74 test flights doesnt seem to indicate the thing is not airworthy does it?. No fundamental engineering changes required?. Not quite the picture of doom and gloom being hinted at is it?.

It’s funny how some see a greater than 75% success rate as a negative isn’t it? Especially given how early into the flight test program F-35 still is…

F-35A’s are ahead of their current schedule, F-35B’s are hitting more than 75% of their tests and test points and the sole F-35C that has been produced so far was hitting all of it’s test points before heading back into the shop for pre-scheduled upgrades.

It’s still not good enough for some, but then nothing the F-35 ever does, will be good enough for some…

No mention about achieving this at full dry thrust, looks like the aircraft indeed won’t supercruise. 😮

No mention of a burner used either, except on the F-16 and F-16’s can indeed “supercruise” according to the European definition with a minimal drag configuration…

So Boeing proposes a plan by which, once the Indian MOD has spent $11Billion on its F/A-18E/F, India can spend another few billion to upgrade them in the future to match current capabilities of other MMRCA contendors!

I’d be very surprised if any of the contestants were NOT offering upgrade options in their packages.

Off the top of my head, Typhoon has enhanced engine options, CFT’s and other planned, but not in-service Tranche 3 options.

Rafale has enhanced engines, new and enhanced EO/IR targetting pods planned.

Gripen has expanded weapons and sensor capabilities, FOTD as an option and other “options” should a customer want it.

F-16’s have just started testing a refueling probe mounted in their CFT (CARTS) that I’m certain is not included in L-M’s proposal, but would certainly be available to a customer planning a 190x aircraft purchase…

And so on.

The International road map for the Super Hornet is no different to the Tranche 3’s and F4 standards of other contestants. Planned capabilities that will be developed if a customer can be found.

OTOH, F/A-18E/F offers capabilities that do NOT exist or do not exist in an in-service form today on the other contestants. It’s capabilites, cost and risk are known, not planned. That’s more than most contestants can state truthfully…

The graph of F-22 matches the one i saw on USAF site perfectly,
and the graph of F-35 matches it’s design goal, and what i expect.
Are you saying you expect something else ?

Can you point the way to the USAF site?

Useful find and pretty well knocks the F-35 supercruise argument on the head.

Now think of what the envelope looks like for the 3000 lb heavier B, or the 5500 lb heavier C.

Ick.

AFA created that graph themselves. They also listed F-35 as having 48,000lbs of thrust…

Hardly authorative…

Nope. Do the research.

I’ve done it. There is NO evidence other than the word of a Serbian air defence battery commander that the F-117 in question was detected, tracked, acquired and shot down by a radar guided missile system.

There is evidence of an F-117 being shot down. There is the word of a battery commander that his unit acquired, tracked and shot the “stealth” aircraft down.

It is an equally plausible proposition to claim the AAA that other Serbian air defence units were firing in that area that night, shot down the F-117. There is even evidence that the F-117 pilots reported the AAA in their area during their radio chatter.

There is also irrefutable evidence that the Serbian air defence missile battery commander was not able to replicate his alleged feat for the remainder of the conflict, even that night, despite the F-117 that did get show down, flying in a 4 ship flight with 3x other F-117’s.

Personally, there are more than a few doubts over his claims. At best, he got lucky that night and no other. At worst, he is taking credit for something he never achieved.

i was keeping it simple
they arent getting rid of the whole s-70 fleet, they are keeping some for sas last i heard about 2 yrs ago

Afraid not. The entire Blackhawk fleet operated by Army is being replaced by MRH-90.

Blackhawks flown in support of special forces units will probably retain their’s the longest, but they will be replaced by MRH-90 eventually. The Blackhawks will most likely be re-manufactured within Australia under a local workshare deal with Sikorsky and then sold overseas…

well, more than 7200kg missions for rafale is still… lets say 0,5% of the total missions flown? is it smaller?
Ok, its a flexability, but its a big big price to pay for little use.

Both fighters load about its empty weight, which to me seems very impressive. which is not the case for the F-35..

F-35A empty weight according to L-M – 29,300 lbs

F-35A maximum takeoff weight according to L-M – 70,000lbs.

What do you imagine makes up the 40,700lbs difference? It is ordnance and fuel…