Forum: F-35 Lightning II

Awhile ago there was some controversy over how supposedly fire suppression systems and other key damage survivability components were removed from the F-35 is order to save weight.

Was this ever confirmed or proven as false? Did the whole SWAT program have any lasting effect on weight, what few figures I have seen make it seem as if the weight has not changed.

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Like the fire suppression system in the F-16's engine bay? Doh

TEG

The swat stand down had a huge effect on the "finished" design of all 3 versions of the f35. The jet lost somewhere between 7-10 recent of it's pre swat bulk. This is due entirely to the additional year of design refinement anD targeted changes performed against the pre swat design. Best of all, due to the commonality of the variants, three very different platforms benefitted from a combined engineering effort. Those changes are the enablers to what the aircraft is today, and soon to be shown in the future.

As for the fire supression system, the proof of it's effectiveness will come when aa1 undergoes live fire testing.

Latest WEIGHT from LM August 2010 (has that changed from your previous weight 'lampshade111'?)

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopi ... rt-90.html

This chap is worried whilst others are not:

TESTIMONY OF DR. J. MICHAEL GILMORE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
BEFORE THE UNITED STATES HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE March 24, 2010

http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/Joi ... 032410.pdf (81Kb)

"...I want to briefly highlight a system vulnerability issue included in my Annual Report. The program office is executing a comprehensive, robust, and fully funded Live Fire test plan. However, the program’s removal of shutoff fuses for engine fueldraulics lines, coupled with the prior removal of dry bay fire extinguishers, has increased the likelihood of aircraft combat losses from ballistic threat induced fires. F-35 live fire testing to date has shown that threat impact into fuel tanks results in sustained fires. In addition, the F-35 will be more vulnerable to typical non-combat fires caused by fuel leaks and other system failures without the fire-suppression systems. At present, only the Integrated Power Plant (IPP) bay has a fire suppression system. Though the configuration control process has approved the program office’s request to remove these safety systems as an acceptable system trade to balance weight, cost, and risk, I remain concerned regarding the aircraft’s vulnerability to threat-induced and safety-related fires."

can you google the reply to that ?
it went along the lines of, it didnt decrease survivability and all the partners were in agreement to exclude it

spazsinbad wrote:

Latest WEIGHT from LM August 2010 (has that changed from your previous weight 'lampshade111'?)

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopi ... rt-90.html

No, from what I've read. it seems the pre-SWAT weights were the same or slightly less than that. I could be wrong, figuring out how much the aircraft weighs has been very difficult.

There was a recent thread about F-35 weight and rubbery figures for same. I cannot find it at moment.

Forum: F-35 Lightning II

F-35 damage control, backup systems