A U.S. Department of Defense report and letter made public today by the U.S. project on government oversight, details more F-35 failings in the area of testing, training, safety and support.
Not much of it is good, some of it is already known, and, it doesn't look well for any marketing efforts by the cheerleaders and rent-seekers.
7 comments:
The following includes a good summary of comments by JSF pilots:
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130306/DEFREG02/303060011/F-35-Report-Warns-Visibility-Risks-Other-Dangers?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
It would seem that the JSF's basic cockpit visibility problems cannot be fixed without a major redesign.
Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. What is the point of this training in such an immature system but PR?
They are risking lives for the sake of the PR and marketing.
One small mistake in the software can bring the whole jet down and I do hope that ejection seat works when they start harder flying later on.
The pilot visibility on the F-35 was determined on day 1, minute 1 of the 3-view drawing where the "pilot eye" is established. Like many of the features of this jet, arm twisting compromises were accepted because they were accompanied by promises of lowered cost and compensating electronic do-dads. How's that workin' out for ya?
The fact that it has to be stored in a warm, comfy hanger when the temperature dips below 15˚C pretty much makes it a no-go for Canada, or any other country that experiences anything even close to winter temperatures.
39 hours for an engine swap? The Gripen does it in less than 60 minutes!
Also sounds like a glitch (error) with ALIS data can force a ground abort since the crew doesn't seem to have override or change authority. And the Marines plan to put the ALIS in austere forward bases? The ALIS system seems to have as many basic developmental problems as the aircraft itself.
Speaking of Canada, it may interest you to know that the Canadian F-35 order was "suspended" (de-facto cancelled) in December 2012;
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Federal+government+cancels+fighter+purchase/7663407/story.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2012/12/canadas-f-35-procurement-cance.html
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/12/13/kelly-mcparland-a-dissenting-opinion-on-the-fallout-of-the-f-35-cancellation/
The Tories are still insisting that the F-35 *hasn't* been cancelled...;
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/12/06/poli-f35-pmo-government-fighter-jets.html
...in the same way that Elvis is "still alive".
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