Forum: General F-35 Forum

archeman wrote:

Does anyone know the purpose of those little extra 'wings' on the pylons (positions 2, 3, 9, 10 I think) where they mate against the bottom of the wing? Is it just to provide additional stability or to RCS cover some components under them?

Like the F-16, the pylons are bolted to the wing at three points, two forward and one aft. The forward points are spread a foot or so apart, to provide good reaction to pylon roll moment transferred into the wing. Pylon roll moment is mostly due to side load on the pylon and external store. For example, when the airplane performs a roll maneuver, large outboard acting side loads are generated on the pylon and store.

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With the pod station so far back, it looks like you could almost shoot yourself down if you did a negative G maneuver while firing. That would be embarrassing Smile

And if you go fast enough you can catch up with your bullets.

Via SLDinfo/USN: http://www.sldinfo.com/getting-on-with- ... rime-time/

"Variant: BF-02; Flight 159. Test Pilot: Dan Levin; First flight with AIM-9X/Pylons/Gun Pod"

Zooms + Original:
http://www.sldinfo.com/wp-content/uploa ... mage_1.jpg

spazsinbad wrote:

And if you go fast enough you can catch up with your bullets.

True.. there actually has been such a self-kill on record.

So those are the LO pylons I've been reading about.

Once that gun pod is qualified they should use the shape for a electro-optical recon and or SAR pod. No sense reinventing the wheel.

Last edited by spazsinbad on Feb 26, 2012 - 06:26 AM; edited 2 times in total

Interesting bits and pieces about potential gun pod development and such on this old news report:

http://www.f-16.net/news_article3837.html

"...Alternatively the F-35s missionized gun pod could be used to expand the F-35s electronic capabilities. "The gun pod is already there, and it's stealthy, so we see a potential for different types of equipment", says O'Bryan. That could include EW equipment, a reconnaissance pod or even side and aft-looking AESA radar, adding to the F-35's range of powerful capabilities...."

I have to say that I'm seriously concerned about the quantity of ammunition carried in that pod. It looks more like eurotrash numbers, and the gun even has a far higher RoF than any BK27. I wouldn't be surprised to see a podded M61A2 with ~500 rounds, considering that this 'interesting experiment' combines a fairly high rate of fire with tiny ammunition counts. At least it's better than a GAU-12 with he same ammunition load, though Confused

Quote:

True.. there actually has been such a self-kill on record.

If I am not mistaken, the self-kill pilot actually shot himself down but didn't kill himself. Twice. The first time was an F-86 self kill (not in combat but on training). The second time was an F-4 Sparrow that failed to 'spring' from its recessed position on launch (again, not combat but trainging/testing). The Sparrow motor began to burn like crazy and before long so was the launching aircraft (the bottom of most F-4s was a notorious place for old hydralic fluid to collect).

Lucky for the F-35 the unlucky recipients of the firing stream will likely not be in the flight path of the aircraft ( towards the ground ) and the muzzle velocity of the pod greatly exceeds the old browning .50 cal of the F-86.

johnwill wrote:

archeman wrote:

Does anyone know the purpose of those little extra 'wings' on the pylons (positions 2, 3, 9, 10 I think) where they mate against the bottom of the wing? Is it just to provide additional stability or to RCS cover some components under them?

Like the F-16, the pylons are bolted to the wing at three points, two forward and one aft. The forward points are spread a foot or so apart, to provide good reaction to pylon roll moment transferred into the wing. Pylon roll moment is mostly due to side load on the pylon and external store. For example, when the airplane performs a roll maneuver, large outboard acting side loads are generated on the pylon and store.

Thanks for that great info johnwill. So if it's OK for a followup question....
These pylons must have some good RCS qualities to them. Will we see these same pylons in use elsewhere??? Why can't the rest of the AF share the same RCS benefits?

There are indeed some LO characteristics on those pylons, but I'm not an LO guy, so I don't know anything about them. However, if you look at F-16 pylons, you can see some obvious similarities. All I can say is the later F-16 pylons look a little different from the originals in some areas, and those differences showed up in the late '80s "to reduce drag". Right. They have been applied to the F-35 pylons as well.

F-35B Flight Test with External Stores

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedma ... hotostream

"Over an Atlantic test range, Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin flies F-35B test aircraft BF-2 with external weapons pylons for the first time Feb. 22, 2012."

BigPic+Zoom:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6936 ... 522d_o.jpg

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouT1qtgY9qQ

southernphantom wrote:

I have to say that I'm seriously concerned about the quantity of ammunition carried in that pod. It looks more like eurotrash numbers, and the gun even has a far higher RoF than any BK27. I wouldn't be surprised to see a podded M61A2 with ~500 rounds, considering that this 'interesting experiment' combines a fairly high rate of fire with tiny ammunition counts. At least it's better than a GAU-12 with he same ammunition load, though Confused

The GAU-22 is a GAU-12 with one less barrel.

Forum: General F-35 Forum

F-35B completes first flighttest w/ external stores / pylons