F-35 and Airshows

[element1loop]

“The show we’re going to bring to fans is unlike anything they’ve ever seen and I really believe it’s going to set a benchmark for the demonstrations performed by any airplane on the planet. I think it’s really going to impress people by finally showing off the full maneuvering envelope of the F-35A,” Olson said.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/lo ... xGntUhmCP/

I showed a few of the vids available to anti-F-35 types and a few insisted they were being speed-up, an F-35 couldn't really climb and turn like that, so I showed them more until they shut up. I've also noticed in recent months that it's become 'impolite' to bring up the topic of the F-35 to the former vocal-critic mob.

[mixelflick]

Thanks for doing that btw. They need to man up, admit they were wrong and move on...

However, significant numbers of F-35 haters/doubters continue to exist. Fortunately, the Air Force is taking steps to take the bull by the horns. The dedicated F-35 demo team that will be touring the country in the near future is designed to squash that criticism, once and for all. And going by the comments made by those putting the display together, it'll do just that. They're very aware this jet still has a PR problem, and good for the USAF for doing something about it.

I really hope they take the gloves off and pull out all the stops. It's going to be a beautiful thing to watch...

[gta4]

This year at least 1,000 F-35 haters were shut up with by this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euo6zlIWX_s

[mixelflick]

This year at least 1,000 F-35 haters were shut up with by this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euo6zlIWX_s

Eye watering, indeed!

Most telling: The fact that it can climb straight into the vertical, after such a dramatic turn. And this is the 7g limited F-35?

I fully expect the F-35 to emerge as the F-15 did, from the same cycle. 60 Minutes once did a hit piece on the F-15 early in its development. "Too big, too complex. Will never work in the sand. Suffers from low mission capable rates", etc. etc. 30 years later, it's the most successful air to air machine ever built, pulverizing everything from the Mig-25 (it's stated adversary) to Mig-29's, an aircraft designed after the F-15 and designed to (in part), counter it.

I don't know if it was Bogdan (or whoever) who righted the ship, but the F-35 today stands on the same precipice. It will emerge IMO, as the most successful strike fighter ever built. And it will serve with distinction in US and allied air arms. Perhaps it's not invincible (as seemingly, the F-15 is). But it will enjoy a distinct and dramatic advantage over all adversaries. Including I predict, the Sukhoi SU-35/57, the Chinese J-20 and certainly their J-31. Some bugs still to be worked out, but it's well on its way to dominating the skies in the 2020's and beyond...

[ricnunes]

Perhaps it's not invincible (as seemingly, the F-15 is).

And neither is the F-15 an invincible plane.
For example in an air battle between 2 F-15s and 2 Mig-25s during Desert Storm, one of the F-15s was damaged (left engine due to a missile hit fired from one of the Mig-25s), so while the damaged F-15 was fortunately able to RTB this could be considered a "Mig-25 win over the F-15". More details here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurra_Air_Battle

Resuming, no fighter aircraft is invincible - not even the F-15.

[saberrider]

Tactics it's always a player, even if the a/c is inferior (in technology or numbers). Also where to look for enemy's, because sky is a big place.

[mixelflick]

Perhaps it's not invincible (as seemingly, the F-15 is).

And neither is the F-15 an invincible plane.
For example in an air battle between 2 F-15s and 2 Mig-25s during Desert Storm, one of the F-15s was damaged (left engine due to a missile hit fired from one of the Mig-25s), so while the damaged F-15 was fortunately able to RTB this could be considered a "Mig-25 win over the F-15". More details here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurra_Air_Battle

Resuming, no fighter aircraft is invincible - not even the F-15.

That's an interesting account for sure. Still, to my mind it shows how robust the F-15 really is. The R-40/AA-6 Acrid is a HUGE missile, with a big warhead. It only served to damage the Eagle. More worrisome though was that 3 missiles were fired by one F-15, and all 3 were duds? That's atrocious, and is reminiscent of Vietnam experience with the Sparrow.

I wonder what the debrief looked like with the armament crew...

[doge]

Everyone, It's been a long time!
I was excited to know the schedule of the Air Show next year in 2019!
So I found an interview article on Capt. Andrew "Dojo" Olson who demo pilot the Air Show next year so I post it!
https://airshowdigest.aero/2018/10/02/2114/

Have You Met Captain Andrew Olson?
By ICAS - October 2, 2018
The debut performances of the Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter have been the most anticipated acts in the air show business since the first air show demonstrations by the F-22 Raptor back in 2007. This year, the pilot responsible for introducing the F-35 to the public is Captain Andrew “Dojo” Olson.

Since graduating from Virginia Tech in 2010 with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, Olson has progressed quickly through the ranks of the United States Air Force, accumulating more than 1,500 hours in the F-15E Strike Eagle, T-6A Texan II, and T-38 Talon. In April of 2016, Olson transitioned from the Strike Eagle to the F-35.

