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F-35 news roundup

MarkW

By MarkW,
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Scooby

Scooby

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Delanie said:

any idea what happened? 

It kind of looked like some ground effect problem.

what is worrying however the news report mentioned that several of the ejection seats were found to have faulty parts, at least this guy's worked!


I think he lost power, his sink rate suddenly increased as he was descending. Could have been an FCS fault too, which would explain why the pilot decided to eject. He likely had no control.

 

And as mentioned that puff of smoke before he lost power will be a key point of the investigation.

 

The ejection sequence probably preserved what is left of the airframe as that automatically shuts everything down. Which will help with the investigation. 
 

And there is no warranty on the jet, but given it was still being flown by a test pilot it won’t count as a delivered jet.
 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
jager

jager

Posted
Posted
On 12/17/2022 at 9:53 AM, habu2 said:

Looks like the forward fan lost drive/power after the bounce, resulting in the sudden fwd pitch down.

 After looking at the forward fan and drive subassembly at the Udvar Center I can appreciate the complexity and vulnerability of it. Looking at the video I have to agree with habu2 on his conclusion that the sudden forward down-pitch was probably due to some failure in the fan/drive power assembly. Thank goodness the pilot got out OK.

 

Jager

"Living On Tulsa Time"

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habu2

habu2

Posted
Posted

There is an extensive, and sometimes highly technical, discussion over on f-16.net, currently 12 pages long:

 

https://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=58979

 

Ironic this happened on the anniversary of the first flight of AA-1, I worked in the VSIF on the PTMS/C (part of the IPP) leading up to and during early test flights.

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Scott Smith

Scott Smith

Posted
Posted

Question…Is the ultimate goal to replace the F-16 with the F-35?  
And if so, what about the F-16D with two seat?  What role do these fill and how will the F-35 fill it?  
My only knowledge of the D is my Doctor getting back seat time to maintain his Flight Surgeon air time. 

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Da SWO

Da SWO

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Scott Smith said:

Question…Is the ultimate goal to replace the F-16 with the F-35?  
And if so, what about the F-16D with two seat?  What role do these fill and how will the F-35 fill it?  
My only knowledge of the D is my Doctor getting back seat time to maintain his Flight Surgeon air time. 

Yes it is the F-16 replacement.

The F-16D was brought in as a trainer, F-35 uses a simulator to do what a two seat fighters did in the past.

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habu2

habu2

Posted
Posted (edited)

A USAF Block 40/42 F-16D with ASHM (rear HUD monitor) allowed the rear seater to act as a WSO and perform weapon delivery while pilot concentrated on flying. Several FSM customers (Israel and UAE specifically) have missionized cockpits to utilize a 2 man crew. Otherwise the 2-seaters are every bit as capable as a single seater, with slightly less internal fuel capacity. 

Edited by habu2
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Scooby

Scooby

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, habu2 said:

A USAF Block 40/42 F-16D with ASHM (rear HUD monitor) allowed the rear seater to act as a WSO and perform weapon delivery while pilot concentrated on flying. Several FSM customers (Israel and UAE specifically) have missionized cockpits to utilize a 2 man crew. Otherwise the 2-seaters are every bit as capable as a single seater, with slightly less internal fuel capacity. 


In conventional visual fighting, yeah it is nice to have an extra set of eyes in the back. I used to ride the back seat all the time in a CF-18B, a mission we flew was the jet was clean (no pylons or tanks), we called the mission the Red Baron as we had the advantage. The CF-18B was also lighter because there wasn’t a tank in the place of the second seat.

 

Often the second seat was empty because pilots don’t want to sit in the back, they want to be in control. So we’d get a PA over the hangar saying there was an empty seat for a Red Baron. I went as often as I could. I’d be the second set of eyes.

 

My last TD trip was to Tyndall AFB. Our pilots saw F-22s visually, they tried to engage, it wasn’t worth it as you can’t fight what you can’t see electronically. The F-22 and F-35 don’t need that second seat, because they have the advantage entering every fight.

 

And the F-35 has a computer that does the work of a WSO. Everything is simplified for the pilot’s decision making.

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phantom

phantom

Posted
Posted (edited)

About freaking time. Get the first 4 in around 2026. So that gives me a little time how to model the paint job. I remember when we got the Hornets.....I was in high school. I'll be three years retired before the first 4 are on line.

Edited by phantom
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phantom

phantom

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Dutch said:

What?  No air-to-air intercept spotlight mounted on the port side behind the cockpit?

 

 

I'm not in charge of those things. I was a field medic, a long long time ago.

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