F-35 Lightning II - Let's make some noise

[aviationreporting]

Hi all,

Last week I visited Edwards AFB. Besides the "usual" stuff that can be found there, also the first two F-35A's were outside, of which one decided to go flying. Must say, quite a noisy machine it is.






Cheers

[AndyBeau]

Lovely shots Melchior.

I can't wait to see one of these in the flesh!

[PhilEAF92]

a rare capture and so well shot

[A380-001]

Great shots very sharp
also looking forward to seeing one in flesh metal.

j

[Stu]

Oh very nice

[flynavy]

Thankyou, Great shots, angle engine and all, (it looks heavy) , noisy like the harrier (but this was only with one engine) i guess the other is only used on vertical flight??

(lets have a super Harrier, with a larger airframe, more power, would be a bit lighter with 1 engine?, but 3 versions of the F35, I've yet to be convinced)

my rant over, how near could you get?, and can you get some more please

[Russ]

Lovely shots Melchior.

I can't wait to see one of these in the flesh!

My thoughts too. Lovely capture!

[Trevsy]

That's a bit rare. F-35 air-to-air afterburner shot!

[shaggie]

Very nice shot ,but i maybe wrong Trevsy i don't think it's an air-air ,just a take off shot,that said one hell of a nice shot though

[Trevsy]

Think youre right just assumed it was from the angle.

[dazzagreenwood]

Nice shots I can't wait to see an F-35 in action over here!

[hank_marvin]

Ace, very nice to see it, I really quite like the look of it.

[raiford]

very nice pics I think the F-35 looks great and I am looking forward very much to seeing one static and flying at RIAT, I also think it will serve us well when she is finally operational. As for a bigger Harrier I would have thought it would probably cost as much as the F-35 with the engine having to be redesigned as well!

[aviationreporting]

Thanks for the replies.
Sadly for me it only made one appearance, so here's another from that one take-off.



Cheers,

[Danny]

Well caught. Really can't wait to see it over here!

[flynavy]

Hee hee, larger Harrier, I was only half joking, shame no British plane, and it looks complicated with 2 engines, bet it can't do a reverse, viffing as used so sucessfuly on the Harrier in the Falklands and Bosnia.
Still I guess I'll love it , if and when the Royal Navy ever get them

[DamienB]

viffing as used so sucessfuly on the Harrier in the Falklands and Bosnia.

News to me, viffing has never been used in combat...

[Agg]

Hee hee, larger Harrier, I was only half joking, shame no British plane, and it looks complicated with 2 engines, bet it can't do a reverse, viffing as used so sucessfuly on the Harrier in the Falklands and Bosnia.

This is the F-35A, which is the conventional take off and landing version, the STOVL version is the F-35B. I'm not sure what you mean by it having two engines, as neither version of the F-35 has more than one engine...

[Russ]

Hee hee, larger Harrier, I was only half joking, shame no British plane, and it looks complicated with 2 engines, bet it can't do a reverse, viffing as used so sucessfuly on the Harrier in the Falklands and Bosnia.

This is the F-35A, which is the conventional take off and landing version, the STOVL version is the F-35B. I'm not sure what you mean by it having two engines, as neither version of the F-35 has more than one engine...

I think he probably means the lift-fan on the 'B model, but as you rightly say, it's not a second engine.

lets have a super Harrier, with a larger airframe, more power,

Interesting you say that, because all three F-35 variants are larger than the Harrier airframe, have a larger combat radius and have a significantly more powerful engine.

[flynavy]

Thanks, I didn’t get it , I'm sorry!!, what I ment to say was the front Lift fan and the rear thrust vectoring nozzle
Theres an interesting photos of it, (well sort of both parts on) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: ... f_F-35.jpg

Sorry, I got it wrong,

And viffing in comat, I guess wasn’t used often, but I've heard a couple of bits including.. http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-a ... ity-7.html
it reads: And this is from one of the Sea Harrier pilots: Quote:In combat, a sudden viff usually causes a pursuing fighter to overshoot. Explains one veteran Harrier pilot: "From being the attacking aircraft, it becomes the attacked." .

But lower down it says: Sea Harrier pilots who were involved are unanimous that VIFFing was NOT used in the Falklands. There simply wasn't any reason to use it, since the Argentine fighters never maneuvered aggressively enough to put the Harriers on the defensive.

But thanks for the info chaps ,

But I dont want to hi jack this tread, there great photos as i said and I to cant wait to see it fly

[jacksonphreak]

Superb shot's
I'm also looking forward to the Royal Navy getting their hand's on them......along with the two new Carriers.

Steve

[T_J]

Lovely work.



TJ