Forum: F-35 Lightning II

Interesting for some perhaps about whether or not the Canadians should have drag chutes for their F-35As. The KIWIs had drag [brake] chutes on their A-4Ks whilst the RAN did not have them on their A4Gs, to operate from the NATOPS minimum airfield length (approx. 6,000 feet) in both countries. One adjusts to what one has I guess. Although it is important to have them when one expects because the KIWIs overturned an A4G (sold to them without a drag chute) in a rainstorm (all was well - pilot OK - ex-A4G eventually repaired and turned into an A-4K then KAHU with drag chute). I would call them brake chutes anyway but I digress..... Laughing

Should RCAF F-35s Be Equipped With a Drag Chute? Nov 30, 2011 By David Pugliese

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2011/11/ ... rag-chute/

"Defence Watch
Earlier this year, RCAF Maj.-Gen. Tom Lawson emailed Defence Watch about the issue of drag chutes for Canada’s proposed fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. DND is looking at the installation of a drag chute on the F-35 but some have raised concerns that such a chute would be a major liability in high crosswinds at remote Northern runways.

“While drag chutes can be tricky in certain high-crosswind conditions, there isn’t a fighter pilot anywhere who wouldn’t want to have them available for use in icy conditions, or on short runways,” Lawson wrote. “To expand on this comment, it is for reasons of operational flexibility and safety that Canada, along with several other JSF partner nations, are investigating the option of installing a drag chute on the JSF version that we will be buying.”...."

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Some question about brake chutes? For the Canadians a brake chute is very important operating the F35 in the north.
At the other hand the first 16A/B’s of the US Airforce had no brake chutes I though, but were operating in the north (Alaska) as well.
Was this a problem for the US Airforce operating the F16?

Concerning the EPAF countries, Dutch and Norwegian F16’s, build by Fokker, all had/have brake chutes. Danish and Belgian F16’s either have no brake chutes.
Don’t know exactly why the Dutch F16’s got brake chutes? Some reason could be, they fly and train in Norway as well
Interesting on photograph’s one can see Dutch F16’s, operating in Afghanistan, using their brake chutes.

As far as I remember the dragchute was installed for the purpose of trying to reduce the time a F-16 has to spend "out in the open" on the ground (on the runway when rolling out), so vulnerable for air attack.

If I saw a KIWI in DRAG I would CHUTE it too. Poke

...sorry just had to....

Only way to land safely on a shorter than safe, icy, snowy runway? Thanks to Skyhawk Association and NAN (Naval Air News). Other SATS info here:

http://a4skyhawk.org/2e/flt-ops.htm

http://a4skyhawk.org/sites/a4skyhawk.or ... on_nan.jpg

Info on current Danish arrestor gear might be of interest especially BAK-12 graph:

ARRESTING GEAR SYSTEMS AT DANISH AIR BASES 16 DEC 2010

www.flv.dk/milais/MIL%20AIP/PAGES/GEN2_8.PDF (400Kb)