Don't trust choppers either. Although at least they don't try to surprise the gods of lift to the tune of ~89 kilonewtons in a split second.

However, I won't be flying either so from that point of view I'm bloody ecstatic. As a taxpayer I'm fed up with crapping money in to the lost causes in which the tossers in mod wish to get directorships.




Oh come on, the Harrier's big-eared intakes make it look like a Norfolk farmer's daughter (or wife, as they are otherwise known).

Mind you, both are a bit like a fat bird or a moped*: wouldn't be seen riding either in public.


*did actually rent a moped in Canada a few years back. Bloody good laugh, thankfully no photographic proof. Excellent det. all round: cock all flying; many, many steaks and bottles of red. Also, during the Langley air show, managed to offload a popcorn eating freak on to the sqn boss: he took one for the team there!

Like, WW.


:ok:

F-35 Hover Mower
 

Got up close to the mock-up at the recent Singapore Air Show, and it is one ugly looking jet !!
Isn't there some rule that if it doesn't look so good, it probably won't fly so good? If there isn't, there should be with that monstrosity!
The F-4 may have been double-ugly but it looked like it was meant to do a mean job. That thing looks like a childs' toy jet - but fatter !
PS. I didn't like it.

I have had a couple of pm's asking about my 'ski jump' comments !
I only mentioned the ski jump because although ski jumping is crucial to operating from our 'F35b' carriers and as we are now some years into F35b test flying ...

AFAIK - no F35b has actually done a 'ski jump' take off yet !
The last time I saw a photo of the trials ski jump installation it was going rusty and was surrounded by weeds etc !

unless anybody knows any better ????

JumpDeSki tests due this year at NAS Patuxent River - have not heard/read more than that though. GoogieErf Image 20 Oct 2013

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l2...3.gif~original

If you think the F-35 is ugly, then be thankful Boeing didn't win the JSF competition....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...F_X32B_250.jpg

:eek:

XR219 - This may point to an important rule:

When all responses to an RFP are ugly, it's probably a requirement problem.

See...

The Fleet Shadowers
AMST (YC-14/15)
LARA (if you think the OV-10's ugly, you should see some of the losers)
US Army Request for Data R40-C (XP-54/55/56)

... and so on.

Ugly
 

No disagreement that the X-32 suffers a certain lack of attractiveness. If, however, the upper half of the plane were separated from the slab-sided canoe of the lower fuselage, its appearance would be considerably improved. I think the top half of the plane resembles another Boeing product, the Bird of Prey.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/...78c95799_c.jpgBoeing X-32B by Vzlet, on Flickr

http://www.pprune.org/<a href=&quot;<a hr...32B&quot;></a>

I may have missed your point, but the top of that does not remind me of any bird of prey I've ever seen flying and certainly not MD's aircraft named for a raptor that I flew. Unless you mean a jumping bean with two tails...

There's no ski jump left in the UK except Lusty anyway. The one at Pax will get its chance eventually! Fact: it was designed and built by a UK company (based in Stockport as I recall) so another benefit to the UK of the F-35 program! ;-)

Pax River museum has the X-32 and X-35 parked opposite each other and the X-35 definitely 'looks right' in comparison. Having literally crawled all over the X-32 several times I struggled to find any angle in which it looked good.

I also attended an RAES lecture from Paul Stone, the RN X-32 test pilot, which also gave several technical reasons why the X-32 lost the competition, along with some good dits!

Isn't that a bit like stating which was the least ugly woman you every admired after several beers?

Bird of Prey & X-32
 

These may help clarify my point:
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...ibfw1xbjpg.jpg


https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/...ae989655a2.jpg

As the F-35, by virtue (sic) of its design, carries around with it tons of ironmongery and coupling shaftery which it needs for only 2% of its flight time, will it be demonstrated at Farnborough amongst the fighters, or the freighters?

Entry requirements this year on Trade Days should be two-fold: the possession of a valid ticket, and the wearing of a Pegasus tie. :ok:

Courtney, you are not wrong but I can assure you they were all gorgeous in Centrals, every single one of them! :}

Somewhat missing my point ; )

Ski Jumping is crucial to the UK F 35b operation,they are certainly taken their time giving it a go LOL ; )

Not entirely ;-)

It got pulled from the test programme when the UK switched to the C variant and now has to get shoe-horned back in. The modelling has been done and it's been done in the Sim at Warton. The ramp is ready and waiting at Pax but with sea trials on HMS Queen Elizabeth a few years away yet there's no rush.

I'm sure it will be all over the internet when it happens!

'Shoe Horned' back in is a lovely statement WO :)
Some of what you say may be true but :)

Is it just me that fails to see any similarity at all between X-32 and Bird of Prey?

F35 to display in the UK this year.
 

LR,

What White Ovies said IS true, not 'May be true'.

F-35B has a firm requirement to be able to carry out a ski jump launch. As a result it's been designed to do that. The Pax ramp has been built and will be used to verify and establish the performance off a jump. Which will be a lot better than off a flat deck STO.

Any questions on that?

Best regards as ever to those doing the work to make things work

Engines

Sorry - bad english on my part !

There is almost always more to any story ! :)

It must be one of the most critical test points left,and it is slightly different to a Harrier ski jump in that STOVL mode is not used,after all - one wouldn't want the 'bin lid' sticking out - would one ?

rgds LR