PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
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Old 12th May 2013, 21:22
  #2351 (permalink)  
Engines
 
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Courtney,

Perhaps I can help here, as I can supply some informed views.

The B-2 repair scheme LO describes is precisely what the F-35 team are moving away from. To be clear, I was never 'read' into LO while on the F-35 team, but I can confirm that the technology they are using to achieve the required level of signature while meeting the required maintenance targets is several years on from F-22 and about 20 years on from B-2, as you'd expect. I do know that they had heavy involvement from USAF, USN and USMC maintainers from the very early days of the programme on signature maintenance. That's not a guarantee that they got it all right, but they sure as hell have worked the issue. Very hard. And with money.

You are absolutely right that ABDR (as opposed to surface repairs) of an LO structure will probably present a real challenge. But, in truth, so would any 'ABDR' of a modern composite jet. In a service period of about 30 years, I saw ABDR grow massively and then fade away as the reality of trying to fix composites in the field dawned. If you have a big hole blown in an F-35, just like a Typhoon, it will be 'change the airframe part' time. If you have a small hole, my guess at the approach (and that's all it is, a guess) would be patch it, assess the signature degradation, and then allocate the aircraft to sorties that don't need the 'full monty' until you can get it back to a depot.

Courtney, you (or I) won't see any answers on details of LO signature maintenance any time soon. Sorry.

Different view of things - that shot of the F-35B slow landing looks great to me - mainly because I had the chance to work with some of the really clever Brits who have made that shot possible.

Best Regards as ever to those actually doing the work

Engines
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