Report of F35A vs F16Cblk40 goes public

[PR3D4TOR]

The problem with sensationalism is that if done right it can be very difficult to spot for the laymen (that's why it works). Only with time and experience does the sensationalism become obvious. We now live in the information age and everyone with access to a computer can do their own fact checking. Checking the sources and claims themselves. Unfortunately most people do not have, or make the time to do this.

60 minutes is generally considered a serious and respectable news source. That perception is protected by the limitations of the attention span and memory of human beings. However, we are living in the information age and much of the information that has been forgotten is now at your fingertips.

Watch this:



Now, how can anyone who has watched this ever take 60 minutes seriously again. Who knew geeks were such outlaws in the 1980s!

What's next? Perhaps Hitech Creations will be accused of causing plane crashes and terrorism. "The airline pilot was an avid Aces High player. A computer game were you score points by suicide diving your WWII Lancaster bomber into a town..." 

[Skuzzy]

Btw. Skuzzy, yes the author of that article is clearly biased in favor of the F-35, and to his credit he admits it: "I have an emotional attachment to the F-35 because I have worked with many of the companies that build it, including prime contractor Lockheed Martin, for much of my adult life..."

Clear and obvious editorial bias and "excessive use of superlatives" as you put it does not make it sensationalist. Sensationalism is provoking shock, excitement or outrage to generate more viewership at the expense of accuracy. The author is not doing that, but is providing an admittedly biased counter view to the wealth of sensationalist negative press.

I do not find that article shocking or outrageous. It should not be very exiting either unless you own LM stock.

Yes, there were a couple of phrases used which had me laughing my arse off, hence the use of the word "sensationalism".  On the other side of the coin, I wanted to stop reading it about 1/3 the way through due to the over the top writing.  It was horrible. 

Sensationalism is not limited to the emotions it can provoke.  If the emotions are to the excess, then the piece can be considered sensationalistic. That is the other problem with that type of writing. 

It will depend on who is reading it and the perspective taken.  For me, it was a very sensationalistic piece, which also contained excessive use of superlatives.

[PR3D4TOR]

I can't agree to that, but hey... That's OK too. 

[PR3D4TOR]

http://www.military.com/video/aircraft/jet-fighters/testing-the-uks-f-35b/4364055890001/

A new video featuring UK pilots and maintainers. One UK pilot who has previously flown the Sea Harrier and Super Hornet described the F-35B as "a leap ahead", "without doubt unsurpassed".

[BaDkaRmA158Th]

It has only 4 seconds of 25mm ammo.  "Of course it is a larger round, i wonder if they could step it down to a 20mm and get some fire time back."



 

[PR3D4TOR]

The F-16 has 5 seconds worth of ammo for its 20 mm gun.

25 mm is a much more desirable caliber of round, but still smallish compared to what the rest of the world uses these days. Europeans and Russians use 27 mm and 30 mm cannon in their fighter aircraft, and have been for decades. The 30 mm GSh-301 (MiG-29/Su-27) is widely considered the best aircraft cannon to date.

[PR3D4TOR]

Foreign production is ramping up with the test flight of the first F-35 with Australian made vert stabs.

http://www.airforce-technology.com/news/newsraafs-f-35a-vertical-tails-4631795

[Zimme83]

The F-16 has 5 seconds worth of ammo for its 20 mm gun.

25 mm is a much more desirable caliber of round, but still smallish compared to what the rest of the world uses these days. Europeans and Russians use 27 mm and 30 mm cannon in their fighter aircraft, and have been for decades. The 30 mm GSh-301 (MiG-29/Su-27) is widely considered the best aircraft cannon to date.

I would vote for the Oerlikon KCA as a contender, 30x173mm round, 1030m/s muzzle velocity.

[artik]

The F-16 has 5 seconds worth of ammo for its 20 mm gun.

25 mm is a much more desirable caliber of round, but still smallish compared to what the rest of the world uses these days...

Yeah... especially the caliber used by F-35C or F-35B... oops - they don't carry one

On the other hand... Canon is dead weight for F-35... It is anyway useless in VVR. So his chances of gunning anybody quite slim in first place 

[PR3D4TOR]

These days it is primarily an air to mud weapon. The B and C can bring one along if they so choose.

[jollyFE]

watched it take off from the "ski jump" ramp at work the other day...pretty cool.

[PR3D4TOR]

http://breakingdefense.com/2015/07/dunford-mulls-f-35b-ioc-decision-4-bs-take-out-9-attackers/

During the Marine’s recent operational readiness test of the F-35B, four of the Marine aircraft went up against nine enemy aircraft.

“It went very poorly for the bad guys,” Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant for aviation, told me this afternoon. Davis provided few details, saying they were classified, He did say that the F-35s faced a threat that “we have never put an F-16 or a Harrier against.” The F-35Bs, he said, did a “great job.”

I asked Davis about the recent news that the F-35A did not fare that well in dogfight conditions against an F-16. “I love the F-16. It was a great airplane. Still is pretty good, but i would not want to be in a fight against an F-35.”

In a clear message to A-10 advocates, Davis said the F-35B performed extremely well at Close Air Support missions using Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) and laster-guided GBU-12s. The aircraft does need a cannon, he conceded, for some missions. The gun is currently undergoing its first tests mounted on an aircraft but it won’t be deployed on the plane until 2017 when the Block 3F software is installed. But Davis was unequivocal in his enthusiasm for the aircraft. “No airplane in the world will be able to touch this jet at Close Air Support,” he told reporters.

[PR3D4TOR]

F-35 debuts at Oshkosh 2015. First display at a civilian airshow.

[Gman]

Anyone know what the current G and other envelope restrictions are for the F35?  I remember reading it someplace recently that they still haven't opened up the flight envelope, there is some unclassified info regarding this around on various defense sites.  Anyhow, point being that those low level turns were done sans afterburner, and looked pretty relaxed, not being an expert, but sure looked like 5g or less compared to various F16/22/18/15/etc/etc/etc airshow max G turns I've seen on the deck over the years.

That's one thing I'd LOVE to see right about now, an F35 at an airshow doing a really high rate/radius low level turn, to see what it looks like doing so if nothing else. 

One thing I'll never argue is that the F35B will give the USMC and the US forces overall a huge advantage and capability boost over the current Harrier.  Much easier to fly/land which is a pretty big thing to hear the pilots talk about it, and obviously having a stealth fighter with a much, much better radar and sensor system than the AV8B means the little mini-carrier assault ships will have the ability to do more than just support troops with very, very short range bomb truck runs.  Having a squadron of 12 or so B models as well as all the other aircraft types makes new ships like USS America and so on probably more capable than any other nations CVs except maybe France, or once the UK gets its new ones going.  I think I've read that the USMC will be able to operate the B from 8 or 9 different assault ships in the fleet right now, with more coming. 

[PR3D4TOR]

Current limitations and final performance estimates are obviously classified. Even if I were to come by a leaked document I would not help spread it. That would be a treasonous act in itself.

In other news, Israel is forming its first F-35i squadron.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/israel-to-form-first-squadron-in-preparation-for-f-35i-415143/