A test pilot who flew the F-35 in a dogfight against the F-16D reports that the new fighter plane is a real dog. The Lighting II has a “distinct energy disadvantage for every engagement.”
Also the hi-tech helmet was so big and ill-designed for the cockpit that the F-35 pilot couldn’t keep visual contact with the opponent during the dogfight. The pilot reported that he couldn’t “see behind the aircraft.”
OK, I’m no expert on combat flying, but if your opponent is behind you, seeing him is probably not going to be a concern for very long.
Perhaps we need to rethink the name of this aircraft. Lightning II seems painfully ironic now.
This plane isn’t. It’s a contract. Made to feed defense contractors.
It has exceeded all expectations.
It sounds a hell of a lot more fun than flying this back and forth to the hospital or
Sitting above traffic watching for law breakers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rwKH_jXGh4
(Not that I’m complaining, well maybe a little)
I heard that the biggest disadvantage of
the Lightning is that it won’t do an airstrike twice in the same place.
: }
To all the people who “planned”, “managed”, and “budgeted” the F35 project for years…
Congratulations Ladies and Gentlemen!… You’re everything we come to expect from years of government experience and training.
Ki’d much rather fly an F8, F4, F16 or F/A18 any day than this dog. Yeah it can take off vertical, so what. How many $bazillions on this boondoggle? Of course it was not intended to be an air to air fighter. Gotta keep those military contractors in beer money ya know. 😉
The F-22 was always the much better plane. MUCH better. Figures they went with the F-35.
The real shame is the cut to the A10 program to cover the costs of this welfare program.
In 1974, I was stationed at RAF Alconbury in England and was lucky enough to see the F-16 put on an incredible display of flying at an airshow there. That was even before the USAF was flying them. I got to meet the McDonald Douglas test pilot. Man, that guy could fly and that plane was awesome.
Hambone it is still awesome. Trouble is we have given away more than half of them to foreign countries, like Saudi Arabia.
This was the lightest variation…and not a vstol…the Navy version is even heavier and crappier…I think there are 5 different variations…the vstol being the heaviest…and less responsive…
Oh, hell yeah, let’s keep the funding level for DoD up at current levels so they can maintain U.S. military superiority.
Or not.
Take a plot of land, a half mile by a mile. Put all those who want the F-35 to replace the A-10 smack dab in the middle. Surround the whole thing with ISIS troops. The F-35 will defend the east half, the A-10 will defend the west half. Let the fun begin. When the shootin stops, see which jet saved the most lives. There’s your winner.
Is this a case of Obama being a better air frame designer than his air frame technicians, like he is a better speach writer than his speach writers?
meaning he picked the wrong horse again
That pilot in the helmet: Didn’t Han Solo shoot him in a Mos Eisley bar?
Ultimately, the folks that operate any weapons platform will determine its success. And we have the best folks to do that.
They even handicapped the F-16D by leaving the external fuel tanks on and it still waxed the F-35.
I visualize China chuckling to itself over all the designs for the F-16 they have probably stolen over the years and how they are making knock offs of them to dispatch our F-35s without breaking a sweat.
That really doesn’t tell the whole story. It training or testing, you go in very limited (one hand tied behind your back)to find the edges of the envelope. Also, close quarter dog-fights are a thing of the past. The F-35 (final version) will have equipment to pick off the bogey before he even knew there was an F-35 in the air. But, I still think the F-22 should be continued with the same avionics package that the F-35 will have.
The Osprey was a DuD before they got the bugs worked out. It’s not like the DoD is building a new pick-up truck. They are building shit that will eventually save your ass. If you think you can do it better, have at it.
There isn’t enough power in all Christendom to make that airplane what we want!
-Vice Admiral Tom Connolly
Yeah, and Han shot first, regardless
of what anybody says.
🙂
Nuh Uhhh!
You mean General Dynamics I be hoping.
They couldn’t pay us enough for the headaches what will result from being in close contact with self serving assholes that stuff the halls at the Pentagon.
I spent many years flying the F-16 in New Mexico. Awesome aircraft. F-35 sucks !
He did in the original movie. George Lucas reshot the scene for later versions so Han wouldn’t look like the
bad guy. Check it out:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_shot_first
Dang! You got me. I’m blushing!