They said the F-35C couldnt do it

[+MigBuster]

 

 

Edited November 4, 2014 by MigBuster

[Nesher]

seems a bit odd that is just made the first carrier landing so far.. but what a landing! :)

[Milktrout]

Pretty incredibly poor showing to have spent this much money and time to finally get it to meet one of its original design goals. 

[+FastCargo]

CAD/CAM really does only take you so far.  Sometimes, it takes the real world to bring out real world issues that then can be addressed and solved.

 

FC

[+MigBuster]

And there's more

 

[ironroad]

I wonder which squadron will be the first to get them operationally, although probably by then the Enterprise will be up and running through the Gamma Quadrant.

 

Oh well they are just tax dollars, I'm sure more money can just be printed off...

Edited November 5, 2014 by ironroad

[BlueCaneCorso]

A decent series of photos from the trials:

 

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/week-one-of-the-f-35cs-initial-ship-trials-in-stunning-1654529635

[+JediMaster]

The USN version is the one on the "slow track." The USMC need the B model badly, the USAF is eager to get their A, but the USN has been rather blase' about the program with a "we get it when we get it" attitude.

[+MigBuster]

Could it be anything to do with the USN flying a lot of newer airframes (SH) compared to the other services?

[+JediMaster]

Most certainly. They're still buying them while the USMC hasn't had a new airframe in forever and the USAF stopped buying 15s and 16s long ago (although it got its under-200 F-22 buy).

The USMC's AV-8s are falling apart. Their Hornets can soldier on for awhile still, but they'll need to go as well since they're just as old as the planes the USN will replace with F-35s...the legacy Hornets. Not sure about the D models, though, since they use that back seater extensively.

The USAF's F-16s are getting to the point where they're going to need life extensions, and they prefer to do that only for the newest ones and the smallest number they can manage. As for the A-10, who knows? Personally I think some of the F-16s need replacing a LOT more than the A-10s ever will.

The USN supposedly will replace its oldest Super Hornets (likely the old E models without AESA) with the F-35C at the end of their buy, but they could just as easily wait for the UCAS program to mature and buy those instead. I don't see the F ever being replaced by 35s since there aren't any 2-seaters (and never will be).

[+MigBuster]

An F-16 SLEP for 12,000 hours has been touted - bit desperate - just add another few thousand pounds of weight 

 

The A-10Cs are supposed to have had new wings for one so you could be right on comparative state - however there hanging around hinges on other reasons.

 

Wont they just dump 2 seaters in the end - unmanned and single seat is all I can see.

 

Dont know about the Ds - USN could transfer some FA-18Fs over I suppose.