Biden just announced an additional 2 squadrons going into Lakenheath. Sounds permanent, but unclear.

Should be cozy with another 2 sqdns.......

I bet they are wishing they hadn't dug up the runway at Alconbury now......

Hopefully sleepy joe isnt confusing them with the two existing squadrons been built up to strength.

Almost certainly it is just spin from Biden's puppet masters.

Already planned 495th FS & 493rd FS. There aren't the facilities at RAF Lakenheath for 6 x sqns & I don't see the F-15E being withdrawn from 492nd FS & 494th FS until the F-35A can carry the full range of weapons.

This from US SecDef appears to clarify 2 x F-35A sqns total forward in Europe.

DoD press release appears to say two additional squadrons (increasing 5th gen presence) but it isn't clear as strictly the working up 495th and future 493rd squadrons are/will be forward based; I wonder if it is significant that the newly arrived Liberty Wing commander is a 1* replacing the usual Bird Colonel. Brig Gen Joseph L Campo took over from Col Jason Cameletti on 29 June.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Release...ons-to-europe/

Maj Gen Derek France (Commander 3rd Air Force) at the hand over ceremony: 'Change is a a fact of life and transitions are hard. I get it's hard to bring on new leadership but our Air Force is better for it. The wing is now commanded by a Brigadier General and in my mind that means that it's indicative of the strategic nature of this Wing, the increased scope of the mission here'

It's years since I was inside the wire (back in 4 x F-111 sqn times) but there were works completed in 2020 to allow the 492nd and 494th to consolidate F-15E operations on one ramp before the F-35s arrived and shelters for 42 F-35s on the other expanded ramp. The 495th is due to have 24 aircraft - go figure.

French corruption at its best. 50% bribe of 3.5 billion and EU manipulation. The Swiss still didn't want the Rafale.
The French had a dummy spit and showed again, that they don't play well with others " Paris reacted abruptly, severing all high-level diplomatic relations with Switzerland"

https://www.blick.ch/fr/news/suisse/un-document-souleve-des-questions-viola-amherd-a-t-elle-menti-sur-les-avions-de-combat-f-35-id17645311.html

Paris angry, the DDPS is silent

France would have provided this confirmation, with two promises: on the one hand, Paris has shown itself ready to pay eight Swiss cantons a larger share of tax revenue from the salaries of cross-border workers. According to estimates, this would have brought in 3.5 billion francs over ten years. Secondly, Bruno Le Maire would have assured that France would support Switzerland in the future in all matters of European policy. The SRF, disclosing this, refers to four independent sources.

Once the pot of roses was discovered, Paris reacted abruptly, severing all high-level diplomatic relations with Switzerland. The disagreement between Bern and Paris still persists today. This is also linked to later statements by the DDPS of Viola Amherd, reports SRF.

Well, the story says that Paris was peeved because the Swiss asked for confirmation of the various proposed tax and policy considerations even after they had already selected the F-35.
So Paris feels baited and switched. Perhaps of course the Swiss just did not believe that Macron would deliver.

What I read is about french public money proposed to swiss public administrations (cantons), no private pockets involved. "French corruption at its best" sounds complimentary now.

Cost Reductions Make F-35 a Winner in Europe 18 Jul 2022 Chris Pocock "The F-35 “is a European airplane,” according to J.R. McDonald, Lockheed Martin v-p for F-35 strategy and business development.... The UK recently committed to a further 26, making a total of 74.... ...McDonald noted that Finland and Switzerland “had been very transparent” by publishing their evaluation data...." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-n...-winner-europe

https://www.defensenews.com/global/e...t-fighter-jet/

Czech Republic selects F-35 as next fighter jet

WARSAW, Poland — The Czech government has decided to launch negotiations with the United States to buy 24 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets for the country’s Air Force.

The aircraft are to replace the 14 Saab JAS 39 Gripens currently operated by the Czech military, making the country the second Eastern European ally after Poland to order Lockheed Martin’s fighters.

“I was authorised to form an inter-ministerial negotiating team and commence negotiations with the United States government to procure 24 units of the F-35 Lightning II multirole fighters to equip two squadrons,” Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová said in a statement.

