Stealth too. IIRC, B-2 and F-117 alike were designed for pure frontal stealth first and foremost, "who cares about after? by the time they know you're there the nukes have already popped and then you're already on the way home as fast as the engines will carry you" and whatever other aspects they could get reduced signatures in were really nice bonuses..

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The whole thing is a little amazing to me. The Government lollipops are going to get smaller and more rare with time. We aren't debating F-35s vs C-130s for the Vermont Air Guard. Its F-35s or nothing. If they don't want them, someone else will take them. Gladly. Come to New Mexico!! F-35 Tacos. Come to Texas, get treated like kings.

100_2963.jpg

Its looking like their senator actually rigged it to get them these aircraft to keep these jobs in state and they are upset. If they don't want jobs, someone else will gladly take them.

Nice pic......never thought a pic of mine would up in this thread!

Heck,I would love to have the F-35 on our ramp,I really miss having jets out at our base.

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