What are the problems with the F-35?
A heavy reliance on contractors, insufficient funding, inadequate training, missing technical data needed for repairs and a lack of spare parts are among the factors affecting the aircraft's ability to perform. The report released the same month that a Marine Corps F-35 crashed in South Carolina and its pilot ejected.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the F-35?
Proponents of the F-35 highlight its versatility, advanced stealth capabilities, cutting-edge sensor systems, and the ability to operate in highly contested environments. Critics, on the other hand, focus on its high development costs, delays, and some technical challenges faced during the testing phase.
Why is the F-35 so slow?
Billie Flynn spent years as a pilot in the testing program for the F-35 stealth fighter jet. He said the aircraft was very easy to fly and compared operating it to playing a video game. The fighter jet, he said, is incredibly capable and changed the understanding of what's possible in aerial warfare.
What do pilots think of the F-35?
The Super Hornet, a jet known as the “Rhino,” gets top billing in the movie over the more advanced F-35C built by Lockheed Martin Corp. because that's what the movie's script called for, Roberts said. He also noted that the F-35 is a single-seat plane, so the actors couldn't ride in them.
Why couldn t Top Gun use F-35?
For example, the F-35 is meant to retire the venerable A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, but the F-35's underpowered engine means that it is not as stable at low speeds on close-air-support missions at low altitudes, compared to the A-10.
Is the F-35 underpowered?
The F-35A fleet was supposed to achieve a rate of 20 Mean Flight Hours Between Critical Failures after 75,000 fleet hours. But in 2023, it only achieved a rate of 10.5, despite having racked up more than 288,000 total flight hours since entering service.
Is the F-35 reliable?
What the U.S. military and more than a dozen other countries get for their investment in the F-35 is the best multi-role fighter in the world. In recent Red Flag aerial wargames run by the U.S. Air Force, the F-35 racked up a 20:1 kill ratio.
Is the F-35A good fighter?
The F-35 combines stealth, advanced sensors and network connectivity – all within a supersonic, long-range, highly maneuverable fighter. Since the first F-35 Lightning II rolled out of the Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth, Texas in 2006, the program's reach has exponentially expanded around the globe.
Is F-35 highly maneuverable?
F-22 Is Better at Aerial Combat
The F-22 is faster than the F-35 – MACH 2.2 versus MACH 1.6 for the Lightning II. The F-22 is 30 percent heavier, but it may be more maneuverable due to its Pratt & Whitney F119 engines providing more thrust (70,000 pounds) than the single Pratt & Whitney F-135 engine on the F-35.
What is better than F-35?
The single-engine F-35 design requires extremely high specific thrust from its single engine. This is achieved by increasing both the exhaust gas volume and speed. This energy will be transplanted into the surrounding air producing (very loud) noise.
Why is the F-35 so noisy?
A single engine F-35 with 28,000 lbf thrust, would weigh much less than a dual engine F-35 with two engines rated at 14,000 lbf each. In other words, a fighter with one large engine would have a better thrust-to-weight ratio than a fighter with two smaller engines.
Why does F-35 have 1 engine?
Former British military officer, Frank Ledwidge explained “Depending on how much fuel was in the aircraft, the F-35 jet could likely travel hundreds of miles without its pilot,” in an interview with Newsweek. A user was astonished by the military's loss of an F35.
Can F-35 fly without pilot?
Finally, the F-35 office said simulated combat scenarios have shown that four F-35s have won encounters when pitted against a four-ship of F-16s. "The F-35s won each of those encounters because of its sensors, weapons, and stealth technology," the statement said.
Is F-35 better than F 16?
Bottom Line. The J-20 is faster than the F-35 but the Lightning II has lower radar cross-section. The J-20 does not have a cannon which could mean that designers were not envisioning it as a dogfighting machine. The F-35 is lighter, which may give it an edge in aerial combat.
Is the J 20 better than the F-35?
Although he pilots several different aircraft in Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise was denied clearance by the U.S. Navy to fly the F-18 jet.
Can Tom Cruise fly an F-18?
Put simply, the F-22's capabilities are deemed too sensitive to share, even with close allies. What if a Royal Air Force F-22 suffers a malfunction, splashes down in the North Sea, and Russia sends its subs to recover the wreckage? The risks are just too great.
Why is the F-35 sold but not the F-22?
The F-35A is armed with a 25 mm GAU-22/A rotary cannon mounted internally near the left wing root with 182 rounds carried; the gun is more effective against ground targets than the 20 mm cannon carried by other USAF fighters.
Why does the F-35 have a 25mm gun?
Separately, cracks in the F-111's wing attach points were first discovered in 1968 during ground fatigue testing; during the following year, the crash of an F-111 was attributed to a cracked wingbox. On 22 December 1969, the USAF opted to ground the fleet due to this issue, save for those involved in flight testing.
Why F 111 failed?
