Fishy, fishy in the brook

Things just don't seem to have the future shown in this Ponzi-scheme slide from the 2007 Navy League F-35 brief.

Notice too that the assumption includes less maintainers.

With all the press-releases of how great the aircraft is, it is still in test. Today, with no credible mission systems operative in a go-to-war configuration, the maintainer workload, years from now, in an operational squadron, has to be better than this:

Every flight requires eight to nine maintainers to work about five-and-a-half hours to prepare an F-35 for takeoff. That’s if nothing goes wrong.

Using several complicated computer systems, they check for discrepancies and make sure every system is working properly. They walk around the airplane to look for aberrations and leaks, check gauges and tire pressure, and replace parts or refill fluids.

Then the plane is service ready, but not yet set for takeoff. Another round of checks is conducted with the pilot in the cockpit. As a final precaution, they roll the plane forward to check the underside of the tires.

“Then we go launch that airplane,” Fluker said.

Less maintainers in a flying squadron, in USAF history anyway, has never worked so well.

Here are a few more barn-burners from the above-mentioned 2007 brief:

(click on image to make larger)

Fishy, fishy in the brook

Fishy, fishy in the brook
Won't you bite my little hook?

Fishy, fishy in the brook
Yes I caught him on a hook

Mummy will fry him in a pan
and Daddy will eat him like a man