Dueling

[igorski]

I wouldnt call a shaft driven fan, a lift jet, the F35 is single engine, not 3 engined like the yak 38, or yak 41

[|| Andy ||]

Hmmm... it is realy...
It Lifts doesnt it?...

[igorski]

it does the same job, but its run of the main engine, as opposed to using 2 extra separate engines.

[|| Andy ||]

More stress on the engine though,,

[igorski]

posibley.. I trust that they figured that into the design.. so do the pilots  ;)

[|| Andy ||]

They'll have a terrible maintence cost when we get them..
the Shaft will have to be replaced alot..

[Stormtropper]

I don't know about that...I believe i heard somewhere that the whole section around the shaft is made out of titanium alloy...should withstand just about everything...

[igorski]

that wouldnt surpirse me  :) thats the one bit they really really dont want to fail

[Craig.]

You seem to have missed the fact that they will be too heavy to operate from the new Carriers. Only with a light or empty loadout are they able to make the takeoff run. If they are fully loaded the plane is going to drop like a brick into whatever ocean they are sailing.

[igorski]

that cant be right, can it? It seems dreadfully silly to me for them to have deigned it to be like that...?

[Craig.]

It is indeed right. The company designed the plane on the requirement from the mod being. "ability to safely takeoff and land from the deck of the new carriers runway length whatever it is". The MOD however forgot to include the wording. At combat takeoff weight. And with things like this needing to be exact, they screwed up. Chances are this will end up speeding up the introduction of catpults, thus delaying the carriers.

[igorski]

lol.. oh dear, i was going to say wouldnt a cat solve or help to solve the problem.

[Craig.]

It should but could delay its service introduction.

[igorski]

hmm, why didnt the navy just the the VSTOL one like the RAF are getting?

[Craig.]

It basically is the same one with a few mods. Its still to heavy. It cant vertically take off loaded up. They are basically screwed. Weight savings are being looked into but little right now can be done to sort the problem.