Friday, June 14, 2019

Here Is A List Of F-35 Problems And Issues

A formation of F-35 Lightning IIs from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings stationed at Hill Air Force Base perform aerial maneuvers during a combat power exercise over Utah Test and Training Range, Nov. 19, 2018. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Cory D. Payne

Zero Hedge: F-35 Program Is "F***ed Up", Puts American Pilots In Severe Dogfight Disadvantage

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 airborneresulting 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.
Read more ....

WNU Editor: From Defense News, here is a list of the problems and issues with the F-35.

Video: Here are the problems faced by the F-35, and how some can be fixed.

The Pentagon is battling the clock to fix serious, unreported F-35 problems

Supersonic speeds could cause big problems for the F-35′s stealth coating

When US Navy and Marine F-35 pilots most need performance, the aircraft becomes erratic.

A fix is coming for a problem that left two F-35 pilots in ‘excruciating’ pain.

The F-35 has to keep landing in cold weather. Here’s the plan to fix it.

The Marine Corps’ ‘No. 1 priority’ for the F-35 involves a rough landing in hot environments.

When the F-35 blows a tire, it can set off a chain reaction of potential failures.

Amid ‘green glow’ concerns, another issue has emerged for pilots flying the F-35 at night.

The US Navy is seeking upgrades for the F-35 radar’s sea-search mode.

Inventory management failures are grounding F-35 jets.

Two F-35 partners threatened to quit the program. Here’s why they didn’t.

FAQ: Your guide to understanding how the military rates F-35 technical shortfalls.

2 comments:

Roger Smith said...


Seems to me these many problems were predicted when it became known this plane would be a design by committee. One size fits all. Kinda. But take heart, taxpayers....the price tag is shrinking.

Anonymous said...

Weren't most of these problems discovered back in 2011? Any chance they might have been addressed by now?