Originally Posted by
sycamore
Is there any particular reason why the F35 comes to a hover at ~100 ft then lets down ...?If it`s so clever why not just drive on down to 15-20 ft..easier references,less power used.....?
As well as the aforementioned reasons, the down wash is so brutal that it needs to stay high until it’s over a suitably prepared surface. Those are expensive; you wouldn’t want to make them any bigger to allow for expansive low-speed manoeuvring at 20ft.