Greetings everybody,

I've yet to write an article on our site but I figured now is a good as time as any. Recently there was a news blurb talking about the F-35 and how the navy just received its first delivery of the F-35C, also known as the carrier variant.

A lot of people ask what the difference is between the f-35's that the different branches operate, so I wanted to make an article post discussing these differences, how it compares to the f-22, and my personal opinion about where we will be with aircraft in the future.



The F-35 is the result of a military program called the JSF or Joint-Strike-Fighter program. This is a multi-national program being funded mostly by the United States, the remainder of cost being covered by trusted NATO members or close U.S. Allies. (These countries will be able to buy F-35s)
When the general public or politicians look at new generation fighters, they look at one thing, and one thing only. Cost. Lockheed Martin has made it very easy for the public to despise the next gen fighter programs simply because they can't hold to final cost estimates, and the F-35 is no exception to this circumstance. It wasn't too long ago when the news was covering the f35 program and the costs spiraling out of control.



Albeit the number of aircraft that the countries can afford has gone down, every country involved in the program realizes how important these aircraft and their battlefield weapons system will be in future conflicts. The public doesn't know a lot about the avionics because they're extremely classified, but the F-22 and F-35 are rumored to have a battlefield monitoring system that let's the pilot literally see what's unfolding in the battlefield in different sectors, and communicate directly with commanders and more on the battlefield in real time.

Originally the JSF program was set to replace the F-16, F-18 (not E/F), A-10, and AV-8B Harriers; These older gen aircraft will still be in service until the F-35 has over 1,500 units in the US Military. The US alone plans to purchase around 2,500 F35's.

There are three variants of the F-35. They share at least 80% of the same parts in order to keep manufacturing costs down. They are the following:
F-35A, conventional take off and landing (CTOL) variant. [US Air Force]
F-35B, short-take off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant. [Marines]
F-35C, carrier-based CATOBAR (CV) variant. [Navy]


To me, the F35 is a smaller, more versatile F22. The F22 is an air superiority fighter. I think that the fact that the United States test flew the YF-22 in 1990, and now only in the last 3 years has there been any indication that other countries are now starting to test fly their own versions of the aircraft. I've seen the F-22 Raptor perform in person several times.

The first time they were at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin was in 2007. This was before the US Air force enacted restrictions on what the pilots could, and couldn't do in public. I've seen eurofighter performances, I've seen Russian planes with thrust vectoring, but nothing prepared me or my brother in law with what we saw an F-22 doing on that hot & sunny day in Wisconsin in 2007.
My brother in law Kevin and I were sitting at the camper, listening to the ICOM radio for any interesting arrivals. Right before noon, we heard something that made us both look up at each other. "F22's inbound, expected overhead at one five." The tower ended up giving them the airspace for around 10 minutes. Kevin and I quickly got up and jumped on the bicycles and rushed out to the fence near the Vintage parking area. Just in the nick of time, because they began their low fly-by's as soon as we arrived. What we saw next, we still talk about to this day. One F-22 was doing fly-bys over the runway, and the other F-22 was doing something that I haven't been able to find any recorded video, or account of. The second F-22 was doing a mix of hovering, flipping, and inverted maneuvers all within a space of about 100-200 feet, around 3000ft altitude. It was able to fly like a harrier, flip on a time, and do things that I can't fully describe. It was a combination of thrust vectoring, aerodynamic design, and pure thrust power & control. I have never seen them do this again in public, and there was 1 video on YouTube that was published in September 2007 which was taken down.

I was skeptical of the stealth program, the costs of the F22, and the need for it, until that day in 2007. No matter what people say, no matter the cost, and no matter the public perception, I will always have that feeling of awe for these aircraft, and I'm excited for what the future holds for air superiority fighters. The United States is lucky to possess an aircraft that the rest of the competing world is trying to copy and produce a version of their own. (T50, J-20). I feel like this is the last golden age of military aviation before the majority of aircraft become unmanned and automatic in the next 20-30 years.

Well I hope that this wasn't too boring or rhetorical for most of you, and I look forward to writing another one about some childhood memories of growing up with a family airplane.
I will probably publish something per month.

Thanks,


Jake / WarHawK