Just to confirm John's point, it has been tried with a car over a ski-jump and the results are below. The car unfortunately has no propulsion after it leaves the ramp and not much in terms of aerodynamic lift. Not sure I would like to take off in a 30 ton jet without buckets of lift This is why the F35B will have to you use the lift fan for take off. The lift fan door looks awfully flimsy. I hope LM have done all the stress tests on it. I must make an impact on take off speed because the a/c is effectively trying to take off with an airbrake deployed. It just looks very odd to me.
Good to see Invincible and the Shars once again. All gone.
