Forum: General F-35 Forum

Hey I have a question. Everything seems to be going digital and all info is being projected on the screens in the JSF and Raptor. This is a great leap in technology and helps reduce weight by eliminating all the buttons, dials, etc. But what happens if the jet is struck by lightning, suffers computer failure, gets shot and loses computers/displays? With no analog flight instruments in the cockpit you would bascially be flying blind. I'm sure they have thought of this and have some means to fly the jets without any instruments, but all the pics I have seen I haven't noticed any analog instruments. So it makes me wonder what type of backup system is being used.

Any thoughts?

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you wouldnt believe how often analog instruments malfunction. Probably a hell of alot more than new digital displays.

If the 'puters die, the aircraft can't be flown anyway so analog dials won't help. Time to bang out.

Not to mention the flight controls are electrically actuated rather then hydraulically.

I seriously hope this jet lives up to expectations.

we fear not change

A few things...

(1) With the current state of the art, the chances of the digital displays failing is negligibly low. Much lower than an engine failure or the pilot having a stroke or something along those lines.

(2) If the computer fails there is a second computer.If the power fails there is an APU backup, then a battery back up. And in the event they are all fail it won't matter if you have analog displays. The aircraft is unflyable without the digital FBW system and its computer, if you lose the electronics completely you are going down. Period.

Ok lets just say the display fails, but the computers are still ok and the jet is flyable. The display probably wouldn't ever fail. But let's say while a pilot was flying a killer display eating bug attacked a 35 or 22 and magically ate the display. Of course the pilot says HOLY @#$% WTF was that?, looks down and notices his display is gone but the jet is still flyable. Could someone on the ground give him his ALT and airspeed and talk him down to the runway or would he just have to punch out?

Sure, the HUD in his helmet mounted display...

dwightlooi wrote:

(2) If the computer fails there is a second computer.

Actually there are three computers (VMCs)

dwightlooi wrote:

If the power fails there is an APU backup, then a battery back up.

F-35 does not have an APU per se, it has a PTMS - Power and Thermal Management System, which integrates the functions of APU, JFS, ECS and RAT into one package.

LinkF16SimDude wrote:

Yep...definately a lightweight composite of some kind. Should've noticed that. Prolly has some RCS-reducing properties as well (like the early F-117 helmets 'cept new and improved).

And another thing about the front-hinged canopy: If you're gonna have that kinda canopy and have the seat break the glass on ejection, why keep the canopy arch? Why not make it a single-piece canopy like on the Viper? Air loads perhaps? If ejecting thru the glass, you've obviously considered wind blast, which is the reason for other 2-piece canopies, and you have no HUD glass to fly back at the driver on bail-out. So why keep the arch? Curious... Confused

I can't believe noone else has mentioned this! That was the first and seemingly obvious step backwards to me, though maybe we are unaware of something... A bubble canopy would be and is something that is favorable on any current fighter..(like the namesake for this site... Wink

)Maybe I should have kept reading before mouthing off, but I'm with LF16SD on this one. Antiquated feature on a fifth generation aircraft? Gotta be a better alternative. Of course rearward vis is terrible too (especially on the 'C', but then theres the engine lift fan in the way...).

174Cobra wrote:

Of course rearward vis is terrible too (especially on the 'C', but then theres the engine lift fan in the way...).

You're actually thinking of the F-35(B) STOVL model, not "C" which is the CV (carrier variant). As I've mentioned before, the rearward visibility is just fine, meaning it's very good.

A and C models are the same canopy design. B model will be different but it's not terrible.

Right, I got that all fouled up, the 'B' variant being the USMC / RN version. My bad. That one especially looked like it would have the rearward visibility something like that of an F-5, but as has been pointed out, WVR knife-fights are slowly becoming a thing of the past, or so it seems... Better hope so without an AIM-9X capability or internal gun on some of the variants.

Enthusiast Joined: Oct 27, 2004 - 10:49 AM Posts: 70

I got a "Hey! That helmet looks exactly like me skydiving helmet!" moment when I saw the pics Smile

http://www.boneheadcomposites.com/

The pattern on JSF helmet is exactly like the patterns in those pics. And yeah, my skydiving helmet is extra light, so I can see why they're used the same stuff in the JSF helmet.

Forum: General F-35 Forum

Interesting F-35 article in Code One mag - New Front Office