Is the F-35 a white elephant or an advance in aviation technology that just needs new product kinks and glitches worked out? From Tyler Durden at zerohedge.com:
Two of the three versions of Lockheed’s beleaguered F-35 fighter jet suffer from previously unreported problems that could put the Joint Strike Fighter at a serious disadvantage in a dogfight with an adversary, according to documents obtained by Defense News.
If left unresolved, the following ‘category 1’ glitches will be icing on the cake of Lockheed’s $400 billion quagmire (partial list via Defense News);
- When the F-35B vertically lands on very hot days, older engines may be unable to produce the required thrust to keep the jet airborne, resulting in a hard landing.
- After doing certain maneuvers, F-35B and F-35C pilots are not always able to completely control the aircraft’s pitch, roll and yaw.
- Supersonic flight in excess of Mach 1.2 can cause structural damage and blistering to the stealth coating of the F-35B and F-35C.
- Cabin pressure spikes in the cockpit of the F-35 have been known to cause barotrauma, the word given to extreme ear and sinus pain.
- The spare parts inventory shown by the F-35’s logistics system does not always reflect reality, causing occasional mission cancellations.
- If the F-35A and F-35B blows a tire upon landing, the impact could also take out both hydraulic lines and pose a loss-of-aircraft risk.
- Possible maneuvering issues when the aircraft is operating above a 20-degree angle of attack.
- The F-35’s logistics system currently has no way for foreign F-35 operators to keep their secret data from being sent to the United States.
