“I Would Want the F-35; There’s No Question

[quicksilver]

https://mobile.twitter.com/thef35/statu ... 9777160197

[shania]

This week, maintainers will launch forty sorties a day for four days straight without building any down time into the flying schedule. Historically, on legacy aircraft and the F-35, maintenance losses are built into the schedule to account for any issues.

“We haven’t done this before and we wouldn’t even be trying it if we didn’t have the confidence in the jet. The data we have backs us up,” Engel said.

[SpudmanWP]

Source for the above quote:

https://www.hill.af.mil/News/Article-Di ... m-matures/

[popcorn]

Source for the above quote:

https://www.hill.af.mil/News/Article-Di ... m-matures/

A great read. Giving the jet to brand new pilots whose brains haven't been hardwired with 4gen thinking will unleash the jet's full potential.

[elvis1]

Source for the above quote:

https://www.hill.af.mil/News/Article-Di ... m-matures/

A great read. Giving the jet to brand new pilots whose brains haven't been hardwired with 4gen thinking will unleash the jet's full potential.

It might take more than that to unleash the full potential--it looks like there is a lot of potential there. It will be the gift that keeps giving for a long time (in a very good way).

[steve2267]

"Yes, sir, Colonel sir... I just wrote this little Python script... touched this doohickey button over here on the flat panel and WALLA! the APG-81 beamed my virus to the two SU-35's... who then targeted each other while I sipped my mocha cruising at 40k. Didn't even have to pull any gees... Will I still get credit for the two kills?"

[mr.gibbys]

This week, maintainers will launch forty sorties a day for four days straight without building any down time into the flying schedule. Historically, on legacy aircraft and the F-35, maintenance losses are built into the schedule to account for any issues.

“We haven’t done this before and we wouldn’t even be trying it if we didn’t have the confidence in the jet. The data we have backs us up,” Engel said.

Does this mean maintenance hours are going down?

[sferrin]

"Yes, sir, Colonel sir... I just wrote this little Python script... touched this doohickey button over here on the flat panel and WALLA! the APG-81 beamed my virus to the two SU-35's... who then targeted each other while I sipped my mocha cruising at 40k. Didn't even have to pull any gees... Will I still get credit for the two kills?"

"... so you modified the code yourself, broke something unrelated, and THAT'S your excuse for landing gear-up? "

[steve2267]

"Yes, sir, Colonel sir... I just wrote this little Python script... touched this doohickey button over here on the flat panel and WALLA! the APG-81 beamed my virus to the two SU-35's... who then targeted each other while I sipped my mocha cruising at 40k. Didn't even have to pull any gees... Will I still get credit for the two kills?"

"... so you modified the code yourself, broke something unrelated, and THAT'S your excuse for landing gear-up? "

Damn... I better stop playing Space Invaders on those long cross countries too...

[wrightwing]

This week, maintainers will launch forty sorties a day for four days straight without building any down time into the flying schedule. Historically, on legacy aircraft and the F-35, maintenance losses are built into the schedule to account for any issues.

“We haven’t done this before and we wouldn’t even be trying it if we didn’t have the confidence in the jet. The data we have backs us up,” Engel said.

Does this mean maintenance hours are going down?

That would be the implication, along with increased MC rates.

[smsgtmac]

This week, maintainers will launch forty sorties a day for four days straight without building any down time into the flying schedule. Historically, on legacy aircraft and the F-35, maintenance losses are built into the schedule to account for any issues.

“We haven’t done this before and we wouldn’t even be trying it if we didn’t have the confidence in the jet. The data we have backs us up,” Engel said.

Does this mean maintenance hours are going down?

Maintenance Man-hours/Flying Hours have never been an issue, and pretty much the same case for crew size. MMH/FH Kicks A** compared to other fighters. Some reporting has included down time for mods as maintenance, and the Euroshill at Defence-Aerospace had (another) failed attempt at applied math by dividing all kinds of maintenance by all kinds of dollars to make up a number, but that's about it. MTTR has been mentioned in reports, but without concern to MMH/FH. MTTR iis driven by lots of non-labor factors.

[mr.gibbys]

Does this mean maintenance hours are going down?

Maintenance Man-hours/Flying Hours have never been an issue, and pretty much the same case for crew size. MMH/FH Kicks A** compared to other fighters. Some reporting has included down time for mods as maintenance, and the Euroshill at Defence-Aerospace had (another) failed attempt at applied math by dividing all kinds of maintenance by all kinds of dollars to make up a number, but that's about it. MTTR has been mentioned in reports, but without concern to MMH/FH. MTTR iis driven by lots of non-labor factors.

iirc Maintenance man-hours/flying hours for the F-35 were around 10 to 1 (compared to something like 6 to 1 for a hornet), and is more expensive per hour. This is supposed to go down with ALIS which isn't being used yet, but the implication here that block 3F has helped maintenance somehow, which sounds great.

[steve2267]

iirc Maintenance man-hours/flying hours for the F-35 were around 10 to 1 (compared to something like 6 to 1 for a hornet), and is more expensive per hour. This is supposed to go down with ALIS which isn't being used yet, but the implication here that block 3F has helped maintenance somehow, which sounds great.

Say what!?! ALIS isn't being used yet? It's only up to release 3.somethingorother. I understand it has had teething pains -- is that to which you refer?

[kimjongnumbaun]

iirc Maintenance man-hours/flying hours for the F-35 were around 10 to 1 (compared to something like 6 to 1 for a hornet), and is more expensive per hour. This is supposed to go down with ALIS which isn't being used yet, but the implication here that block 3F has helped maintenance somehow, which sounds great.

ALIS has been used and implemented for quite some time now. I've spoken with Marine maintainers who use it.

[SpudmanWP]

A quick check of annual RCPFH numbers (released in the fall of every year) shows that the F-35's RCPFH numbers are:

Falling at a steady rate while 4th gen costs are relatively steady.
Already below the F-15E

Here is the history of the F-35A vs peer 4th gen US jets in an apples-2-apples comparison since 2014.