F-35 coming to RIAT / Farnborough

[thommg]

Oh well - Reuters are running this story now:

Pentagon says F-35 fighter jets not going to UK air show
WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Tuesday
it had decided not to send Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter
jets to a UK air show amid mechanical problems with the world's
most expensive weapons project.
Rear Admiral John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told
reporters the Pentagon had made the decision, which means the
jet will not debut before potential buyers at the Farnborough
air show this week, despite an announcement earlier in the day
that limited flights had been approved for the fighter jet.
The F-35 was grounded after the massive failure of the Pratt
& Whitney engine on a U.S. Air Force F-35 plane at a
Florida air base on June 23.

(Reporting by Missy Ryan; Editing by Eric Beech)
REUTERS

[GVLCN]

Any truth in this above report? So many stories flying about.

[POL]

It was said by a Pentagon spokesman at a Pentagon press conference. Up to you if you deem that a credible source or not.

[benben]

The F35's are officially not coming.

We are very disappointed with the news that the F-35 will not be joining us at the weekend.
@PentagonPresSec on F-35 - the F-35 will NOT participate in @FIAFarnborough International Air Show.

https://www.facebook.com/FarnboroughAir ... 84?fref=nf

[KINROTATE]

Awesome!

[Unknown74]

Can't say I'm surprised at this news. When they started going over and over about it being involved in the Carrier Flypast or the top bill at Fairford and Farnborough you could guess it might not be coming.

[TankBuster]

Oh well, Farnborough will have to fill the F-35 display slot with Boeings F-18 demonstration .

TankBuster

[looknlisten]

Jeez...now I can get some sleep!

[the concerned]

Oh well roll on 2016 hopefully then it will be a 617sgdn painted jsf

[Supra]

There have been many more rumours flying about than F-35's! Now we have confirmation that despite the outgoing Secretary of Defence' optimism, nay... commitment to having the F-35 aircraft here in the UK for 2018 operations off HMS Queen Elizabeth ( aka HMS Waster) the overpriced, overly complex, not over here F-35 couldn't even make its UK debut! Should've fitted Rolls Royce power-plants, not those Pratt & Pratt & Winker mower engines.

[Andyph]

There have been many more rumours flying about than F-35's! Now we have confirmation that despite the outgoing Secretary of Defence' optimism, nay... commitment to having the F-35 aircraft here in the UK for 2018 operations off HMS Queen Elizabeth ( aka HMS Waster) the overpriced, overly complex, not over here F-35 couldn't even make its UK debut! Should've fitted Rolls Royce power-plants, not those Pratt & Pratt & Winker mower engines.

And you could design better? I am not a fan of the F-35 concept but as an engineer I find people it amusing how people trash the most complex inventions without any knowledge.
I am surprised there are not far more problems with the engines considering the advances in materials science that have been incorporated.
I'd say in many respects this engine is pushing the boundaries much more than the airframe and probably than the systems on the F-35. It is based on the F119 (F-22) engine but more thrust.
In any case it usually takes longer to develop an engine than an airframe. I suspect it is just not mature enough yet to justify production - P&W are having some quality issues too.

I know politics is always a factor but I understand there are solid engineering reasons why P&W was chosen not GE+RR

I remember well when the EJ200 (before it went into a jet) was having dramas and making big bangs and spewing bits on the jig.

[KINROTATE]

I thought that these are production jets that are being produced now? How long since the first one flew again?

[rva65]

They should be production jets considering there is 100 operating now, how many prototype/development examples does one need?

[Malcolm]

https://www.f35.com/assets/uploads/down ... y_2014.pdf

All current jets are either prototypes (20 aircraft) or Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP = 81 aircraft).

They're basically building (10-15) pre-production aircraft per year and hoping that these can be upgraded to full production status once all the development is finished. A bit like Tornado F2, or Typhoon F2

[Flyingmonster]

Lockheed disappointed in F-35 setback, remains optimistic

Lockheed Martin has expressed disappointment that its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will not fly at this year's Farnborough air show, but has downplayed the impact of the decision on the international perception of the programme.

“We are disappointed that we are not going to be here,” Lockheed spokesperson Mike Rein says. “But we agree with the ultimate decision.”

“It would be better to get the airplane back to full flight before making a Farnborough appearance,” he says.

US Marine Corps officials and members of Lockheed’s Fort Worth, Texas-based F-35 team have been in the UK for weeks preparing for the F-35B to make its international debut at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) followed by Farnborough. Two US aircraft and one UK aircraft were to make an appearance.

The company spent months preparing for the shows, which would have given foreign partners the opportunity to see the aircraft flying outside the USA.

Rein concedes there “is always the possibility” that the aircraft’s failure to attend could impact the fighter’s reputation, but adds that customers understand that the F-35, once operational, will have unmatched capabilities. “They get it,” he says.

As for the general public, Rein says, “We hope they understand that this is a development programme. Have no doubt, the F-35 will fly in the UK one day,” Rein adds.

The F-35 fleet had been grounded since late June when a fire erupted on an A-variant at Eglin AFB in Florida. The US Department of Defense only lifted the order on 15 July, but with a number of flight restrictions still in place. These include a requirement that the front fans of the Pratt & Whitney F135 engines be inspected after every three flight hours.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ns-401645/

[Andy_99]

As for the general public, Rein says, “We hope they understand that this is a development programme. Have no doubt, the F-35 will fly in the UK one day,” Rein adds.

Quality statement

[TankBuster]

I've just realised what the F-35B's wheelie bin lid is for... They open it up & throw more money into the fire!


TankBuster