Too much faith in stealth technology?

[FLYBOYJ]

I suppose this is also true of the US services, since the F-22 program has ben cancelled and the F-3 will replace the A-10 and F-117 in the long term.

The program wasn't
really "cancelled." The Pentagon decided not to buy the remaining aircraft that was proposed in the over all contract. I think we're talking an additional 50 aircraft.

 

[wuzak]

Perhaps capped is a better term.

 

[nuuumannn]

The Seasprite's avionics weren't developed in Australia.

I'm aware of that. The Australian Seasprites were worked on by New Zealand contract workers who were brought in to manufacture the Kiwi examples at Kaman's Connecticut facility.

No, I don't think that we'll ever buy Russian equipment. In fact, I think that we may never buy anything other than American equipment. The decisions are totally political.

Hmmm, yes, you are right about that, wuzak.

A link to Iranian news network:

Fars News Agency :: Iran Displays Downed US Drone

 

[wuzak]

I assume downed by cyberattack means that the communications to the drone were disrupted with jamming causing it to go down.

Also interested in this line

Iran has already shot down more than a dozen of such aircraft during the last 4 to 5 years.

By what method were they shot down, I wonder.

Also

The drone was programmed to destroy such data in the event of a malfunction, but it failed to do so.

 

[wuzak]

How much impact on the stealth performance would deleting the special stealth coating have on the F-22?

 

[evangilder]

Do you think that kind of information would be published? There are many parts of the stealth systems that are classified.

 

[wuzak]

Do you think that kind of information would be published? There are many parts of the stealth systems that are classified.

I'm not asking for published information. More gut feel, informed estimation or just plain guesswork.

 

[michaelmaltby]

IAF to upgrade old F-16 fighter jets - JPost - Defense

MM

 

[looney]

Looks like the F35 will be more expensive yet again...

JSF Nieuws.nl » JSF - Pentagon confirms: "Serious design problems" (dutch site but this page is in English)

 

[Glider]

I was wondering if this latest problem might impact the sale of the F35 to Japan. To lose that order would be a major blow to the US

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Looks like the F35 will be more expensive yet again...

JSF Nieuws.nl » JSF - Pentagon confirms: "Serious design problems" (dutch site but this page is in English)

"For example, the naval variant is now incapable of landing or carriers due to the inability of the arresting hook to capture an arresting cable on the carrier deck. And, there are more hard to conceive deficiencies, including airframe buffeting at different angles of attack."

Kind of funny about these reports, the real problem child seemed to be the F-35B which is now being tested aboard ship...

F-35B Completes Successful Initial Shipboard Vertical Landing Aboard USS WASP

Although there's always talk about cancelling the program, the USAF version seems to have no problems with the 6th aircraft delivered...

Sixth F-35A Delivered to Eglin Air Force Base | Lockheed Martin

It seems the previous "serious problems" have gone away and some are just looking for more "serious problems" for an excuse to bag the whole program despite the USAF version having success.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

What's funny with this report is the "team" seems to contradict itself on pages 19 and 20 but does say each variant should be reviewed separately, but the media seems to ignore that and reports about scrapping the whole program. Read the first and last paragraph on page 19!

I seen nothing here that should prevent all 3 versions from being built with the exception of available funding. The issues "found" can be fixed and these issues would be typical in any new combat aircraft. Just more government bashing of the contractor and the media going along for the ride.

 

[evangilder]

Makes you wonder what would have happened with the F-117 if the testing had been done in the media eye. This is especially true when you consider that both "technology demonstrators" (prototypes) crashed.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Makes you wonder what would have happened with the F-117 if the testing had been done in the media eye. This is especially true when you consider that both "technology demonstrators" (prototypes) crashed.

YEP! And a production model crashed on take off because of a production defect.

 

[pbfoot]

Almost every aircraft thats come down the pike in recent memory has had the same crap happen to it, if your old enough remember the F14 prototype crash the Osprey , the F111 was big one , the F15 prpotype crashed , the C5 had problems that req'd major rectifying on their upgrade with the spars IIRC . Let the engineers back to work and shuffle the reporters back to where they belong covering the now 4 year primaries in the US

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Agree!

 

[Matt308]

This just is plain silly that the media thinks this is such a showstopper.

"For example, the naval variant is now incapable of landing or carriers due to the inability of the arresting hook to capture an arresting cable on the carrier deck. And, there are more hard to conceive deficiencies, including airframe buffeting at different angles of attack."

If you look closer to the issue, it stems from the fact that the tail hook on the single engine F-35 is closer to the main gear than on two engine planes. Thus the bounce latency of the cable from main gear run-over to arrestor hook is too long and the hook often misses it. A major redesign to the airplane? Not even remotely likely. In fact, they might even be able to fix off airplane (e.g., higher tension in the cable). Or perhaps a greater spring constant/hydraulic pressure in the arrestor hook.

I'm convinced that people like Rand Paul, who want to cut the DoD budget 50%, are just looking for excuses to kill this program.

 

[Matt308]

Almost every aircraft thats come down the pike in recent memory has had the same crap happen to it, if your old enough remember the F14 prototype crash the Osprey , the F111 was big one , the F15 prpotype crashed , the C5 had problems that req'd major rectifying on their upgrade with the spars IIRC . Let the engineers back to work and shuffle the reporters back to where they belong covering the now 4 year primaries in the US

Don't forget Gripen crashed too.

 

[pbfoot]

Don't forget Gripen crashed too.

How I missed this 1 , I just had finished my shift when the 3rd F20 pranged in Goose

 

[wuzak]

What's funny with this report is the "team" seems to contradict itself on pages 19 and 20 but does say each variant should be reviewed separately, but the media seems to ignore that and reports about scrapping the whole program. Read the first and last paragraph on page 19!

I seen nothing here that should prevent all 3 versions from being built with the exception of available funding. The issues "found" can be fixed and these issues would be typical in any new combat aircraft. Just more government bashing of the contractor and the media going along for the ride.

The report is assessing the risks involved in continuing production alongside prototype testing and evaluation. While the production numbers are small it it shouldn't be too much of an issue, but when production numbers start getting large any fixes required will take more time and money.

The report basically states that there are a number of moderate and high risks but none that require the termination of concurrent production. If they did find issues that do, their recommendations would have been to stop concurrent production until the issues had been overcome. It would not be to recommend teh cancellation of the program, just that testing with prototypes continue but production held off until the fixes have been made.

Does anybody know how many have been built? I think I saw 300, but I don't know where I saw it.