Prague will continue to lease the Gripen C/D jets until the end of 2027 when the contract expires.

“Our decision to select this option is based on the analysis by the Czech Armed Forces, which clearly articulates that only the most advanced 5th-generation fighters will be able to meet mission requirements in future battlefields,” Černochová said.

The value of the potential deal was not disclosed by the Czech ministry.…..

Was watching video of the B-Model hovering at Farnborough.
When it translates to forward flight it seems to keep the front fan door open for a long time.
That must create huge drag - does anyone know what speed it closes at - is it computer controlled or commanded by the pilot? (I suspect the later rather than the former).
The screwjacks or struts that it uses must be incredibly strong given the airload...

F-35 Begins Year With Test Objectives Unmet 04 Jan 2011 Graham Warwick
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...p22-279507.xml
"...upper lift-fan door actuator redesigned, and no problems were experienced in the last quarter, he says. ...McFarlan says some hinge components have been redesigned & operation of the lift-fan door rescheduled to reduce airloads on the auxiliary doors during semi-jet-borne flight. The lift-fan door was programmed to open to 65 deg. below 120 kt., and to 35 deg. above that airspeed. But with the large door fully open, loads on the auxiliary-inlet doors behind it are reduced, so the schedule has been changed to keep the lift-fan door open 65 deg. up to 165 kt. during a short takeoff, he says...."

Impressive - thanks Spaz.

Its a lot more complex than just a fan door - and all computer controlled and sequenced to ease pilot workload in comparison to the Harrier.

If you check the history of the development programme the door and mechanism is an area which was substantially redesigned and strengthened, first changing from side opening bi-fold doors to the single rear-hinged flap, then strengthening the bulkhead =, hinges and flap as well.

https://aviation.stackexchange.com/q...ing-transition

Yes everything about the F-35B in STOVL Mode 4 is complicated but eased by the CLAW. Yes the doors were redesigned as mentioned here for example: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-s...pilot-7943229/ There are other references but we could go on and on because YES the F-35B is more complicated than anything else probably but so much easier for the pilot to fly because CLAWs do the work.

Possibly of interest is this PDF from 2020: https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/fi...ht_Profile.pdf (0.4Mb) F-35B LEVEL I, II, III, AND NIGHT AIRSHOW DEMONSTRATION PROFILES USMC F-35B Model Manager 7 April 2020

Sadly a 'Part II' of this excellent CLAW article from a test pilot has not been published: Semper Lightning: F-35 Flight Control System | Code One Magazine The old F-35 thread (part 1) had a lot about the Unified Control LAWS in the F-35 particularly the F-35B - I'll stop & continue....

From the F-35B airshow details above: page 4: "...TSTO: Aircraft lines up 2000 feet prior to show center on the runway and conducts a TSTO. Once airborne, retract the gear and accelerate with a positive rate of climb until passing show center. Execute a climbing turn to 500'AGL away from show center targeting 200-240KCAS while converting out of STOVL. Once in CTOL, continue turn in the same direction and accelerate to target 500' AGL, 500' show line, and 380KCAS...." https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/fi...ht_Profile.pdf

From memory it's about 160kts and it's automated

Is it not the case that since most of the air mass in that area is drawn down into the lift fan, it never hits the door so cannot cause drag.

I'd realy like to know how you can hack a magnet :confused:

Nobody is suggesting you can. The US does not want to rely on a "potential adversary" to supply parts for its fighters.

"...“The magnet has no visibility or access to any sensitive program information.”..."[Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Laura Siebert] https://breakingdefense.com/2022/09/...ys-in-magnets/ [sentient mag nets?]

Just bureaucratic regulations. Just have to wait to see if using the alloy breaks the rules and, if it does, wait even more months to get the right red stamp on a waiver to use the stocks they’ve already got and the ones already installed in jets due for delivery.

”The Pentagon has temporarily stopped accepting deliveries of the Lockheed Martin-made F-35 after it found that an alloy used in magnets on the jet’s turbomachine pumps was produced in China.

