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wmaxt said:the lancaster kicks ass said:what about the JSFs we're supposed to get?? if you drop them will we still get ours??
The current word is that the problems, mostly weight gain, have been corrected and the JSF F-35 is on target for production and delivery. I think delivery will allow operations to start in 2012 for the Marines and the following year for the Air Force and Navy. It wouldn't surprise me if the Brittish version matched the Marine as that version matches up with verticle take off etc. The first pre-production aircraft will fly next year.
This data is the most current per June 2005 Air Force Magazine. Also neither this year or next years budget for the F-35 will be touched.
Eventuly the F-35 will replace the Hornet.
wmaxt
FLYBOYJ said:wmaxt said:the lancaster kicks ass said:I think the weight gain issue wasn't really an issue. I know people who designed the X-35 and they purposely thought of additional weight in the production version. As issue internal at Lockheed is, although smaller, if the F-35 will out perfoprm the F-22?!?
According to this article it was real enough, especialy in the STOVL - Marine/British version, to have threatened the program. It was airframe weight that already exceeded the projected weight growth of the production version.
wmaxt
the lancaster kicks ass said:but because of the way they go into hover the JSF can't use it's VTOl abilities in flight like the harrier can.......
wmaxt said:FLYBOYJ said:wmaxt said:the lancaster kicks ass said:I think the weight gain issue wasn't really an issue. I know people who designed the X-35 and they purposely thought of additional weight in the production version. As issue internal at Lockheed is, although smaller, if the F-35 will out perfoprm the F-22?!?
According to this article it was real enough, especialy in the STOVL - Marine/British version, to have threatened the program. It was airframe weight that already exceeded the projected weight growth of the production version.
wmaxt
Hmmmm - interesting.
I know the systems engineers were given bounses for weight savings, many of them made lots of money! At the time however, the goal was to beat the Boeing team.