PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - No cats and flaps ...... back to F35B?
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Old 16th Jun 2012, 12:02
  #1067 (permalink)  
Engines
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Guys,

And there's the nub of the issue around this thread, I think.

Quote from Glad: Quite a lot of metal to drag around the sky?

Glad, you don't quite get it. If you want an aircraft to do a STOVL job, you need a STOVL aircraft, with STOVL gear. That's not 'metal', it's essential equipment so that the aircraft performs it's designed function. People don't go on about the 'extra engine Typhoon drags around the sky' so that it has the exceptionally high SEP it needs so that it can do high altitude high G air to air combat. Nor should they. It's what you need to do the job. The requirement drives the solution.

And as for when you might use that 'metal' you are 'dragging around', one might add 'using short runways in expeditionary situations so that you don't need to extend them', or 'operating from other ship decks to support coalition expeditionary operations'. Having spoken just yesterday to a great pilot who sat down with the USMC many years ago and drafted out the original Naval Staff target for the Sea Harrier replacement, and has flown Phantoms, F-14s, Harriers, Sea Harriers and a few more, you could also add 'operating from an aircraft carrier when it's too rough for cat and trap'.

At the end of the day, you either accept that STOVL aircraft might have a use (and around 30 years ago we found out just how useful they could be) or you don't. It's a free forum, and all the better for it.

Best Regards as ever,

Engines
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