F-35 Royal Air Force Marham

[cyclic35]

More recent Intel.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/f-35-lightning-fighter-aircraft-one-step-closer-as-raf-marham-runway-intersection-resurfacing-completed

[jolihokistix]

Interesting, despite the sometimes questionable English. Hope they used the extra day to sweep up every last bit of asphalty gravel.

[SpazSinbad]

'questionable English'? They are taking the piss "an air crew feeding facility" Oink Oink :}

[jolihokistix]

'taught' vs 'taut' for example.

[brakedwell]

I assume the Aircrew Feeding Facility is a trough, or should it be Troff :E

[sandiego89]

From the article "To resurface the runway, more than 18,000 tonnes of asphalt were laid over an area of nearly 38,000 square metres, equivalent to more than 5 rugby pitches..."


Do RAF/UK airfields mostly use asphalt? I would have thought concrete. That seems to be the choice in the US for primary runway surfaces, and might be a better choice for the F-35B with the runway spalling concerns....

[KelvinD]

Asphalt? That could be a bad move. I remember at Fairford 2016, they had to lay a temporary steel mesh strip to allow the F-35 to manage a vertical landing. The explanation given was that the asphalt would melt!

[brakedwell]

Asphalt? That could be a bad move. I remember at Fairford 2016, they had to lay a temporary steel mesh strip to allow the F-35 to manage a vertical landing. The explanation given was that the asphalt would melt!

Deja vu
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gX3_mQZ4gY8

[sycamore]

They got a cheap deal from a bunch of pikeys in Kings Lynn..

[MPN11]

Mexe-Pads in the remote corners of the airfield are in the 2023 LTC.

Meanwhile ... Gosh! "Group Captain Ann Gibson, Lightning Basing Team Leader, RAF Marham said... " Eng?

[glad rag]

At this rate there will be more Group Captains and above than RAF F35[b] Lightning 2 aircraft.....

[SpazSinbad]

MOREham ReDevelopment Map - note VL Practice Pads & STOVL runaways etc. Where's de TROFFs? :}


https://3.bp.********.com/-Y15hcv20DY8/WZ_rtWm2PZI/AAAAAAAAE20/hYAEUOKL7QcYYzuQHbBY9Bd9RSkDTNy_ACLcBGAs/s1600/untitled.JPG

[Compass Call]

Since RAF Marham has had it's runways repaired, does this indicate an impending closure of the station in the near future?:E
Surely station closures normally follow after major repairs.:uhoh:

[brakedwell]

It is now a strong and stable runway, it cannot be closed :8

[Tankertrashnav]

Since RAF Marham has had it's runways repaired, does this indicate an impending closure of the station in the near future?
Surely station closures normally follow after major repairs.


Well it's had a swimming pool since the 60s and its survived so far!

[jolihokistix]

"Resurfacing the intersection of the two runways". So, would that be where we enter the box at the start of high-speed runs on club trackdays?

[frodo_monkey]

Well it's had a swimming pool since the 60s and its survived so far!

?? No swimming pool at Marham...

[chevvron]

Why go to the expense of re-developing Marham when Wittering already has the facilities for STOVL/VTOL Ops?

[Tankertrashnav]

?? No swimming pool at Marham...

Have they filled it in? Was still there in 77 when I left. Near the main gate by the NAAFI shop as it then was.

[Tashengurt]

"It was there in '77!"
Made me laugh. PPrune in one sentence.

[frodo_monkey]

Exactly - what could have changed in the intervening 40 years?! Definitely no pool here, as otherwise we wouldn’t do pool drills in King’s Lynn...

[George K Lee]

Definitions, folks...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt_concrete

Decent runway concrete ought to withstand a short landing. The exhaust impinges at an oblique angle and the peak impact point is moving at whatever the landing speed is. RVLs will be tougher - maybe on good concrete but fuggetaboutit on your typical 3000 foot strip or road in Filthistan. VLs? AM-2 and lots of it, or pizza-oven concrete.

[SpazSinbad]

:} Search for posts with Asphalt concrete or even pizza-oven but why?

[chevvron]

Asphalt? That could be a bad move. I remember at Fairford 2016, they had to lay a temporary steel mesh strip to allow the F-35 to manage a vertical landing. The explanation given was that the asphalt would melt!

We had to patch a few bits of runway due to the efforts of the Yak 141 a Farnborough in '92 during practice/validations; this was after he had specifically been asked NOT to use the ashpalt but operate from the concrete at the end.
A few years earlier, even a Mig 29 had melted a patch of taxiway surface after it was held there due to its efflux pointing slightly downwards.

[roving]

Exactly - what could have changed in the intervening 40 years?! Definitely no pool here, as otherwise we wouldn’t do pool drills in King’s Lynn...

Indeed this from the Station newsletter ...


Overall an amazing achievement for a base without its own swimming pool and very limited access to swimming facilities in the local area. RAF Marham has never finished so high, with the Ladies retaining the swimming trophy yet again. The standard of competition across all three disciplines was extremely high from all stations (most with RAF Swimmers), and it is a true testament to everyone’s hard work over the last few months, determination to succeed, and willingness to drive a 40 minute return journey to train throughout the week.

---

Even my kids school had a decent swimming pool. I do not know what the Royal Air Force has come to if it can no longer provide such basic recreational facilities.

[Tankertrashnav]

"It was there in '77!"
Made me laugh. PPRuNe in one sentence

Well always happy to give you a laugh :)

But there is a more serious point. Building and housing a swimming pool is an expensive undertaking, so the shortsighted decision to close and demolish it (whenever that happened in the intervening years) is sad and disappointing, particularly when you read that item from the newsletter quoted by roving.

I'm glad my service coincided with a time when the RAF wasn't on the bones of its arse, and when personnel and their families from a major operational station didn't have to travel 15 miles to do liferaft drills, or just have a swim. Pathetic!

[PapaDolmio]

Given the fact that the F35 Sqns will spend a lot/ some time afloat, and the alleged inability of the rest of the RN to be able to properly protect the QE, not to mention torpedoing Devonport Dockyard and hitting large underwater landmasses ,learning to swim or keeping in practice may be a good idea. 😀