F-35 40 Knot Approach and Landing

Waynos · Mar 18, 2010

Update, we now have seen proper VL demonstrated, this is a core requirement of the USMC and RAF.

VIDEO: F-35 test aircraft achieves first vertical landing

FLYBOYJ · Mar 18, 2010

My god - the earth melted below it!!!!

Glider · Mar 18, 2010

Very steady

Matt308 · Mar 18, 2010

"Well that makes FIVE milestones accomplished in the name of King Arthur"

"THREE sir!!"

"Right."

Waynos · Mar 22, 2010

Some time ago, on a different thread, I posed the question of how the F-35 performs STO's. Well it appears that this is how. It looks a little unridy, but it appears to work.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q-UiARAjL0

FLYBOYJ · Mar 22, 2010

Unridy? In what way?

Waynos · Mar 22, 2010

Typo on my part, I meant to say untidy. What with all those doors open, especially the huge one just behind the cockpit that serves the man lift fan. Before seeing the video I could not envisage a forward take off with that door open, the idea seemed unfeasible. A bit like driving a car at 60mph with the bonnet open

FLYBOYJ · Mar 22, 2010

Waynos said:
Typo on my part, I meant to say untidy. What with all those doors open, especially the huge one just behind the cockpit that serves the man lift fan. Before seeing the video I could not envisage a forward take off with that door open, the idea seemed unfeasible. A bit like driving a car at 60mph with the bonnet open

Well as you said, it works....

I think we're going to see more clips this week.

Glider · Mar 22, 2010

If I remember correctly the Yak 38 had a similar door for its lift engines but this didn't cause any problems on take off and landing.

Waynos · Mar 22, 2010

that would be because the Yak 38 was strictly VTOL, therefore the door was not generating any drag at unstick. During transition the door was lowered as forward speed increased. On the F-35 it is fully open throughout take off.

You could also refer to the Mikoyan and Sukhoi STOL demonstrators of the 1960's though which had the same arrangement, but a look at any of these three shows the doors open at a much shallower angle that that shown on the F-35.

I just had visions of it being ripped off as the plane accelerated

FLYBOYJ · Mar 22, 2010

Waynos said:
that would be because the Yak 38 was strictly VTOL, therefore the door was not generating any drag at unstick. During transition the door was lowered as forward speed increased. On the F-35 it is fully open throughout take off.

You could also refer to the Mikoyan and Sukhoi STOL demonstrators of the 1960's though which had the same arrangement, but a look at any of these three shows the doors open at a much shallower angle that that shown on the F-35.

I just had visions of it being ripped off as the plane accelerated

I think you saw that door stay open because of the testing. Its "SOP" on high performance jets to immediately clean te aircraft up as soon as a positive rate of climb is attained and on that aircraft I think that would happen pretty quickly.

Waynos · Mar 22, 2010

Don't get me wrong, I agree. I was just saying how the video contradicted my own preconception.

Matt308 · Mar 22, 2010

I have to say, structurally that door must be exceptionally strong. It appears that it may be generating some fairly significant lift. I suspect the flight control algorithms take this into account and may utilize this lift contribution to help counteract the loss of lift from the forward fan during transition.

I'm with Waynos, she reminds me of a ladybug with all her body shells deployed to get her wings out for flight.

Glider · Mar 22, 2010

Waynos said:
that would be because the Yak 38 was strictly VTOL, therefore the door was not generating any drag at unstick. During transition the door was lowered as forward speed increased. On the F-35 it is fully open throughout take off.

You could also refer to the Mikoyan and Sukhoi STOL demonstrators of the 1960's though which had the same arrangement, but a look at any of these three shows the doors open at a much shallower angle that that shown on the F-35.

I just had visions of it being ripped off as the plane accelerated

The Yak was capable of a rolling takoff in a similar manner as the Harrier it wasn't limited to VTOL only operations. The door stayed open without any problems so I don't see why the F35 shoulld have any problems.

Waynos · Mar 22, 2010

I'm not saying it will, I just said it looked untidy.

red admiral · Mar 22, 2010

deleted

FLYBOYJ · Mar 22, 2010

red admiral said:
Nice video, you can see the runway fittings being destroyed on liftoff.

Runway fittings? What are you talking about?

Waynos · Mar 22, 2010

Yeah, but my earlier doubts (now dispelled) were borne of the fact that it is a large wide solid door, quite unlike the other mentioned examples, wide open into the slipstream (and angled forwards) whilst the plane is accelerating. It just kinda looked unnatural.

FLYBOYJ · Mar 22, 2010

red admiral said:
Nice video, you can see the runway fittings being destroyed on liftoff.

I went back and replayed the clip at home, I'm limited in viewing video at work...

That's a concrete runway at Patuxent River NAS, there are no "fittings" on the runway. The "FOD" that was blown back from the F-35's take off was either a painted runway center line which is similar to the markings painted on common roads and those markings get blown off all the time, embedded rubber in the middle of the runway or some other FOD that found its way on the runway. The third item I would be really surprised about because military airfields (at least here in the states) have ground ops people who check the runways in vehicles before the airfield officially opens.

Let me make something clear. All this talk about this aircraft blowing chunks of the runway up is nonsense. I didn't say anything the other day but that report that mentioned that the aircraft would need special pads for VTOL ops may be true - HOWEVER, there are people in the USAF called "CIVIL ENGINEERING" or CE who will deal with this problem, as the same with the navy, more than likely "SEABEES." I think you might have heard of them...

If this aircraft was a hazard to any runway, it would not be flying.

Matt308 · Mar 22, 2010

There must be a glitch in the Matrix. Didn't I post that same comment for Butters to the sound of crickets.

"Nice video, you can see the runway fittings being destroyed on liftoff."

So now she's an underpowered, deck crashing, runway 'fittings' destroyer. Lord have mercy.

F-35 40 Knot Approach and Landing

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