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Science
Pentagon reveals F-35 Lightning's guns don't shoot straight and are cracking in scathing report that demands Lockheed Martin fix 873 flaws on $100million stealth fighter jet
2020-01-31
Posted by:Skidmark

#9  I'm guessing, BTW.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2020-01-31 13:49  

#8  And because the mountings don't have mass it actually aggravates the vibration/resonance problems when the recoil kicks in.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2020-01-31 13:48  

#7  Thanks #4 Mike for the info...

So, the iron laws of metallurgy and momentum will be ignored this time because we have computer simulations and really snazzy PowerPoint presentations. *Sigh*
Posted by: magpie   2020-01-31 13:38  

#6  Sounds like socialism..."this time it will work."
Posted by: AlanC   2020-01-31 08:12  

#5  Thx, Mike
Posted by: Frank G   2020-01-31 06:42  

#4  ...Here's the problem:

1) All three versions of the -35 were overweight. The original plan was to have the old reliable M61A1 Vulcan, but it weighed too much.

2) So, the first thing they did was suggest eliminating the gun completely. THAT was a non-starter; pilots and Naval/Marine Aviators want that weapon of last resort.

3. So we developed the GAU-12 Equalizer 25mm for the -35. It's actually a very good weapon, but it was still kinda heavy, so somebody decided that they would save weight on the mountings and delete it entirely from the USMC -35B, replacing it with a pod bolted to the airframe as needed.

4) The GAU-12 is a damned powerful weapon, and it's cracking the mounts on the A and C. The USMC discovered that as soon as you pulled the trigger, it tried to twist the pod right off the pylon. This, by the way, was what happened when we tried 20mm pods on F-4s fifty years ago and a 30mm pod on the stillborn F/A-16 of the late 80s. However, for some reason somebody thought that THIS time,it would work.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2020-01-31 06:37  

#3  "Redesign the F-35 to carry the 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger Gatling-type autocannon?"

do you know how that useless thing weights?
Posted by: Thorong Grundy1520   2020-01-31 03:43  

#2  According to a 7 July 2011 Aviation Week article, the United States has agreed to allow Israeli F-35s to be rewired so that Israeli electronic warfare systems can be installed on the aircraft
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2020-01-31 02:09  

#1  Redesign the F-35 to carry the 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger Gatling-type autocannon?
Posted by: Glenmore   2020-01-31 02:09  

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