The F-35 program office has assessed that the Chinese alloy does not present a safety or security risk that could expose the stealth jet to cyber attacks or other malfeasance, and an alternative source for the alloy has already been identified, F-35 JPO spokesman Russell Goemaere said in a statement. As a result, there are no plans to ground the F-35 fleet or return jets already accepted to Lockheed.

However, it is unclear when F-35s with magnets made from the new alloy will begin rolling off the production line, and if the Chinese alloy is found to violate defense acquisition regulations, it would take a national defense waiver for deliveries to resume.”…..

https://assets.publishing.service.go...rim_Report.pdf

Interim report into Med Crash (17 Nov 2021)

F-35B ZM152 Accident
 

"During their individual tasks, the engineers removed some elements of the Red Gear, but no entry was required in the aircraft technical log upon fitment or removal. A local accounting procedure was in place, but this was not used for the mass fitting and removal of Red Gear during the Suez transit. No muster was conducted prior to flying to ensure all the Red Gear had been removed."

"Prior to sinking, the left-hand intake blank was observed to float clear of ZM152's wreckage and was subsequently impounded."

https://assets.publishing.service.go...rim_Report.pdf

Imagine there were knots in a few stomachs when they saw that bobbing around on the surface.

As an ignorant civvy tax-payer, I ask how come the pre-flight walk-around by the pilot failed to spot the blank ......... is it so deep inside as to be invisible.?

Telegraph reporting that the pilot noticed that the left-hand engine wasn't responding. :ugh:

No wonder we need RAF Luton for some reliable reporting.

It was a stealth cover, after all!

F35 thread Mk 2
 

A £10 lanyard attached to the blank with a 'pip pin' at the other would enable attachment to the aircraft structure - quick removal and security


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....8af59e3ba.jpeg

This isn't 1980, the aircraft skin doesn't have such fittings, nor should it.

How about putting a huge lead weight on it? - or just tying it to the deck?

Asking simply because I don’t know.
Isn’t the pilot accountable , for missing this during the walk round?
Does anyone know what happened to the pilot?
Dismissed / off flying / slap on wrist ?
That’s an expensive piece of kit to throw away with an avoidable mistake & most people would have been ‘canned.
Can anyone tell me the outcome for the pilot?

See my 545 above, not that it answers good questions.

I saw that & the lack of responses so far thanks Langley’.
A civvie’d be collecting their P45 rather rapidly but I don’t know how things work in our armed services.
It costs ‘a few quid’ to train military pilots & there can’t be that many on the f35 , would that too have a bearing on disciplinary action?
Or will some blame unfairly fall on a junior & non commissioned member of the deck crew?
Not asking out of devilment , only curiosity.

It doesn't state in the summary why the intake blank was actually misplaced inside. I can hazard a guess, and then the maintainer in question simply forgot about it. Don't know the intake profile so I won't speculate on pilot/see-off crew complicity during the walkround.

If the two covers were connected by cord under the belly with warning flags, the accident probably wouldn't have happened and the increased FOD risk from the attaching parts would've been worth it.

Just an old maintainer's opinion....

Yes, seems very sensible. What baffles me is that it seems so different from the RAF procedures and checks that I saw on a day to day basis on stations, in hangars, every tool accounted for, toot the horn entering a hangar, escorts when driving round the peri track, FOD awareness, check check check.

The accident is almost unbelievable, in that "someone" should have designed it out.

It was Barnes Wallis who said "It's almost impossible to make anything fool proof as the fools are so damn clever"

And as to "soldier-proof" or "ruggedized" ..........!

These are decrepit UK F-35B engine inlet covers: https://theaviationist.com/wp-conten...Westlant_1.jpg
FROM: https://theaviationist.com/2019/10/2...craft-carrier/
Furstly but not leastly a slightly side on view of an USMC F-35B engyn inlet coverup aboard USS Wasp wayback.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....96f42007fc.jpg


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....74ae8caa90.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....d2eaeefc6c.jpg

F35 thread Mk 2
 

Going..... Going...Gon.....