Basic F-35 Loadouts

F-35 Armament, fuel tanks, internal and external hardpoints, loadouts, and other stores.
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by Gums » 09 Jul 2020, 23:39

Salute!

Is there some way to get a permanent thread that outlines the latest and greatest actual loadouts for the jet but does not keep going and going.....?

A comment on another thread here and other website talks about the AIM-9X loadout as being external.

That was not my understanding. I realize that the missile would really like a good tone before launch, but that is not hard to achieve, even with internal carraige and a brief open bay and lock on.

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by quicksilver » 10 Jul 2020, 00:21

My understanding is that carriage and employment has been from external stations only.

Given the improvements advertised for the latest block weapon (lock-on after launch and a data link) there may be some options for internal carriage in the future. However, my understanding is that will require a new carriage mechanism since the weapon is rail-launched vice ejected.


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by madrat » 10 Jul 2020, 01:30

Rail launch via ejection?


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by quicksilver » 10 Jul 2020, 01:41

madrat wrote:Rail launch via ejection?


Sidewinder is a rail-launched weapon.


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by madrat » 10 Jul 2020, 02:32

quicksilver wrote:
madrat wrote:Rail launch via ejection?


Sidewinder is a rail-launched weapon.


So where does that ejection part come in?


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by steve2267 » 10 Jul 2020, 02:43

madrat wrote:
quicksilver wrote:
madrat wrote:Rail launch via ejection?


Sidewinder is a rail-launched weapon.


So where does that ejection part come in?


The F-35 is designed to eject Internal stores via a pneumatic system from the internal weapons bay.

The AIM-9X is designed to be launched off a rail.

Your choices are either to write the requirements and pay engineers to modify AIM-9X to be pneumatically ejected from the Lightning's weps bay, or to write the requirements and pay engineers to design (implement & test) a trapeze mechanism or some other mechanism to deploy (unfold?) a rail launcher into the slipstream from which the AIM-9X could launch.
Take an F-16, stir in A-7, dollop of F-117, gob of F-22, dash of F/A-18, sprinkle with AV-8B, stir well + bake. Whaddya get? F-35.


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by quicksilver » 10 Jul 2020, 02:46

What steve said.


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by quicksilver » 10 Jul 2020, 03:19

AIM-120 launch video. Note ejection from internal bay or door.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/pl ... vHO4v28Pga

An ‘A’ model doing same. https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/pl ... %3Av&&tt=b


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by steve2267 » 10 Jul 2020, 04:27

2:48 of the 2nd video posted by QS above is very illustrative of the pneumatic ejection system for the AIM-120.
Take an F-16, stir in A-7, dollop of F-117, gob of F-22, dash of F/A-18, sprinkle with AV-8B, stir well + bake. Whaddya get? F-35.


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by spazsinbad » 10 Jul 2020, 05:59

ZOOM CROP video of AIM-120 Missile Ejection from a Test F-35A Weapon Bay Cited above attached:
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First F-35A AIM-120 Missile Launch ZOOM Crop.mp4 [ 5.28 MiB | Viewed 16285 times ]

AIM-120launch.jpg
Last edited by spazsinbad on 10 Jul 2020, 08:05, edited 1 time in total.


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by lbk000 » 10 Jul 2020, 07:57

Trapeze may still be a problematic solution (I do love me oxymorons) -- as F-35 bays are downward facing, FoV is limited especially towards top hemisphere where most of WVR occurs. Note in both F-22 the Su-57, IRAAMs get their own outward facing bays and the seeker is thrust out and away from overhead obstructions.

They ought to figure out ejector launched Sidewinders if LOAL ends up the order of the day. Or better yet, just wait for an ejector launched replacement... like Peregrin.
Attachments
12751419-o.jpg
Su-57 IRAAM bay patent - https://findpatent.ru/patent/261/2614871.html
12751420-o.jpg
Su-57 IRAAM bay patent - https://findpatent.ru/patent/261/2614871.html


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by spazsinbad » 10 Jul 2020, 08:07

I'll assume LOAL can occur some time after launch as the Winder goes forward? What is the problem then? FoV is OK?


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by lbk000 » 10 Jul 2020, 08:19

Well, yes. But do they want to build around LOAL right now? Signs seem to point to 'No'. Why I didn't suggest rails is I think it's a lousy trade to take up space in an already cramped bay with a bulky trapeze.

I don't know, there might also be some doctrinal level trade here that makes internal AIM-9 unpalatable -- ex. 'if you're going dark, stay dark, use stealth to abuse range aka stay out of WVR' so why bother hiding AIM-9's when you shouldn't be looking to use them? The right weapon to abuse the kiting potential of stealth is the AMRAAM and that's exactly what the F-35 brings.


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by spazsinbad » 10 Jul 2020, 08:46

Seems reasonable to me. IF someone can explain why 'Winder 9X needs to go internal that would be nice. Seems OK as is.


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by Gums » 10 Jul 2020, 13:16

Salute!

O.K., seems rail lurch only for right now. Although.......

I gotta check the F-102 and 106 bays, as they carried AIM-4D heaters. The 101 had trapese launchers and the seeker locked on before the launch. I do not recall a significant nose up steering maneuver in the Deuce or Voodoo. Course, we weren't pulling 4 or 5 gees and turning like crazy, either.

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