F-35 Multirole Joint Strike Fighter

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SABRE

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Re: F-35 Multirole Joint Fighter

Hmmm...F-16 Block 60 E/F uses APG-80 AESA & a new version is being developed for JSF namely AESA APG-81 by Northrop Grumman.

AESA APG-81 is a advanced electronically scanned array, multi-function radar. The AN/APG-81AESA will combine an integrated radio frequency subsystem with a multifunction array. The radar system will also incorporate the agile beam steering capabilities developed for the APG-77. Northrop Grumman delivered the first radar to Lockheed Martin for flight testing in March 2005.

Highsea whats the difference between APG-80 & 81...is 81 a upgrade or completely new one?
 
A

Aussie Digger

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Re: F-35 Multirole Joint Fighter

The cursory bit of searchin I have done via google, seem to indicate that the APG-80 is a development of the APG-68 radar currently fitted to less advanced F-16's. The APG-81 for JSF is a completely new radar system, based somewhat on the design aspects of the F-22 APG-77, but otherwise unrelated to any existing radar system...
 

highsea

New Member
Re: F-35 Multirole Joint Fighter

SABRE said:
...is 81 a upgrade or completely new one?
AD is right, the APG-81 is the first of the second generation AESA's. The APG-79 and APG-77(v)1 draw from the APG-81 (which drew from the APG-77). APG-80 and APG-63(v)2 both are evolutions of the previous versions with active arrays.

Edit to add: Correction on this- the APG-80 is not a derivative of the APG-68. The APG-80 uses the same elements and design as the APG-81, so it is a 2nd (or 4th, depending on how you count them) generation AESA.
Designated AN/APG-77(V)1, the radar variant will enable air-to-ground capability provided by a new software suite that is being developed under a separate modernization program. The company has captured advances made in AESA design for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the Block 60 F-16 aircraft and incorporated them back into the APG-77. In addition, the (V)1 is more affordable than the current version, in part because the production line relies on a greater degree of automation.

http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.mhtml?d=78842
And here:
Northrop Grumman Begins Flight-Testing New Radar for F/A-22 Raptor

(Source: Northrop Grumman; issued June 11, 2004)

BALTIMORE --- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has successfully conducted the first flight test of a new, fourth-generation variant of the AN/APG-77 active electronically scanned array radar for the U.S. Air Force's F/A-22 Raptor air dominance fighter aircraft.

The new design is intended to reduce the production and maintenance costs of the Raptor's third-generation radar by adapting the design that was implemented successfully in the AN/APG-81 radar for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the AN/APG-80 for the Block 60 F-16 fighter. This newest variant requires significantly fewer parts than the third-generation, and the production line relies on a greater degree of automation.

http://acig.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2309
 
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highsea

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Re: F-35 Multirole Joint Fighter

Yep.
HUG Phase 2.1 involves the installation of the advanced AN/APG-73 Fire Control Radar and 15C Operational Flight Program (OFP). The Operational Flight Program 15C will align the F/A-18 fleet with the latest available software releases from the United States Navy, keeping the Hornet competitive with other state-of-the-art aircraft.

Phase 2.1 will also improve radar reliability and performance, and enable the aircraft to be equipped with the new Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile.
http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4404/story01.htm
 

turin

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Re: F-35 Multirole Joint Fighter

Hi guys,

just came across this piece of news:

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/50483.html

Pentagon cuts pose new threat to plan for British carriers

BRITAIN'S plans to build two new aircraft-carriers could be thrown into further disarray and extra expense by a £20bn cut in US military spending.
The major casualty of the budget cuts on future projects is most likely to be the vertical-landing version of the US-designed Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) chosen by the UK to fly from the carriers.
The Royal Navy and the RAF want 150 of the aircraft, which were also to be built for the US Marine Corps, to replace their Harrier jump-jet squadrons. ...more

Opinions on this? How realistic is that scenario? I mean, this would effectively throw the Level-1-partner UK out of the JSF-program unless they are reviewing their proposals for the future carriers and it would put the Marines in quite some trouble, now wouldnt it? So I'm having my doubts about that. My money is still on a more general cut of F-35 numbers, but not the cancellation of one version, although this isnt the first time I hear rumors about the F-35B being cut.
Maybe only some playing around for an active lobby by the side of the Pentagon? As far as I can see the whole article is based only on one unofficial source...
 

SABRE

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Re: F-35 Multirole Joint Fighter

turin said:
Hi guys,

just came across this piece of news:

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/50483.html




Opinions on this? How realistic is that scenario? I mean, this would effectively throw the Level-1-partner UK out of the JSF-program unless they are reviewing their proposals for the future carriers and it would put the Marines in quite some trouble, now wouldnt it? So I'm having my doubts about that. My money is still on a more general cut of F-35 numbers, but not the cancellation of one version, although this isnt the first time I hear rumors about the F-35B being cut.
Maybe only some playing around for an active lobby by the side of the Pentagon? As far as I can see the whole article is based only on one unofficial source...
This is what Britain has been compaling for couple of years now. Britain being the main leading exporter & also a partner in JSF-35 program at some level has complained that US govt (+ Pentagon) & Lockheed-Martin are not paying much attention of JSF program & are paying more attention to F-22 project.

