I cannot think of anyone who has complained about the F-35 subsonic acceleration - but the transonic acceleration is a totally different matter, and one which lead lead to a key performance specification change (for the worst naturally). Since this was due to aerodynamic issues the above statement has to lead to everything else in the press release being taken with a pinch of salt.

The need to preemptively deny being a LM shill is also suspiciously defensive.

I hope you don't mind if I don't react in kind. I thought my reply was relevant, to agree and continue on from what was posted "Obviously, whoever was interviewing the pilot or editing the piece assumed correctly that said switcheroo would be trumpeted by halfwits as the final answer to the BFM story."

.............

Radix - the cockpit is so quiet and the system is so automated that a small amount of buffet is required to keep the pilot awake.

Comfy and quiet is all relative to what you have flown before and the F-16 with an American helmet is pretty noisy, at least compared to the FJ I was used to.

Then again, if you want real comfort for long sorties you really have to have it as a design goal. To my knowledge there is only one 9G capable & agile FJ out there that you can actually get up out of your seat and go and stretch your legs.

:ok:

Spot on. There is no need to be so deprecatory in a civilised discussion.

Well clearly George Osborne doesn't read PPRune...

UK to buy more F-35 jets, boost anti-terror budget - Osborne | Reuters

http://alert5.com/2015/11/23/britain-to-buy-138-f-35bs/

Let's wait and see the detail. All that says is that 617/809 should both be available for QE/PoW ops in eight years time, with a nominal 12 cabs apiece.

What is of higher importance is the ultimate planned size of the F35 force and Typhoon force combined. Extending typhoon T1 gets some way towards retaining FJ mass - it's what happens with the GR4 to F35 transition and the size of that force that matters.

Good news on MPA though!

My thoughts exactly, Mr Boffin.

Six more F-35 squadrons (beyond 809/607/OCU) plus a brace of Typhoon T1 squadrons, multi-role Aesa-equipped T2/T3s and Protectors, with the Anglo-French UCAV on the way, would be a formidable force, but I don't see it happening.

Of the final 90 F-35s, maybe some will replace the life-extended T1s in the late 2020s. But the real cash-down decision date on those is a decade away.

Not trying to be punctilious, but USAF acquired and flew USN's A-7 well after they acquired and flew the F-4.

Today's announcement on SDSR 15 is, IMHO, the UK's firmest commitment to the F-35 since it joined SDD. 24 aircraft by 2023 is at the thinner end of the UK procurement wedge for this jet. It will be interesting to see how the buy profile is managed/tweaked following today's news.

First it was the norgs on the last page singing the praise of the F-35 and now it's the dutch

Air International Vol.88 No.1 January 2015
“Being this well prepared, I experienced no surprises whatsoever during my first flight. I found it relatively easy to convert from the F-16 to the F-35. Because both are Lockheed Martin products, there are many similarities between the two types.

When comparing performance, I would say that the F-35 turns like an F-16 with pylon tanks; but it climbs, descends & accelerates like a clean F-16. The power of the aircraft is really impressive.

The Generation II helmet is also phenomenal. It is very stable when moving your head and much more comfortable than the JHMCS [Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System] helmet we use in the F-16.”

Some will say it's a :mad: consiracy

a1bill, shhh! It doesn't fit the narrative mate so don't rock the boat and derail the intent of the thread.

Thin end of the wedge, MSOCS? What's your hypothesis as to when the remaining 90 of the UK JSFs get delivered, now that there is a solid commitment to keeping Typhoon to 2040? I'm guessing here that the first 48 come in by 2025 to form two carrier squadrons and an OCU. But does the RAF get six more FJ squadrons or do the remaining 90 slip well into the 2030s?

2017 HMS QE presumably in service but only with helicopters. 2025 first F-35s on board. There are still Harriers operating in some countries - why isn't the gap filled by buying some. It would get the ship up to speed on fixed wing operations surely. One would imagine at least some Harriers might be acquired quite fast.

RoyalistFlyer,

Please let it go, we are not going to spend any money on buying Harriers. There is absolutely no interest or requirement to do so. Rotary wing flying trials on QE will take place in 2017 with fixed wing trials in 2018. The deck crews are working up on USN CVNs and LHDs today and for the last few years; the engineers are already in the US working on the F-35 (the first UK engineers to get their hands on F-35 have been in the US since 2007); RN and RAF engineers and aircrew have been intimately involved with all of the F-35 sea trials that have taken place so far (even the F-35C ones).

There is a plan, it's working well and it doesn't involve Harriers, apart from the ones at the Royal Navy School of Flight Deck Operations taxiing around.

You and your facts - stop it.

LO, who knows!

I could guess a squadron or two extra before 2030 and a few more before 2040. 138 across the life of the jet is quite a few squadrons (i.e. around 6 or 7)

It'll all come down to how the economy fairs, per usual.