Ok , no problem, then the range could be M1.3 to m1.5 for the F-35..according with the requirements, with a max speed of M1.6, and for the F-16 was probably M1.7-M1.9 with max speed M2..

The point is that having this inlet means nothing.

What it means is that the plane’s top speed isn’t limited by the inlets.

Actually the tests with the F-100 got up to 37k lbs thrust, and there are F-16s flying with 32.5k lb thrust motors now.

The only redesign was to reach its original requirement for a lifetime average of 800 hours.

Cite a source saying that the canopy is the weak link in the Raptor’s ability to exceed M2.

Just as an aside, the F-35 (all versions) has a fixed-geometry intakes for the engine, which is what limits the maximum speed.

For it to go much faster, variable-geometry intakes would be required… as at speeds above ~M1.7 the airflow has to be modified to prevent compressor stall.

The intakes are the limiting factor, not engine thrust, aerodynamics, or weight/drag.

During the design phase the decision was made to not fit variable-geometry intakes, as the primary missions the aircraft is intended to perform do not require M2 speeds, and the added weight & maintenance issues were considered detrimental to the aircraft’s primary requirements (especially for the STOVL & carrier versions).

Note that the USN & USMC are very satisfied with their F/A-18 variants… which also have fixed intakes, and a max speed of Mach 1.7 (F/A-18C) at 30,000+ ft. and Mach 1.6 (F/A-18E) at 30,000+ ft.

The F-16, F-18, and F-22 all have fixed inlets. The F-16 can reach Mach 2, all versions of the F-18 can reach Mach 1.8, and the F-22 can reach Mach 2.4+. The F-35’s inlet has been tested on F-16s up to Mach 2.

What’s the top speed of a Rafale/Typhoon/Su-30/F-15/etc…. with a 5000lb weapon load vs. clean? The takeaway here, is that M1.6 represents a tactically relevant speed vs. an F-15’s M2.5 top speed. Weight also affects the amount of drag the plane has to overcome. There are things that can be inferred if some common sense is applied.

Future testing will gradually expand the flight envelope out to the aircraft’s top speed of Mach 1.6, which the F-35 is designed to achieve with a full internal weapons load of more than 3,000 pounds.

All F-35s are designed to launch internal missiles at maximum supersonic speed, as well as launch internal guided bombs supersonically.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2010/100614ae_f35_stovl-supersonic.html

In otherwords, M1.6 is a practical speed, not a theoretical one. It should fly even faster once it’s burned some fuel, or if it’s carrying only an A2A payload.

When’s the last time Lockheed Martin built a fighter aircraft that could land on carriers?

The F-35C?:cool:

Su-34 flew 6,000km non-stop across Russia.

wing of latest Russian Sukhoi-34 fighter bombers has successfully accomplished a non-stop 6-thousand-kilometre test flight from the region of Lipetsk south of Moscow to the region of Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East. The Sukhoi-34’s predecessor in the niche, the Sukhoi-24, cannot fly further than 3 thousand kilometres.
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Any word on whether inflight refueling was done, or if they managed this with internal fuel/EFTs?