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NFOs and the JSF

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riley

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Flash, I'm not sure if you were responding to my post when you wrote of technology allowing only one guy to do the mission.

Just to clarify my post - what I meant was that if the workload was too much for one person (and this could be caused by the technology in the plane - it is probably easier to complicate everything with technology than it is to simplify it) then I can see justification for having a two seat aircraft (NFO).
 
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GTodd

Registered User
OK here we go, yest the Marines will get the super hornet that will replace the older two seat hornets they are using, but no one knows when. The f-35 will not replace the hornet for a while. The d.o.d. has already rolled back the number of f-35 they were going to order. Same for the number of super hornets. Lets just say that you NFO's wil have jobs for a while.
Remember what is planed never happends. A time ago it was thought the Navy was going to be full of Tomcats and that the Air Force was going to be just F-15's.
 
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joefoe

Registered User
I've heard that the Marines will continue to fly the Prowler after the Navy goes "Growler." And who knows how long that will take. That means more 4 seat planes for the Marines to fly until they are ready to kick the bucket. Don't worry about NFO slots.
 
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riley

Registered User
F-35 was better than the alternative (X-32). People in the program office nicknamed Boeing's entry "Monica" - for obvious reasons......
 
ben

ben

not missing sand
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
Originally posted by riley mcconnell
F-35 was better than the alternative (X-32). People in the program office nicknamed Boeing's entry "Monica" - for obvious reasons......
Click to expand...

Having seen a picture of the X-32 that is definitely a fitting name!

I didn't like the looks of the 35 at first, but it's kinda grown on me. It seems like the plane will have an astounding amount of tactical ability and I have been quite impressed with everything I've read. You USED to work for LM? Why do you not still work there?
 
jarhead

jarhead

UAL CA; retired hinge
pilot
the Marine Corps isn't going to give up the FAC(A) mission ... FAC(A) mission pretty much requires a two seat aircraft ... i'd bet cash that either Lockheed will sh1t a two seat version of the F-35, or the Corps will buy some F-18F's to keep that mission

sidenote (and useless info)... the A-10 doesn't have a two-seat version, your first time in the A-10 is solo ...

my 2¢

semper fi
 
ben

ben

not missing sand
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
The F-35 comes in three variants, one of which is STOVL. The other two are "plain" and carrier capable.

The jsf IS the F-35, two names for the same aircraft.
 
kevin

kevin

Registered User
riley: i'll definitely concede that. the x32 really doesnt look like an aircraft to me. more like a funky boat with an inboard motor.

bcgeib: i have heard from reading some articles and from heresay from a test pilot that it (f35) is underpowered and inferior to the f16 in a lot of respects. it's attributes are stealth, and lots of internal fuel, and easy maintainability, and it's "cheap". none of those really address it's ability as a pure tactical aircraft, but as i said, that's what ive heard and read.
 
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riley

Registered User
BCGEIB - I still work for Lockheed, until the good Lord decides to put me in a Marine uniform and slap some wings of gold on for extra measure.

The X-35 is going to be an amazing aircraft. Instead of the three (or four - I can't remember) glass screens on the F-16 - the F-35 will have one large screen that the pilot can use to toggle info he needs to see. There will be a helmet mounted cueing display and what is called Prognostics Health Mgmt. - if a part on the aircraft is about to fail - the computer systme automatically notes that in a database, sends the information to the airbase, so when the plane lands, another part is on its way - all automatic.

TNWhisky - to answer your question - it does have three variants like bcgeib described. The A model is the CTOL (Conventional Takeoff and Landing) aircraft and is designed for the Air Farce. The B model is the STOVL variant (Short Take Off/Vertical Landing) and will be used in the Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force (U.K.) The C model is the Navy variant (CV - Carrier Version/Variant).

All three variants maintain over 80% commonality of parts and airframe. The Navy version has beefed up landing gear and a larger wing area (wing desing is the same - they just have extra portions at the outer edges) The STOVL and CTOL use the same airframe - where the lift van in the STOVL is, the CTOL and CV versions have an extra fuel tank.

Most of the systems are a drastic improvement over the F-16. I don't know about it being underpowered - it uses the same engine as the F-22 - except it only has one instead of two. I guess when I get to fly it, I'll let everyone know.... I think I remember it having around 30 - 35,000 lbs of thrust - don't know how that compares to the latest F-16. One thing, though - is that internal fuel stores is a drastic improvement over the F-16.

I'll go off on a sidenote to follow jarhead's comments. The A-10 is awesome - wish the Corps used that for CAS.
 
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texag02

Registered User
riley - you mentioned a computer system that alerts the pilot to any aircraft part failure...understanding that this is a vastly advanced system to the comparisson i am about to make buuuuuuuuut i know autos have a similar system which can often be a God send, but are occasionally a problem when the diagnosis is incorrect, or the error report is blank and a problem is evident, as well as when a problem is corrected but code malfunctions prevent the computer from knowing aproblem has been resolved...any input other than "trust me, its a much better system than GM's"?
 
kevin

kevin

Registered User
riley, i understand all that but it still doesnt address the qualities of the aircraft in terms of it's performance. that's the beef i have with it.

ditto on the a-10- phenomenal aircraft. it's pilots are often referred to as the "marines" of the air force.
 
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Sins

Registered User
http://aviaforce.free.fr/avions/?p=x32 here's some pics of the x32 from a frog website

even though everything is in french, this seems like a good site. look around - see the x36, x43, other designs.
 
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