The F-35 is a lemon, yet the Pentagon continues to waste taxpayer dollars on these deeply flawed fighter jets. More than two decades into development, the jet has so many deficiencies that officials still haven't been able to properly demonstrate its ability to perform in combat.
Is F-35A lemon?
It's noteworthy that American pilots have flown in Syria, where Russian-made air defense systems are active, and in the Pacific region, where Chinese systems operate. The F-35 has not been shot down in either arena. Active-duty pilots say that's a meaningful sign.
Has any F-35 been shot down?
The cost of the US's F-35 fighter jet program has increased by $26 billion, bringing the total cost to $438 billion, according to the Pentagon's new report. The increase, which is relatively modest compared to previous increases, is due to inflation and readjustment of production plans.
Is F-35 too expensive?
The F-35 relies on its OBIGGS to safely fly in thunderstorms or other conditions where lightning is present. The system makes the jet's fuel tanks inert by pumping nitrogen-enriched air inside — preventing the aircraft from exploding if the tanks are struck by lightning.
Can the F-35 fly in bad weather?
F-22 vs F-35 in dogfight
If the F-22 faced off in a dogfight against the F-35, it would beat it. The F-22 has much greater stealth characteristics than the F-35, i.e. much lower radar signature. Raptor is also faster than the F-35, as well as more maneuverable.
What is F-35 beast mode?
Over the years, many experts have explained that the J-20 fighter jet does not match the capabilities of the USA's fifth-generation fighters. Its stealthy design, characterized by a blended wing-body and rounded fuselage, is influenced by the F-35 and F-22 aircraft.
Does F-22 beat F-35?
“Better” is a relative term. Su-35 is better than Rafale in some aspects, and vice-versa.
Is J-20 a copy of F-35?
It is supersonic.
The F-35C can reach speeds of 1.6 Mach (~1,200 mph) even with a full internal weapons load. With its fuel and internal weapons load, the F-35C can fly faster with no drag associated with external tanks and weapons required for legacy fighters.
Can Su 35 beat Rafale?
Noise testing by the Dutch government found the F-35s were two decibels quieter than the F-16s. Other research has determined the F-35s to be significantly louder. But a 2019 Public Health Madison & Dane County study found that, in the long run, the jets' arrival would create a 27% increase in noise exposure.
Can the F-35 go supersonic?
The F-22 is stealthier overall by about one order of magnitude in RCS. The F-35 is quite close to the F-22 in head-on RCS (within about a factor of 2), but variably less stealthy in other aspects.
Is the F-35 the loudest?
The Sukhoi Su-35 (Russian: Сухой Су-35; NATO reporting name: Flanker-E) is the designation for two improved derivatives of the Su-27 air-defence fighter. They are single-seat, twin-engine, supermaneuverable air superiority fighters, designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and built by Sukhoi.
Is the F-35 more stealthy than the F-22?
One of the things that springs to mind is Russia's fleet of Su-57s, their fifth generation stealth fighter jets intended to rival the F-35.
What is the Russian equivalent of F-35?
The F-35 stands out for its stealth, sensor integration, and network-centric approach. The SU-57 offers speed, agility, and potent offensive power. Both represent their nations' advanced military prowess, and ultimately the choice between them would hinge on specific mission needs and strategic priorities.
What is Russia's answer to the F-35?
F-35 is 14-15 dB louder than Eglin F-15's.
Is the SU 57 superior to the F-35?
The study found that the F-35B's takeoff noise level was only two decibels higher than the F/A-18's, an increase the average person would not notice, according to the summary. While in its flying patterns or making approaches or landings, the F-35B was at least 10 decibels quieter.
Which is louder F-15 or F-35?
The F-35 is two times louder as a F-15. I had think that a stealth plane should quieter as legacy fighter. :confused: Does it matter in military terms?
Is the F-35 louder than the f18?
Problems getting spare parts, issues with repairs and a reliance on contractors all contribute to the F-35 having a substandard readiness and frequent groundings of the fleet. “There's a variety of reasons why they can't get these aircraft up in the air as often as they would like,” Maurer said.
Is F-15 louder than F-35?
The internal gun on the F-35A which is the most common version suffer from cracks and will probably have to be re-boresighted since its has alignment errors at a enormous price tag so at the moment the gun use is restricted.
Why did the F-35 fail?
The first is that with the F-35 there would be no heart-stopping, adrenaline-pumping dogfighting scenes. The F-35 was designed to employ a combination of stealthiness, advanced sensing, and long-range weapons to engage aircraft from outside their sensor ranges.
Why can't the F-35 shoot straight?
Yes, with degraded navigation systems, a pilot can Dead Reckon to a destination. A pilot can also contact a controlling agency for a specific area to provide guidance to a base.
Why was the F-35 not in Top Gun?
I ejected." The pilot later again asked the dispatcher to "please send an ambulance" and said that he "rode a parachute down to the ground". According to the Marine Corps, the pilot ejected as a result of a malfunction and landed in a residential area near Charleston's international airport.
