F-35B/C Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter)

[Uncle Fester]

It does look spiffy and futuristic, I'll say that.

Wait...does the canopy hinge forward? Rolls-style? BIG Pimpin'!

 

[theblakeness]

what do you guys think the -B will mean for the future of tailhook for Marines? You think they will continue to qual in flightschool as it currently is?

 

[Son of a Grunt]

Does it have a tailhook?

 

[HAL Pilot]

SOG - you really need to learn how to do a little searching for yourself. Both within the site and on the internet in general.

You say you want to be an officer. Officers use initiative. They make an effort to find the answers before asking others the question.

 

[HeyJoe]

And now the Israelis gots to have 'em, pronto!

The Israelis had to wait to join the JSF club, but they're in now and want to get theirs ASAP. I doubt LMCO minds....interesting hearing how they view the program though,

 

[JTB7]

As uncle Fester says, the Air Force has lead to establish the multi-service F-35 Joint Integrated Training Center at Eglin AFB. The Air Force announced last year that they will transition the 33rd Fighter Wing (currently operating F-15C Eagles) to the F-35A/B/C training mission. At that time they expecting first aircraft to arrive in 2010 and the first Marine squadron to achieve IOC by 2012 with Navy and Air Force to follow in 2013. The Navy has already established a Fleet Introduction Team locally and has a fully staffed JSF "Special Management Office" (SMO) at "CNAF East" (in AIRLANT spaces) patterned on the ACC model at Langley AFB.

You can judge for yourself how many F-35s will be available by the latest procurement profile that has only 2 F-35s delivering in FY09 increasing to 12 the following year followed by 16 in 2011 and 30 in 2012. That's not a lot of aircraft to dole out to Development and Operational Testing and equip the Eglin Training needs. 43 will be delivered in 2013 and then things really ramp up in 2014 with 118 total delivered and 83 going to the US (Australia, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Turkey and the UK get the remander of the difference). Of course, any plans or schedule are at the mercy of annual funding revisions by services and ultimately the Congressional allocations as well as any technical issues in getting the production versions of the F-35 into developmental and operational testing.

So if you're looking to get in a JSF cockpit, the Marines have the most comprehensive planning already on paper with personnel requirements programmed to begin training by 1 October 2010. JSF staffing priorities start with supporting Developmental Testing at PAX River and the Operational Test team. The second priority is staffing the Joint Integrated Training Center being established at Eglin AFB. The Marines are still pressing for first squadron (VMA-211) to transition beginning in FY12, but remains to be seen whether they will transition the squadron and include any new pilots direct from flight school that early in the introduction of the F-35. There will be 6 F-35B squadrons (3 former AV-8B squadrons and 3 former F/A-18 squadrons) by 2015 so opportunites will be much greater by then.

:icon_bounThat is when I will start flight training! Probably graduate college around 2014. Sweeet.

 

[Son of a Grunt]

That is IF you get a contract(but I do share the feeling).

 

[Son of a Grunt]

I searched and couldn't find any references to the B versions having a tailhook. A of course doesn't; C of course does. So I would guess that B would just land vertically on a carrier. I heard that the heat that STOVL puts off will destroy a carriers deck(yes, I serched & all that I got was on the royal navy), I this true?

 

[HAL Pilot]

OK, time to use your noggin....

A = Air Force conventional aircraft. No tailhook (at least not a carrier capable one)

B = Marine VSTOL. Like a Harrier. Do Harriers have a tailhook? Why would they when the whole idea of VSTOL is Vertical or Short t/o and landing

C= Navalized version = Navy = tailhook for carriers.

 

[goosegagnon2]

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=132680&highlight=water+switch+Harrier

 

[Son of a Grunt]

That's why I said, "A of course doesn't; C of course does."

 

[HeyJoe]

That's why I said, "A of course doesn't; C of course does."

I wouldn't assume non carrier capable aircraft don't or won't have tailhooks. Most pointy nose Air Force aircraft have them for use ashore in case of emergencies. Their landing gear and hooks aren't stressed for carrier landings, but they can "take the gear" (as in long field arresting gear) when in extremis.

F-15 tailhook

 

[FastMover]

Here are a couple of pics from the rollout. That canopy sure does look wide.

 

[HAL Pilot]

They had a mock up of the A model at the Nellis airshow. The cockpit was huge. It looked like you could easily put a second seat in it. I asked the tech rep about all the room and he said there were two design considerations - someone always want a second seat and for more avionics in the future. I think he was full of shit on the second seat but it warmed this NFO's heart....

 

[HeyJoe]

They had a mock up of the A model at the Nellis airshow. The cockpit was huge. It looked like you could easily put a second seat in it. I asked the tech rep about all the room and he said there were two design considerations - someone always want a second seat and for more avionics in the future. I think he was full of shit on the second seat but it warmed this NFO's heart....

Marines will need to replace their EA-6Bs at some point and they have given the stiff arm to anything Super hornet related.