Military Spending. The Continuing F35 Circus

[Lee C]

Loved it mate, simple and never broke down, but squeeled when u pushed her to hard, but that was normal if we had incoming ! I only had the choice of the SLR (loved her) on Op Grandby as the BCR's were the only peeps with SA80,got a pic somewhere when i was a crow in the gulf !

 

[Anglesachse]

my misses found a couple of pics the other week, hiding away in some long forgoten foto album, there is one of me from the gulf, In the back of a 109.

Glad she is looking and actually found a few, I thought I had burned the lot years ago.

 

[Wagon]

The thing that got me was the 600 mile move of one of the blocks. And they were proud of it. Supply chain from hell.

Bet someone underestimated that move. Burning 100,000 a day easy.

I can't talk about equipment. I was in a Navy that had everything in "working" order mixed together from 1939 onwards. My pistol on watch said 1943, My sound powered phones were from the 50's. Navigation systems from the 60's. Fire fighting systems from the 70's. It all had problems.

 

[Lee C]

At least you are going in the right direction with age at >30s>40s>50s>60s>70's ! ;)

 

[Wagon]

Ahh Found a bit more on this wonderful aircraft. The great news is. Britain is not alone....this aircraft can't land on any ship.

In November 2011, a Pentagon study team identified the following 13 areas of concern that remained to be addressed in the F-35:[130][131]

• The Helmet mounted display system does not work properly.
• The fuel dump subsystem poses a fire hazard.
• The Integrated Power Package is unreliable and difficult to service.
• The F-35C's arresting hook does not work.
• Classified "survivability issues", which have been speculated to be about stealth.[130]
• The wing buffet is worse than previously reported.
• The airframe is unlikely to last through the required lifespan.
• The flight test program has yet to explore the most challenging areas.
• The software development is behind schedule.
• The aircraft is in danger of going overweight or, for the F-35B, not properly balanced for VTOL operations.
• There are multiple thermal management problems. The air conditioner fails to keep the pilot and controls cool enough, the roll posts on the F-35B overheat, and using the afterburner damages the aircraft.
• The automated logistics information system is partially developed.
• The lightning protection on the F-35 is uncertified, with areas of concern.

In December 2011 the Pentagon and Lockheed came to an agreement to assure funding and delivery for a fifth order of early F-35 aircraft of yet undefined type in spite of general national austerity measures affecting the program.[132]

 

[Ned]

Shit.

 

[Wagon]

Thought I'd update this thread. Yes, it's coming to a country near you, it costs abt 200 million a piece and it doesn't work. The F35.

Quoting Wiki.

In March 2013, USAF test pilots, flying with pre-operational software that did not utilize the all-aspect infrared AAQ-37 DAS sensor, noted a lack of visibility from the F-35 cockpit during evaluation flights which would get them consistently shot down in combat. Defense spending analyst Winslow Wheeler concluded from flight evaluation reports that the F-35A "is flawed beyond redemption";Link Removed in response, program manager Bogdan suggested that pilots worried about being shot down should fly cargo aircraft instead.Link Removed The same report found (in addition to the usual problems with the aircraft listed above):

• Current aircraft software is inadequate for even basic pilot training.
• Ejection seat may fail causing pilot fatality.
• Several pilot-vehicle interface issues, including lack of feedback on touch screen controls.
• The radar performs poorly or not at all.
• Engine replacement takes an average of 52 hours, instead of the two hours specified.
• Maintenance tools do not work.Link Removed

• 
  Well so we had some problems.....When faced with critics, blame the hired help

The JPO responded that more experienced pilots would be able to safely operate the aircraft and that procedures would improve over time.Link Removed
Even in the final "3F" software version, the F-35 will lack Link Removed, in spite of having Link Removed as one of its primary missions.Link Removed
A 2014 Pentagon report found these additional problems:

• Only a third of the fleet is airworthy.
• The Link Removed does not work.
• There is an unknown bug with the AMRAAM.
• DAS confuses the aircraft's own flare launches with incoming missiles.
• And a single well placed bullet can render the F-35B's vertical landing capabilities useless.

Oh. But it gets better.

In 2013, the officer in charge of the program blamed Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney for gouging the government on costs, instead of focusing on the long term future of the program.Link Removed
In 2014, Lockheed was building aircraft with valves installed backwards and gaps in their stealth coating

And this little gem

Structural composites in the F-35 are 35% of the airframe weight (up from 25% in the F-22).Link Removed The majority of these are Link Removed and Link Removed.Link Removed The F-35 will be the first mass produced aircraft to include structural nanocomposites, namely Link Removed reinforced Link Removed

Hey. Isn't EPOXY a fancy term for GLUE. What better way to spend a trillion dollars.

 

[Sarg]

Guilty, your Honor, the plane sucks! And I thought McNamara's C-133 was a nightmare. Don't know about Lockeed, they're still putting out even better Herks fine. Yeah, epoxy. More precisely, fiberglass. That combined with carbon strands, makes a material stronger than aircraft aluminum and much lighter. If done properly. They've been building kit airplanes out of it for many years.

Wagon, I've got no idea unless some generals are getting filth rich on these contracts. As we all know, we've been buying crap that doesn't work for a long time now.

Sarg

 

[fwduff]

my misses found a couple of pics the other week, hiding away in some long forgoten foto album, there is one of me from the gulf, In the back of a 109.

Glad she is looking and actually found a few, I thought I had burned the lot years ago.

What unit were you with out there?

 

[Wagon]

It's a competition between the services. The Navy has the Zumwalt destroyer......Which cannot sail in seas over 10ft. Wonder what the Army has cooking these days. You can blow allot on Armor. I heard they were trying to develop Iron Man suits.

It just goes to show that everything in the military is an experiment. And we were the guinea pigs.