Originally Posted by Engines
As I'be posted before, the original F-35C arresting gear design complied with all the standards and specifications required. The 'hook to main gear' distance was not specified.
Originally Posted by SpazSinbad
The HORNET family shape works with their geometry. The story is that someone gave someone else some dud data - misplaced decimal point wise. The text stories are out there whilst this is the word from the VADM responsible at HOOK13. Talk about FeyDecoyDunawayNavSysCom.... WOOPS - thanks 'Engines' (seems as if I was typing whilst you were posting....).
Yes - for some time now the Navy has admitted the data-set concerning wire/hook/wheel interaction that they gave both the LM F-35C team and the NG X-47B team was "faulty".
And NG has said that they had to redesign their hook as well - as they had also made the main wheels>hook distance too short, and the hook was bouncing over the wire.
http://www.pprune.org/7932438-post2990.html
The reasons they were allowed to just "get on with it" without a huge uproar in the media were:
1. Not a man-rated aircraft, therefore fewer hoops to jump through
2. Lack of an organized rabid body of frothing-at-the-mouth opponents, grabbing every hint of bad news and screaming with everything they have that "this proves the F-35 is fatally-flawed, and is nothing more than L/M's way to steal from the people". Sound familiar?