On the other hand US govt maintained that JSF program will continue as planed but on BBC it was reported that LH-M is not getting the satisfactory result from the vertical take off & landing version of JSF being developed for US Marines & Britain plans to buy US Marienes versions.

British defence minister few years back had already stated his concerns that Pentagon might cut back on funds on VTOL JSF-35 since the out come is not satisfactory & marines may settle for the versions being developed for US Navy.

Hence the scenerio is some what real. [Go back to early pages of this thread & you might see news reports some of the members posted regarding UK's concern over JSF program]. On the other hand I dont think UK will drop out. If Vertical TakeOff & Landing version is canceled UK would probably settle for Naval Versions but this is where this artical shows its concerns. This will force UK to redesign their new AirCraft carriers.
 

mais

New Member
Hello! I've read about new F-35 pilot-aircraft speech system. Which are the differences with the Eurofighter's Direct Voice Input - DVI?
 

Scorpion82

New Member
Hello! I've read about new F-35 pilot-aircraft speech system. Which are the differences with the Eurofighter's Direct Voice Input - DVI?
I read that too some years ago. Until now I haven't found any info on a possible DVI system for the F-35, therefore no comparison is possible.
 
A

Aussie Digger

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my friend says that they are equal. What do you think ?
Who is your friend? What especial knowledge does he have on this subject? Why are they equal? Who makes the respective systems? What is each respective system designed to achieve? How does it go about it? Is each system designed to wholly replace manual switches or touch screens or are they partial replacements? Is DVI available in both front and back cockpits in Eurofighter aircraft and if so is there any difference between the level of control over each system in both seats?

See how these discussions are MEANT to work?

Stating an anonymous person saying "their equal" is utterly meaningless and adds nothing to the discussion.
 

Scorpion82

New Member
I have no clue about the F-35's DVI so I can't comment on it. Typhoon's current DVI is a speaker dependend (passiv) system with a vocabulary of ~200 words, a recognition time of <200 ms and a recognition rate of ~95%+. The DVI is only used to replicate manual actions such as display selection, avionics related data entries, tactical display control etc. DVI controls some 26 non-safety critical functions. Work is underway for an active system with significantly greater vocabulary. It might be part of later tranche 2 examples, but that's off topic at all as this thread is about the F-35.
 

mais

New Member
Who is your friend? What especial knowledge does he have on this subject? Why are they equal? Who makes the respective systems? What is each respective system designed to achieve? How does it go about it? Is each system designed to wholly replace manual switches or touch screens or are they partial replacements? Is DVI available in both front and back cockpits in Eurofighter aircraft and if so is there any difference between the level of control over each system in both seats?

See how these discussions are MEANT to work?

Stating an anonymous person saying "their equal" is utterly meaningless and adds nothing to the discussion.
Sorry! I have mistaken the question. what is exactly F-35 pilot-aircraft speech system?
 

FutureTank

Banned Member
Researchers fine-tune F-35 pilot-aircraft speech system

Sorry! I have mistaken the question. what is exactly F-35 pilot-aircraft speech system?
Researchers fine-tune F-35 pilot-aircraft speech system

by John Schutte
Human Effectiveness Directorate

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) -- When the first F-35 Lightning II rolls out in 2008, communications between pilot and aircraft will enter a new era thanks in part to testing and analysis conducted at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Human Effectiveness Directorate.

The F-35 will be the first U.S. fighter aircraft with a speech recognition system able to "hear" a pilot's spoken commands to manage various aircraft subsystems, such as communications and navigation.

Researchers at the directorate's Warfighter Interface Division are collecting data and recommending improvements now to ensure optimal performance when the F-35's new speech recognition system undergoes future operational tests, said David Williamson, senior crew systems engineer with over 25 years experience with speech recognition technology.

Currently pilots must press buttons, flip switches or glance at instruments for status information. The new system not only simplifies a pilot's workload but increases safety and efficiency, since pilots can remain focused on flying the aircraft and scrutinizing the combat environment.

Using digital recordings from in-flight tests aboard the NF-16D Variable-stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft, or VISTA, researchers pinpoint problem phrases and recommend alternatives that are more easily recognized. They also tweak error parameters and adjust the system's sensitivity for peak speech-recognition performance with minimal errors.

To collect data, AFRL electronic engineer Rob Snyder built a custom single-board computer system that plugs into the VISTA instrument panel. Researchers transfer data from the aircraft to the lab's database using a common memory stick.

