PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
View Single Post
Old 28th Mar 2016, 15:31
  #9079 (permalink)  
ORAC
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Peripatetic
Posts: 17,445
Received 1,602 Likes on 734 Posts
IIRC in most scenarios the empty pylon has a higher signature than the pylon+weapon due to the exposed face/catches. It would seem more desirable to have one-use eject able pylons - the same way Colt had hundreds of reinforced cardboard/tinfoil tanks for the Jag - and at an even more horrendous cost to the taxpayer.

Mind you, if you hung disposable tanks on the 35B/C and jettisoned them on the edge of enemy cover, they'd might have a chance of making a target beyond the littoral before having to turn for home.

Roll on the UCAV tanker.........
ORAC is offline