You can forget any air-to-air weapons for now (or straffing) because not only are there problems with helmet display quality, because of significant buffet in the heart of the combat envelop you can't use the helmet to cue weapons including the gun. Especially the gun.
So far I have been kind. Even overly optimistic given the state of the poor engineering management with this program. There are some more significant errors with the Post's graphic but that will do for now.
13 comments:
I doubt that any HMD display lags are a problem for cueing weapons.
The HMD predecessor concept of a helmet sight did not require substantial graphics, just pointing.
Targets that have been detected by radar or DAS on the other hand may be in a slightly different position than the computer 'thinks', but neither SRAAM nor MRAAM would 'care', since they aren't (fully) command controlled.
Bit sensationalist with the HMD. The latency issue is with the DAS imagery and is expected to come good. It's been good enough for STOVL on USS Wasp. Also, in the event it's a show stopper, contingencies are in development.
In any event, not an issue with either AMRAAM or a heater. That's just "sloppiness". As is confusing strafing with air-air gunnery.
Obviously you didn't read the quick-look report.
While all aircraft have buffet issues of one kind or another, they have a HUD and do not depend on the helmet to cue major systems.
What is sensationalist is the "nothing to see here" fan-base.
Who stated anything about confusing air to air gunnery with strafing?
The point being is that the gun is useless if it cannot be cued. This is a show-stopper for the gun.
Also the "replacement" non-ORD helmet has the same problems with being able to cue in buffet produced in the heart of the combat performance envelop.
if theres buffet when you are strafing you are doing it wrong
That would assume that you have a sound design in the first place. So far there isn't much proof of that.
And, there won't be any strafing for another reason. They have dive limits on the jet because of fuel-inerting problems.
But another thing to consider. I wonder if they will ever do strafing. Since that implies getting within reach of enemy ground fire. With a unreliable IPP and mentions of survivability problems in the quick-look (I nominate any ballistic effect hitting the 270 power system and associated looms of making the jet into a flaming arrow). Oh dear; that ineffective fuel inerting can't play to reduce that risk.
Defect-by-design.
Helmet is never used to cue AMRAAM. It is only used to cue a short range missile in the visual environment without radar track. Latency of the DAS doesn't matter in the Air-Air environment.
Early flight testing issues with buffet mean nothing for air-ground employment of the gun (ie. strafing). Only cueing in the aerial environment is an issue. Exactly as the Anon above has pointed out.
Unless data is published including the E-M diagram, the actual consequences of the reported 'buffet' issues are not known enough to draw conclusions from.
I fear that with the HMD/buffet issue and how if affects weapon employment, you're doing 1+1 and arriving at 16.
The jet can't do a steady 15 degree dive to recovery by 1000'AGL out of reach of small arms?
What kind of strafe profiles do you fly?
"Latency of the DAS doesn't matter in the Air-Air environment."
Suitable for framing under the category of interesting theory.
As for "strafe" profiles. In order for one to even get to that point the aircraft has to be safe to fly to train regular (non-test) pilots. Not even close to that yet. Eglin AFB is turning into an F-35 parking lot. Waiver to fly defective jets there to park them. But that is about it.
Limits on the aircrafts design (10 years after SDD) shows a behavior that management doesn't know what they are doing.
The present issue of DAS-HMD latency may be an issue for certain phases of air-air flight. What it doesn't affect is the cueing of weapons.
The only cueing done of an air-air missile by the helmet is to slave the seeker-head of a heater to the pilots line of sight. Just like in JHMCS, DAS not required.
Release of the F-35 to other than test pilots will likely happen in the near future.
....with luck
A little off post, but giving an idea of the real cost of the F35 shambles is now ocurring in Norway.
They have taken the decision to replace the wings on the 57 F16's.
Shows how much faith they have in the project proceeding.
Looks like similar actions being taken with the F18's in Australia if they are to last until 2022+?
Memo to The National Post:
Leave the "wonder" graphics to cheerleading magazines like Popular Science. You are suppose to be journalists that check sources and counter sources for facts and analysis.
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