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Newbie Joined: Jun 13, 2008 Posts: 17 Status: Offline

Hi everybody, I'm part of a team of folks who are working on adding the F-35 to Thirdwire's Strike Fighters Series of Combat Flight Simulations
(Wings over Europe, Vietnam, ect...)

http://www.thirdwire.com/

I've been lurking around here for a long time, and I've come to appreciate the talented and helpful posts and commentary, and thought I'd contribute a little before asking for help.

The F-35A shape modeling is nearly complete, but I thought I'd post some pics to go along with my questions, and I'll just continue to use this thread as a way to try and find answers as the development of the addon goes on (and on and on!)

We're shooting for the initial release to be indicative of a production model F-35A, then moving onward to the C and B. The release will be free, free FREE!

My other art can be found at www.adamburch.carbonmade.com so you guys can see the kind of quality I'm trying to shoot for here.

Obviously, I am not going to try and get anyone to violate OPSEC with my questions, Thirdwire Sims are a "light sims" so you don't necessarily have to know the engine startup procedures to be able to get up and fly! But there IS enough meat in the engine to provide some really nice flying and combat.

So, without further ado, I'll get on to the first couple of questions, thanks in advance for any commentary or answers.

Cheers!

-Burp

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Newbie Joined: Jun 13, 2008 Posts: 17 Status: Offline

Okay, questions! Here we go.

1. I've noticed that BF-1 doesn't have the big chrome APU on the upper left fuselage anymore. I assume the APU exhaust goes elsewhere now, is this indicative of a production model aircraft (all models)?

2. Wingtip pylons. Does the F-35A have wingtip pylons a'la the F-16, F-18, ect, or are stations 1 and 11 under the wing and inboard like this pic from another thread:

That's all I got for now, thanks everybody!

-Burp

Burp wrote:

Okay, questions! Here we go.

1. I've noticed that BF-1 doesn't have the big chrome APU on the upper left fuselage anymore. I assume the APU exhaust goes elsewhere now, is this indicative of a production model aircraft (all models)?

2. Wingtip pylons. Does the F-35A have wingtip pylons a'la the F-16, F-18, ect, or are stations 1 and 11 under the wing and inboard like this pic from another thread:

That's all I got for now, thanks everybody!

-Burp

(1) The APU on the weight optimized xF-series is smaller and relocated to the lower left side of the lobster tail appendage. (See photo)

(2) All F-35s do not have wing tip pylons. This is true of all variants, and has been the case even before the weight attack redesign of 2004. The outer most stations -- stations 1 & 11 for AAMs are located under the wing, slightly inboard of the wingtips. This is because the mechanical interface of a pylon on the wing tip is decidedly unstealthy even when the pylon is not installed. High signature elements pointing straight down is OK because enemy RF emitters in general do not come from directly below. Having such features pointing 90 degrees off the side is a big no-no, which is why even the fuselage has a sharp ridgeline on the flanks so no surface is pointing to the side. Plus, the rear 2/3rds of the wing tips are pretty much an embedded antenna farm for the electronic warfare system. (See illustrations)

Good job on the model.

Newbie Joined: Jun 13, 2008 Posts: 17 Status: Offline

Great stuff guys, many thanks.

Next question: Wing Tanks.

Are the 480 gal wing tanks seen in many loadout diagrams an outgrowth or AF version of the FPU-11A tank for the F/A-18E/F?

Would the F-35 carry F-16 and F-15 style tanks in practice, or, are these tanks being phased out as well as their aircraft?

Newbie Joined: Jun 13, 2008 Posts: 17 Status: Offline

Also, any chance I could get an approximate location for the Chaff/Flare dispensers?

No need to go into details about the dispensers themselves, don't really want to skirt around opsec.

Strike fighters requires approximate aircraft coordinates to generate a flare or chaff package, and I assume the flare/chaff would exit the aircraft at an angle perpendicular to the mounting attitude of the bucket.

Thanks much,

-B

Burp wrote:

Also, any chance I could get an approximate location for the Chaff/Flare dispensers?

No need to go into details about the dispensers themselves, don't really want to skirt around opsec.

Strike fighters requires approximate aircraft coordinates to generate a flare or chaff package, and I assume the flare/chaff would exit the aircraft at an angle perpendicular to the mounting attitude of the bucket.

Thanks much,

-B

Hmm, hadn't ever really noticed until I saw this view that the F-35 is, wouldn't you know it, area-ruled! All these years later and tried and true aerodynamic concepts still apply, with some subtle, family genetic lineage markers pointing back to legendary Lockheed aircraft. Not too different from an F-104, is it (even the wing is not so dissimilar)? Wink

Burp wrote:

Also, any chance I could get an approximate location for the Chaff/Flare dispensers?

No need to go into details about the dispensers themselves, don't really want to skirt around opsec.

Strike fighters requires approximate aircraft coordinates to generate a flare or chaff package, and I assume the flare/chaff would exit the aircraft at an angle perpendicular to the mounting attitude of the bucket.

Thanks much,

-B

Put it just aft of the RH side weapons bay doors. Also, stealth aircraft typically don't need chaff, only flares.

Enthusiast Joined: Sep 13, 2006 Posts: 34 Status: Offline

Burp wrote:

Also, any chance I could get an approximate location for the Chaff/Flare dispensers?

No need to go into details about the dispensers themselves, don't really want to skirt around opsec.

Strike fighters requires approximate aircraft coordinates to generate a flare or chaff package, and I assume the flare/chaff would exit the aircraft at an angle perpendicular to the mounting attitude of the bucket.

Thanks much,

-B

Sorry about my post that got deleted. Apparently it was TMI...did not know that. It was basically the same view as above with the doors labeled...don't really know why mine was not kosher and that one is. Oh well, lesson learned. Anyway, you can see the two little doors on the RH side just aft of the weapons bay door and the one door just aft of those. Those are the countermeasures.

F-16.net Webmaster Joined: May 23, 2003 Posts: 2354

:: Moderator note: post with image on F-35 countermeasures removed ::

msupepper wrote:

Burp wrote:

Also, any chance I could get an approximate location for the Chaff/Flare dispensers?

No need to go into details about the dispensers themselves, don't really want to skirt around opsec.

Strike fighters requires approximate aircraft coordinates to generate a flare or chaff package, and I assume the flare/chaff would exit the aircraft at an angle perpendicular to the mounting attitude of the bucket.

Thanks much,

-B

Sorry about my post that got deleted. Apparently it was TMI...did not know that. It was basically the same view as above with the doors labeled...don't really know why mine was not kosher and that one is. Oh well, lesson learned. Anyway, you can see the two little doors on the RH side just aft of the weapons bay door and the one door just aft of those. Those are the countermeasures.

I had a feeling. The IRCM system is very sensitive.

Newbie Joined: Jun 13, 2008 Posts: 17 Status: Offline

Thanks for your help everybody! The model is coming along swimmingly, I think.

Burp wrote:

Thanks for your help everybody! The model is coming along swimmingly, I think.

Are the vertical tails too big? Might be perspective error, but they look big to me.

Burp wrote:

Thanks for your help everybody! The model is coming along swimmingly, I think.

Wow, keep it up.

Newbie Joined: Jun 13, 2008 Posts: 17 Status: Offline

dwightlooi wrote:

Burp wrote:

Thanks for your help everybody! The model is coming along swimmingly, I think.

Are the vertical tails too big? Might be perspective error, but they look big to me.

Must have been the perspective, sorry.

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