Why USAF, USN, USMC and others want this F-35?

[artik]

Ok, I'll correct they are phased out in Russia.

Russian officials admitted that most MiG-29 fighters in the Russian Air Force were incapable of performing combat duties due to poor maintenance. The age of the aircraft was also an important factor as about 70% of the MiGs were considered to be too old to take to the skies.[27] The Russian MiG-29s have not received updates since the collapse of the Soviet Union. This is because the Russian Air Force chose to upgrade the Su-27 and MiG-31 instead.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan_MiG-29#Soviet_Union_and_Russia that refers to
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090206/120014354.html




in many other countries there are problems with parts etc.

[GScholz]

They upgraded their Su-27s and MiG-31s first. No big surprise there. They are currently upgrading their MiG-29s in cooperation with Hindustan Aeronautics and the Indian Airforce. They are two years behind schedule however due to funding issues. They are not being phased out.

[GScholz]

First F-35C delivered tothe USN.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTzFA3zgbxc

[GScholz]

Interview with RAF F-35 pilot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLSsLCMsCrM


So now we have USAF pilots loving the F-35. USN pilots loving the F-35. RNoAF pilots loving the F-35 (and I've personally talked to them about it). And now, RAF pilots loving the F-35. Yet the media still seems to hate it.

[GScholz]

F-35 post stall maneuvering. Even does a tailslide!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRJ5kyv79v4

[BaDkaRmA158Th]

 

[artik]

First F-35C delivered tothe USN.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTzFA3zgbxc

And it is still not capable of arrested landing due to critical design issues in the tailhook.

Interview with RAF F-35 pilot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLSsLCMsCrM


So now we have USAF pilots loving the F-35. USN pilots loving the F-35. RNoAF pilots loving the F-35 (and I've personally talked to them about it). And now, RAF pilots loving the F-35. Yet the media still seems to hate it.

Small corrections RAF pilots loving the F-35B - which is indeed a huge step forward from Harrier.

(BTW I mentioned that F-35B would be a good replacement for the Harrier when I started the thread)

So yes. For STOVL, it is the best aircraft around... (and the only aircraft for RAF as RAF removed Harrier from the service)
and they really wait for it to place back in service existing aircraft carriers for STOVL.

Also  RAF had ordered F-35B only

F-35 post stall maneuvering. Even does a tailslide!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRJ5kyv79v4

FYI - post stall behavior is a standard test for any aircraft - for example test pilots enter their machines to spins and recover them
making sure that even if the aircraft has stalled it is recoverable. For this purpose, even F-16 is capable of doing Pugachov's Cobra.
(with modified software that allows the pilot to do such maneuvers as normal restricts it)

Basically what you see in the video that F-35 does not totally lost control (i.e. goes to a spin etc)

It is different from post stall behavior of the jets with vector thrusting that can really control their behavior...

[GScholz]

You conveniently overlook USAF and Norwegian pilots loving the F-35A, and USN pilots praising the F-35C. Why do you have this bias toward the F-35? An aircraft you clearly know little about?

[mthrockmor]

Gscholz, thoughts on this video? This guy was part of the team that designed and built the F-16. His approach is a rather practical discussion on the combat aircraft. One note, the RAF pilot praises the ease of the ST/VOL ability of the F-35 but nothing else. He certainly does not address any of the concerns and complaints.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxDSiwqM2nw

boo

[mthrockmor]

Here is a short Youtube on the F-15SE...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UldoGIMRsSY

I have spent roughly two decades playing politics. More than anything when I watch Pierre Sprey talk about the politics of the F-35 to a Canadian tv crew I see what I've seen for two decades. Economists call it Public Choice School/Theory of Economics; street lingo is 'crony capitalism.' Basically, if you can get the right lobby team in place you can get congress to appropriate anything.

My brother's boss is an old Wall Street type. At one point he served on the board of directors for the New York Stock Exchange. I know him somewhat and have had lunch with him a few times. Funny, every business idea that is pitched to this guy his first question is what government agency would buy it. Why compete with Walmart or some other firm when you can hire the right team and get government to buy it in mass for tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.

We all know this happens. The question is sorting out legitimate need and public good versus crony capitalism. I see the F-22 and F-35 as the latter. We'd be so much better off buying upgraded versions of the F-15, F-16 and F/A-18.

boo

[mthrockmor]

One more Youtube. This one comes from Australia and is open for criticism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27qdB1D0s9M

The video and likely discussion around the scenario implies that Red Force decimated the Blue Force via ACM, not BVR. If this is correct, more details are needed. Did they skip the BVR aspect or was it controlled?

I have read of a couple joint training exercises pitting F-15s and F-22s against Su-27s and Su-33s. The one that received more attention was with Indian Su-33mms, in which the Indians dominated. The Air Force/DOD response was that the F-22s kept their drop tanks, thus reducing stealth and 'held back.'

As for keeping the drop tanks, considering the limited range of the F-22 those drop tanks are likely life and death, so a likely requirement in real life, not just training with the Indians. As for holding back...who knows. How can that be quantified and/or verified.

boo

[mthrockmor]

OK, this is the 'one more youtube.' In fairness, a video from India that seemed to demonstrate some concerns on their end of the discussion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZZGD4esp78

[GScholz]

Do not listen to anything Pierre Sprey says, ever. I read Sprey’s essay, and it’s clear that it fails to offer any proof and in fact, offers the same standard lies about the F-35 as he spread about the F-22 earlier. Moreover, the essay reveals that Sprey is either completely ignorant about defense issues or, more likely, so biased against modern weapons that he’s blatantly lying to malign them while praising the F-16 to the highest. Why the F-16? Because Sprey, as a member of the Fighter Mafia, was one of the men behind that program and, throughout the 1970's and 1980's, he advocated its development and production. Sprey is, in short, the godfather of the F-16 as much as Harry Hillaker and John Boyd were. His love for his brainchild, the F-16, is obviously blinding him, leading him to malign better, more capable aircraft, including the F-22.

Against the F-22 Sprey went so far as to falsely claim that the F-22 is 30 times more expensive to acquire than the F-16 while being less capable. Anything that man says cannot be taken seriously.

[GScholz]

One note, the RAF pilot praises the ease of the ST/VOL ability of the F-35 but nothing else. He certainly does not address any of the concerns and complaints.

Show me one pilot that has flown the F-35 that has any concerns or complaints. You can't because they all praise it. I've personally spoken with two of them and listened to their lecture of the F-35, and they're both veteran F-16 drivers.

[GScholz]

Oh, and not only are they veteran F-16 pilots in the RNoAF, but they were also the test pilots that flew the JAS Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale. All these aircraft competed with the F-35 for the Norwegian contract, and it is no question in their minds as to which aircraft they wanted.