ELP, I’m not sure your chart is very relevant for most of the F-35’s attack profiles anyway. why would the F-35 be doing Mach 0.8 while cruising to the target, if it could be crusing at mach 1.2 instead? How long would it take a MiG-29 or J-10 to catch up on a F-35 flying at M1.2 and 40,000 ft+ in a tail chase anyway?

Aerodynamically:
Sustained turn rate is shocking (was an early snapshot not quoted as inferior to that great dogfighter… the F-4).
High speed drag is also poor; not a complete killer, but not good if, like Japan (or Canada), you will want to use the thing as an interceptor to stop inbounds from attacking your shipping/infrastructure.

To be honest I don’t keep up with the very latest on the F-35.

But who knows all this information for a fact? Who has determined the F-35’s ‘sustained turn rate’, and how – by watching youtube videos? Has Lockheed or the US DoD made any statements on it yet?

A lot of the criticism of the F-35 seems to me like a lot of speculation and conjecture – but maybe there are wiser people on the Key forums?:confused:

JSF has fundamental problems with the airframe (and indeed the aerodynamic platform); these are serious issues that none of the Gripen/Eurofighter and Rafale have.

What are the fundamental problems with the airframe of the F-35 – she looks like a nimble little ****** to me…

So I reccon that thing is probbably even more powerful than the famed chain-gun of the Appaches?

It is a more powerful round than that fired from the Apache’s M230. Here’s a photo for comparison (2A42 round on far left, of course):

Mi-24Ps twin 30mm puts them both to shame.

But that was a fixed forward-firing mounting, a temporary measure.

Sens. Did you not once say that the F-5 (forget which variant) actually had a faster climb rate to 30,000 feet than the MiG-21?

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-photos-multimedia/133291-algerian-airforce-pics.html

Dohhh…:o:o (Soviet/Russian aircraft designation “soup” again).

So if the Boeing deal goes through, the F-15 will have been in production for up to 40 years – has there been any other combat aircraft that has been produced for so long? Maybe MiG-21/J-7?