 |
| Navy F-35 flight test aircraft CF-1 approaches the TC-7 catapult at Naval Air Station Patuxent River March 22. With U.S. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Matt "Opie" Taylor at the controls, CF-1 completed functional checks and performed the first test hookup of the F-35C to the catapult. |
 |
| Navy F-35 flight test aircraft CF-1 approaches the TC-7 catapult at Naval Air Station Patuxent River March 22. With U.S. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Matt "Opie" Taylor at the controls, CF-1 completed functional checks and performed the first test hookup of the F-35C to the catapult. |
Nice!
ReplyDeleteNot worth much till it gets the software needed to fight, which isn't gonna happen till 2016. Maybe not even till 2018.
ReplyDeleteI am not a huge f-35 fan, but I do think the C is the best of the lot and has the best chance to be a good VLO light strike A/C.
ReplyDeleteBlk 2 is what is "needed" to fight, just ask the Marines who are going IOC with it.
ReplyDeleteBlk2 get's installed for flight testing in a F-35 later this year, and will be done with testing by the middle of next year.
Only lightweight when it needs to watch it's RCS. Other than that it's got something like 17,000lbs of pylon capacity in addition to the internal weapons. That includes 2 5,000lb rated pylons (think inner pylons on an Eagle).
ReplyDeleteBlk2 only gives the F-35 white elephant status. Offers a good show, so to speak, for the military & industry to placate the ignorant politicians so that they won't explore alternative options.
ReplyDeleteNo blk2 aircraft will ever be used in combat.
You might want to walk up to a Marine and tell him that he is only a "white elephant", but make sure your med insurance is paid up :)
ReplyDeleteYou are likely right that a Blk2 F-35 will never see combat as they will only exist for about 3 years. By then they will likely be upgraded to Blk3 status (as money has already been set aside for the upgrade in the FY2011 budget).
@Thomas. There are no *viable* alternative options. Sorry, but that's reality.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if a link works..
ReplyDeleteUSMC at Blk2
too bad I cannot post an image :(