“What I have to compare [the F-35] to is the F-15E, which I did not fly in air shows. But, from a handling perspective, I would describe the F-35 as a dragster,” Olson said. “Very intense acceleration, low-level, because it has the biggest fighter engine ever built. So, 43,000 pounds of thrust in just one motor.”

In addition to the F-35’s superior power and speed, Olson cites the aircraft’s advanced flight control systems as another defining factor of its airpower eminence.
“It is more agile, for sure, than the Strike Eagle was. But what I think really sets it apart is the flight control logic that it has.

It is just incredible,” Olson said. “So, the ability for it to maneuver itself at an incredibly wide range of air speeds and still be responsive is what I think sets it apart from, at least what I have experienced in, the Strike Eagle.”

As a contemporary military pilot, Olson greatly appreciates the opportunity to participate in the air show industry’s tradition of Heritage flights.

“Flying on the wing of a warbird is like a continuous process of blinking to make sure that you’re actually awake and it’s real. It’s just completely surreal to be like ‘Wow, I’m on the wing of a P-51 and the guys who fly them are just total pros,’” Olson said. “It’s a real honor to honor the legacy of the airmen that came before us and that’s what the Heritage Flight is all about: honoring and recognizing the past, present and future of Air Force airpower.”

Regarding the future involvement of the F-35 and the creation of an F-35 demo, Olson thinks the aircraft will be an excellent addition to the air show lineups across North America.

“As far as it performing on the air show circuit, it’s really a great jet for the crowd because it’s loud, it’s fast, it accelerates quickly and, eventually, when it does become a full-demo aircraft, I think it will put on a great show because it’s really maneuverable at full speed,” Olson said. “I think its demo is going to be a lot of high-alpha, high-angle attack, slow-speed, full afterburner maneuvers.”

Next year air show, I'm especially looking forward to high-g turning and flat spins!

[jetblast16]

Can't wait to see the full demo!

[ricnunes]

That's an interesting account for sure. Still, to my mind it shows how robust the F-15 really is. The R-40/AA-6 Acrid is a HUGE missile, with a big warhead. It only served to damage the Eagle.

Indeed it's an interesting account. It seems this was the closest that an Eagle came from being shot down (and it was indeed a close call).
The R-40/AA-6 Acrid seems indeed to be a missile with a very big warhead but it was also a missile which apparently was designed in the late 1950's with the production starting in the 1960's so it probably wasn't that much reliable and even more likely, it wasn't very agile which could mean that while the damage was due to a proximity detonation, that missile probably didn't explode that close to the F-15. If the missile exploded closer (as it probably was expected from it), the damage would certainly be much worse.
Anyway, what I also mean is that if that Mig-25 carried more modern/advanced missiles (which it wasn't available, this is just a "what if" scenario) things would certainly be much worse for that F-15 (or even for the other F-15 in that flight).

This is not to say that the F-15 isn't a very robust aircraft. I guess that another evidence of how robust the F-15 is, was when an Israeli F-15 crashed mid-air with an also Israeli A-4. The result of that crash was the F-15 having one of its wings entirely clipped/ripped off but still manage to land safely (while the A-4 crashed).

More worrisome though was that 3 missiles were fired by one F-15, and all 3 were duds? That's atrocious, and is reminiscent of Vietnam experience with the Sparrow.

I wonder what the debrief looked like with the armament crew...

Well, this was most likely an extremely rare occasion (of bad luck) and certainly not the norm. From what I read the Sparrow was a quite effective missile during Desert Storm, even surpassing if my memory doesn't fail, the Sidewinder this in terms of hit/kill ratios.

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

I recall that the Sparrow did very well too. As a result of "lessons learned" they were fired often in pairs, which limits theoretical Pk to 50% even if they worked perfectly.

[jetblast16]

F-35 demo team to make North American debut at Melbourne Air & Space Show in March

"It'll be the first time in the hemisphere that anybody will ever see an F-35 do a full-capabilities demonstration," he said.

Source: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news ... 434258002/

[fang]

IAF F-35i Adir #921 + flares in Hazerim AFB airshow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW_y0-Qx6xw&t=24s

BTW, in this airshow two F-15's demonstrated a spectacular dogfight

[spazsinbad]

http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/20 ... -FINAL.jpg

[charlielima223]

The two things I keep hearing and or reading about pilots who are coming off of other aircraft into the F-35 are these two main comments ( along these lines at least)

Very responsive

For a heavy aircraft it has a big motor and plenty of thrust

I don't know how much more performance they can squeeze out of the F-35 until they start to upgrade the engines. Lockheed test pilot Billie Flynn already showed the world that the F-35 is no slouch. Its not meant to be a kinematic beast like the F-22 but regardless I can't wait to see the flight demo here at Nellis AFB in 2019