Forum: F-35 Design & Construction

Without getting into details... just wondering about the bulge on the underside of the jet. First what is that "bulge" called? just EOTS?

The first picture shows it mirrored and the second shows it painted. I read somewhere that it was made of sapphire just wondering what the production jet will look like and if that jet that landed at eglin was a "dumb down" version for the public to view?

Thanks

hires
http://www.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/090423-F-7814K-104.jpg

F-16.net Sponsor

The AA-1 aircraft in the second picture doesn't have EOTS or any other operational avionics installed. However in order to maintain uniform aerodynamic qualities they kept the EOTS bump....

That 'EOTS' bulge will apparently house an IRST for IOC units by around 2019, i.e. in Block 5 craft. And a FLIR sys up until then.

the top photo is from a mock-up, not a real aircraft. The second photo is AA-1, and like rapier said, its just being used to test handling qualities and not avionics.

wow 2019 jeez... cool thanks for the info..

do you know if it will blend in with the jet or have a different look...

sorry for the dumb questions this plane amazes me.. i wanna work the jet but by then it will be my time to get out of the AF..

It will look the same, otherwise they will have to do a whole bunch of flight tests again.

A couple of videos, hi-res image and and LM brochure on the EOTS:

IR video capture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fsp1jesXT0

Exhibition video: http://fr.truveo.com/Lockheed-Martin-Jo ... 3601115547

B. Bolsøy
Oslo

And here's a pretty cool vid of what a simple Sniper FLIR can do for ya... Thumb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygzf3QcivDU

P.S. energo, I'm confused with regards to apparent RNoAF F-35 configuration 'Block upgrade' including the 'IRST' capability in Block 5, at estimated IOC date of 2019? Can you clarify that if I'm misreading the advertisement? Thank you sir. (and I have to say I'm sorry LMT didn't make the -16XL/AT variant with 32k lb class thrust and CFT as an option to the bidding).. On Topic

Respects to Norway.

geogen wrote:

And here's a pretty cool vid of what a simple Sniper FLIR can do for ya... Thumb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygzf3QcivDU

P.S. energo, I'm confused with regards to apparent RNoAF F-35 configuration 'Block upgrade' including the 'IRST' capability in Block 5, at estimated IOC date of 2019? Can you clarify that if I'm misreading the advertisement? Thank you sir. (and I have to say I'm sorry LMT didn't make the -16XL/AT variant with 32k lb class thrust and CFT as an option to the bidding).. On Topic

Respects to Norway.

Thank you! It's a good question and I will try to see if we can get some good answers. For the moment I can only speculate that IRST (either through DAS, EOTS - or both -) will be available a little bit sooner.

B. Bolsøy
Oslo

It has been known for a long time that Block 3 will concentrate on A2G with the software to enable IRST coming later.
.

Forum: F-35 Design & Construction

What is this buldge called? EOTS?