The speech recognition system is integrated with the aircraft's onboard computer to access data. Communication occurs through the pilot's oxygen mask microphone with command feedback provided on the pilot's helmet-mounted display.

SRI International developed the DynaSpeak® speech recognition software as a highly accurate system for noisy environments, specifically for embedded devices like personal digital assistants, in-car navigation systems and avionics systems, Mr. Williamson said. It is speaker-independent, meaning a pilot can use it without first "training" the system to his or her voice, which took up to an hour on previous experimental systems.

SRI International is working with integrating contractor Adacel Systems, Inc., to tailor the system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's airborne environment.

The AFRL team, including Mr. Williamson, Mr. Snyder and senior scientist Timothy Barry of General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, worked with six pilots at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, Calif., whose primary mission was flying VISTA test-bed sorties to collect speech recognition data.

During typical 90-minute VISTA flights, the system's digital recorder captured the pilot's ongoing dialog with the aircraft. Researchers then returned with the data to the lab where they studied it for troublesome phrases and the impact of environmental conditions, such as ambient cockpit noise or high acceleration forces, which can affect the quality of the acoustic characteristics.

Ambient cockpit noise degrades the quality of the spoken command entering the recognition system, which could cause the system to misinterpret or misunderstand the command. Acceleration forces, expressed in "g," had little impact up to about 6 g, Mr. Barry said.

If the system proves successful on the F-35, it could be applied to other platforms such as the F-22 Raptor, Mr. Barry said.

The system could be advanced enough in less than five years to enable a single ground-based controller to fly up to four unmanned aerial vehicles using voice commands supplemented with gestures or touch-panel commands, Mr. Williamson said.!!!

But first, the Human Effectiveness team wants the F-35 system to be the best it can be, meaning an error rate of less than 2 percent to consider the baseline system optimized.

"We're going to work with the vendor to improve the baseline system for the F-35," Mr. Williamson said. "Collaboratively, we're going to make the system much better before it even gets to the initial operational test and evaluation phase."
 

FutureTank

Banned Member
Alcoa Awarded $360 Million Contract by Lockheed Martin to Provide Aluminum

Alcoa Awarded $360 Million Contract by Lockheed Martin to Provide Aluminum Forgings on F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program


(Source: Alcoa; issued Oct. 12, 2007)



CLEVELAND --- Alcoa today announced that its Alcoa Power and Propulsion business has been awarded a 10-year $360 million contract by Lockheed Martin to supply advanced patented 7085 alloy aluminum die forgings for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.

Contract work will be performed by Alcoa Forged and Cast Products Cleveland operations and involves the design and manufacture of all the large aluminum structural die forgings for more than 1,200 aircraft. The forgings include 15 large bulkheads -- the primary structural support for the wing and engine that can weigh from 1,800 to 6,000 pounds and range from 10 to 23 feet in length -- and six wing box parts which serve as an important component of the skeletal structure to the wing.

"Our partnership with Lockheed Martin is based on the value of Alcoa's proprietary and advanced alloys, our technical and engineering expertise, and our collaborative design capabilities that support such large and complex forgings," said Raymond B. Mitchell, president, Alcoa Power and Propulsion. "These attributes are key in meeting the demanding requirements of this critical defense program."

Alcoa's partnership with Lockheed Martin began in 2004, when Lockheed Martin's need for weight reduction on the F-35 coincided with both Alcoa's new alloy technology and innovative manufacturing approach. Parts were redesigned to take advantage of the entire Alcoa offering.

"Today, we look forward to playing a vital role in making this futuristic aircraft a reality," said Joseph E. Haniford, vice president and general manager, Alcoa Forged and Cast Products. "Our engineers, operations managers, and designers have worked collaboratively to offer complex die forgings that will meet weight reduction requirements and extremely tight time frames that will allow our customer to stay on schedule."

In addition to the aluminum forgings described above, other Alcoa aerospace units will provide critical F-35 components and solutions to the program. Among those are highly-engineered joining devices from Alcoa Fastening Systems, specialty alloy plate from Alcoa North American Mill Products, and high-pressure turbine blades for F-35 JSF engines and structural aluminum castings from Alcoa Power and Propulsion.

As part of the JSF contract, Alcoa plans to invest $24 million in Cleveland Works primarily for new machinery, equipment and infrastructure improvements.

Alcoa Forged and Cast Products is being supported by the State of Ohio with a $400,000 Rapid Outreach Grant and up to $450,000 for employee training.

The F-35 Lightning II is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter designed to replace a wide range of existing aircraft, including AV-8B Harriers, A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets and United Kingdom Harrier GR.7s and Sea Harriers. It is projected that more than 4,000 Lightning IIs will be ordered by the United States and international forces.