Can F-35 fly without GPS?
The F-35 can stay in the air for up to 8 hours without refueling, depending on the mission profile and the aircraft's configuration. However, the F-35 can also carry external fuel tanks, which can increase its range and endurance even further. With external fuel tanks, the F-35 can stay in the air for up to 12 hours.
Why do pilots eject from F-35?
For example, the F-35 is meant to retire the venerable A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, but the F-35's underpowered engine means that it is not as stable at low speeds on close-air-support missions at low altitudes, compared to the A-10.
How long can F-35 fly?
This contingency was exactly what happened in an Air Force Red Flag wargame experiment in which a single F-35 showed the ability to track and destroy an entire group of 4th-generation fighters from ranges where it was not itself seen or detected.
Is the F-35 underpowered?
Finally, the F-35 office said simulated combat scenarios have shown that four F-35s have won encounters when pitted against a four-ship of F-16s. "The F-35s won each of those encounters because of its sensors, weapons, and stealth technology," the statement said.
Is the F-35 good at dogfighting?
The F-15 is the superior “air dominance” fighter, but let us be honest about the reason why…and greater maneuverability is NOT the reason. The Su-35 is more maneuverable than the F-15, but maneuverability is not the end all, be all of modern air combat. To be frank, it's pretty far down the list these days.
Is F-16 better than F-35?
Why in Top Gun Maverick did they use F/A-18s rather than F22s or F35s? The f-22 is only used by the usaf and Top Gun is about the Navy. While the F-35 is used by the Navy it is only a single seater and they can't shoot the in cockpit scenes to give the illusion that Tom Cruise is piloting the plane.
Is F 15 better than Su-35?
No actors, including Tom Cruise ever flew any Navy airplanes. He did not fly the F-14 and he did not fly an F-18. All the filming was done from the backseat of both aircraft types while a naval aviator (pilot) was flying.
Why didn t they fly F22 in Top Gun?
Aside from the option of buying more F-35Cs, the F/A-XX is seeking to create a new aircraft to replace the Super Hornet's capability and mission set. Just as the F-35C replaced aging F/A-18 Hornets and complements Super Hornets, the F/A-XX will replace aging Super Hornets in the 2030s and complement the F-35C.
Did Tom Cruise fly a f14?
In order to prevent the inadvertent disclosure of the aircraft's stealth technology and classified capabilities to the U.S.'s adversaries, annual DOD appropriations acts since FY1998 have included a provision prohibiting the use of funds made available in each act to approve or license the sale of the F-22 to any ...
Will F-35C replace F 18?
The F-35 is more than a fighter jet, it's a powerful force multiplier with advanced sensors and communications suites operating close to the battlefield and from an elevated position significantly enhancing the capabilities of networked airborne, maritime, space, surface and ground-based platforms.
Why can't the US sell Raptors?
An F-35B test aircraft completes its first-ever vertical takeoff and vertical landing, May 10, 2013.
Why is the F-35 so powerful?
A total of 833 F-105s were completed before production ended in 1964. The F-105 had been designed for a short nuclear campaign, leading to shortcomings that became evident in a lengthy conventional war, such as a poor hydraulics layout and fuel tanks that were not self-sealing.
Can F-35 take off vertically?
It was concluded that the F-104 was indeed more accident- prone than other co-era types. Moreover, the J-79 engine was found to be a weak link in the F-104's safety record, and the Starfighter's unforgiving handling characteristics induced an elevated level of skill-based errors.
Why was the F-105 so bad?
Is the F-35 good or bad?
Was the F-104 a failure?
Is the F-35 unreliable?
Is the F-35 good now?
Contrary to popular belief and Bill Maher, the F-35 does work. Lockheed has delivered about 960 of the jets so far, with about 630 going to the U.S. military—and the plane has performed effectively in combat multiple times. The F-35 has yet to face protracted battle against a sophisticated foreign military.
Why is the F-35 so noisy?
The single-engine F-35 design requires extremely high specific thrust from its single engine. This is achieved by increasing both the exhaust gas volume and speed. This energy will be transplanted into the surrounding air producing (very loud) noise.
Can the F-35 fly in bad weather?
The F-35 relies on its OBIGGS to safely fly in thunderstorms or other conditions where lightning is present. The system makes the jet's fuel tanks inert by pumping nitrogen-enriched air inside — preventing the aircraft from exploding if the tanks are struck by lightning.
Which is better F 22 or F-35?
F-22 Is Better at Aerial Combat
The F-22 is faster than the F-35 – MACH 2.2 versus MACH 1.6 for the Lightning II. The F-22 is 30 percent heavier, but it may be more maneuverable due to its Pratt & Whitney F119 engines providing more thrust (70,000 pounds) than the single Pratt & Whitney F-135 engine on the F-35.