Looking at my photos from RIAT has made me ask this question.
Can the F35B hover without having the landing gear down or is it a preset inbuilt safety feature.
Pretty sure I have seen the Harrier hover without the landing gear down.
F35B in the hover
Re: F35B in the hover
Don’t know about the F-35, not sure about the various RAF Harriers but think the Sea Harrier could hover with gear up.
(Mark Twain: There are lies, there are damn lies and then there are statistics)
Re: F35B in the hover
The following link shows a pic of an RAF F35B apparently in flight, with all the hover mode doors open, and no undercarriage visable.
https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/model/Lock ... htning/60/
If the link doesn't work, go to the abpic website , and search for F35B, and scroll through the pictures.
https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/model/Lock ... htning/60/
If the link doesn't work, go to the abpic website , and search for F35B, and scroll through the pictures.
Re: F35B in the hover
I think that is the transition from hover to flight. The front nose wheel door is still open and I did notice at Fairford that the last door to close was the big one on top for the lift fan.
(Mark Twain: There are lies, there are damn lies and then there are statistics)
Re: F35B in the hover
That’s not the nose wheel door (which is beneath the cockpit) that is open on the photo, but the doors for the lift fan eflux.
Re: F35B in the hover
The F-35B can hover without its gear down but it’s not standard operating procedure.
The USMC demonstrated the capability at the Singapore Airshow earlier this year with one entering the hover, turning to the crowd, then dropping its gear, before retracting the gear, turning away, then leaving the hover.
9:50 onwards in this video.
Re: F35B in the hover
I guess it's only likely to hover operationally when either taking off or landing isn't it?
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