Forum: General F-35 Forum

While downtown for unrelated reasons today, I saw this trailer parked across the street from me with F-35 stuff splashed all over its side and back. I wondered what the trailer could possibly be carrying that was related to F-35, since the murals didn't seem to explain anything about what the trailer was for, so I walked closer. There were no signs on the ground near it, nobody sitting or standing next to it, and no doors open to go inside, but the other side did turn out to say "cockpit demonstrator".

Since it was closed and unmanned, with no staircases or booth on the ground next to it, I don't think it was meant for the public to sit in a simulator or mockpit or even get anything else from it in any way. It must have just been the transportation for something that was probably taken out and set up somewhere else nearby for a restricted audience. But who's the audience and what's it supposed to show them? It was parked at a state capital; nobody is there who has any part in Federal decisions.

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I assume that you were in Harrisburg? LM is publicizing jobs that the F-35 program created / will create in Pennsylvania. It was set up for state politicians and the connected to try out.

F-35 Cockpit Demonstrator on Display at State Capitol Amber Miller, March 12, 2012

http://www.fox43.com/news/wpmt-f35-cock ... 4149.story

Harrisburg, Dauphin County— + VIDEO at URL

I see my tax dollars hard at work, building sales device to ask for more of my tax dollars.

archeman wrote:

I see my tax dollars hard at work, building sales device to ask for more of my tax dollars.

It's OK... that trailer was paid for by the Moroccan Viper sale.

LM has another sim in London:

"Lockheed Martin has brought its F-35 promotion team and simulator to London town, which gave me the chance to "fly" the aircraft in its B and C variants and talk about the Lightning II with one of its senior programme officials."

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-d ... ng-ii.html

Strange... not only a relatively limited view with those panels to show the outside view through the canopy (not much to the sides or above), but also no virtual-reality helmet. That makes it look like just about any other flight simulator, minus the HUD; it's not going to show anybody much of a difference between F-35 and other fighters, except that it comes in different versions with almost the same control system.

The biggest and most important aspect of the F-35's cockpit is the level and detail of the avionics integration. You do not need the helmet to show that.

A demonstrator with integrated avionics won't complete the comparison with earlier non-integrated systems for anybody who isn't already familiar with the earlier systems and their non-integratedness. If it's your first time sitting in something like that, you won't know that others aren't like it.

It depends on who is the intended client for the simulator.

If it's a pilot, then he/she will appreciate the level of integration and reduced pilot workload.

If it's a jurno then they will hopefully ask appropriate questions.

If it's a civilian unrelated to the program, then their opinion does not really count.

etc.

btw, HUD data is displayed on the screen (I am sure they can also simulate HMD data in other FOVs).

Thanks for good demon-strator story above there in UK with CVF? + HUD view in view:

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-d ... 153708.jpg

Forum: General F-35 Forum

18-wheeler carrying a traveling F-35 exhibit trailer