Curtains for the F35B
Quite agree with the doom-mongers about the F35B.
It must rank as one of the most over-hyped and unrealistic aircraft in military aviation history - a sort of a 'Aircraft design Masters programme group design project', that somehow made the leap into full-scale reality.
The spin from about 10years ago was almost that the STOVL kit was a module that was one of few deviations form the 'common' JSF layout, and the rest would be straightforward. Now we know different. The development program is late, and getting later. Time is money, and of course it is way over-budget. Money is flowing as though the recession wasn't happening.
It is also true that the technical aspects, whilst almost 'engineers-pants-wetting' exciting, they are just about on the boundary (and perhaps beyond) what we understand about the engineering of hot & cold air flows, jets & turbomachinery etc etc. It will be a miracle if one isn't lost in development given the amount of flying, and once budgetary pressures start to bite. However, the idea that this will be the staple of UK expeditionary aviation is incredible - anyone for a VL with a plane that has had several hundred hours of sand through the various blades and holes of its Lift system (not to mention salt water)?
That's before we've even looked at cost; if the MOD is fretting today about £85k/hour for Typhoon ops, what will the UK's F35B's cost? My guess is that they'll hardly ever leave Blighty - they'll spend a lot of time being maintained, and as recruiting tools at airshows, after the pilots have perfected the Harrier's airshow 'nod'!
cheers!