Alcoa Forged and Cast Products is a division of Alcoa Power and Propulsion. Alcoa Power and Propulsion, a major business unit of Alcoa, is a global leader in airfoil and structural investment castings, forged structural parts, and forged aircraft wheels. With 29 production facilities, Alcoa Power and Propulsion employs more than 11,000 people worldwide.
Alcoa is the world's leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. The company has 116,000 employees in 44 countries

-ends-
 

mais

New Member
F-35 STOVL Variant Completes Successful 'Power On'

Lockheed Martin | Oct 29, 2007


FORT WORTH, Texas: Electrical power was applied to the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II for the first time Thursday night, initiating a series of ground tests that will lead to the inaugural flight of the short-takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) stealth fighter next spring.

"The successful 'power-on' demonstrates that the integration of this unique aircraft is progressing to plan. It signals that production of our first F-35B Lightning II is on track for first flight next year, a key step toward realizing the aviation future of the U.S. Marines, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy," said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 program general manager. The aircraft is scheduled to roll out of the factory in December.

The F-35 will be the most electronically advanced aircraft ever built, with capabilities unavailable in current multi-role fighters. The F-35B's power-on is an incremental process of testing the aircraft's circuits, electronic components and wiring.

"This event is one of the major milestones in the life of the STOVL aircraft and we have eagerly anticipated it for some time," said Maj. Gen. C.R. Davis, F-35 program executive officer. "The F-35 has the most complex electrical system of any fighter to date. We had great success with the first jet we flew, but that jet taught us some very important lessons about its electrical system and those lessons have been incorporated into the jet we powered up today. So congrats to the team and on to first flight."

The aircraft incorporates parts and systems from all nine F-35 participant countries (United States, United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway), including the wiring harnesses, produced by Stork Fokker-Elmo of the Netherlands. The wiring harnesses are crucial to the F-35's electrical system, routing and apportioning electrical current throughout the aircraft.

The U.S. Marine Corps and Navy together are planning to operate 680 F-35Bs and F-35Cs, and the United Kingdom plans to place 138 F-35Bs into service with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The F-35B will be the world's first stealth fighter with supersonic and STOVL capability. The first F-35B fleet will go operational in 2012 with the Marines.

The first F-35, a conventional takeoff and landing version, began its flight test program on Dec. 15, 2006.

The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter designed to replace a wide range of existing aircraft, including AV-8B Harriers, A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets, and United Kingdom Harrier GR.7s and Sea Harriers.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 Lightning II with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.
 

Ryttare

New Member
Lockheed Martin | Oct 29, 2007


We had great success with the first jet we flew, but that jet taught us some very important lessons about its electrical system and those lessons have been incorporated into the jet we powered up today.
Might this be the reason the first prototype hasn't flown since the power failure in May? If the problem was a basic flaw in the design it means the whole electrical system could have to be rebuilt before it can fly again.

Wonder what this will cost, and how long it'll take...
 

rjmaz1

New Member
Does anyone know about the A2A missile ejector system for the F-35?

Does the AMRAAM drop off the door like the F-22 or does the missile ignite while still attached to the door?

Has anyone see any plans for carrying an AMRAAM (or two) on the main weapons attachment point?

I believe we have discussed the idea of multiple AMRAAMs a couple months ago.

The F-22 provides for this with an ejection system for the missile, but the F-35 doesnt have this, and this may create problems qualifying the AIM-9X to fire from inside the bay
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/f-35-design.htm

What if a missile cant be qualified :shudder

I take it as they mention only the AIM-9X may have problems that the AMRAAM drops off the door like the F-22?
 

barra

Defense Professional
Verified Defense Pro
Does the AMRAAM drop off the door like the F-22 or does the missile ignite while still attached to the door?
Would depend on the type of launcher fitted, the AMRAAM is punched off into the airstream by small explosive charges. They don't just drop off. Aim-9 and Asraam are launched off a rail type launcher on the wingtip stations. My guess is that any missile launched from the internal bay would be punched clear before ignition of the rocket motor. The weapon of choice for the internal bay would be the AMRAAM anyway, it would be hard to cue IR guided weapons like AIM-9 or Asraam onto the target while it is in the weapons bay.
Qualification of weapons for launch from the bay could be carried out in country by ARDU if need be. The downside is that the RAAF is then forced to fund this effort. Cheaper just to buy weapons that are already qualified for use on the platform, however that would be considered during the selection process. The qualification process would cover, among other things, how the weapon reacts close to the aircraft after launch. What the object does in the airstream after launch is very important. I have seen footage of tests on an F-111 punching off external tanks. The tank got caught in the slipstream just under the aircraft and happily followed the aircraft along. I guess solutions to this scenario are a larger ejector charge or some type of maneuver when punching off tanks. Hope this helps.

Hooroo
 
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