More Cracks Found In F-35B's Second-Life Test

miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 24 Feb 14, 11:09

More Cracks Found In F-35B's Second-Life Testing

Cracks on an F-35B’s primary support structure found last year are more extensive than previously thought, triggering a halt in ground-based durability testing until the fourth quarter of this year.

The initial cracks were found on section 496, a primary wing carrythrough bulkhead, last fall, prompting officials to stop the ground-based testing at hour 9,400 during the second life’s worth of use — or second 8,000 hr. of equivalent flight hours — to investigate the issue.

Since then, cracking also has been discovered on adjacent bulkheads, according to Joe Dellavedova, spokesman for the F-35 Joint Program Office. “Subsequent inspection of surrounding structures in light of this discovery found additional cracks in two of the other adjacent bulkheads,” he says.

Because the discoveries were found to occur beyond the first 8,000 hr. of use, the issue is not affecting flight operations for the young F-35B fleet. These issues are also, thus far, limited to the B model that employs a sophisticated lift-fan for vertical takeoff and landing operations for the U.S. Marine Corps. The U.K. and Italy also are expected to buy the F-35B.

Dellavedova says the issue is not expected to jeopardize the Marines’ plans to declare initial operational capability with the F-35B in July 2015.

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And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen

Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 24 Feb 14, 14:00

Ground them all and send them to the desert. Bring back the F-15, at least it takes them 27 years of service to start having problems with cracks.

Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.

captoveur 24 Feb 14, 15:22

Queso wrote:Ground them all and send them to the desert. Bring back the F-15, at least it takes them 27 years of service to start having problems with cracks.

You know.. The F-15 line is still open

I like my coffee how I like my women: Black, bitter, and preferably fair trade.

Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 24 Feb 14, 15:42

captoveur wrote:
Queso wrote:Ground them all and send them to the desert. Bring back the F-15, at least it takes them 27 years of service to start having problems with cracks.

You know.. The F-15 line is still open

Yeah, but the US government isn't buying them any more.

Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.

AndesSMF (Founding Member) 24 Feb 14, 15:51

captoveur wrote:F-15

Designed by McD...somehow I think that their airplanes are long-lived creatures.

Einstein said two things were infinite; the universe, and stupidity. He wasn't sure about the first, but he was certain about the second.

Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 24 Feb 14, 15:58

AndesSMF wrote:
captoveur wrote:F-15

Designed by McD...somehow I think that their airplanes are long-lived creatures.

Lockheed doesn't do so bad generally, but for the role the F-35 is expected to fill, I don't think it offers enough advantages to justify it's substantially increased cost over the aircraft it is intended to replace, VTO notwithstanding and I understand that's the model this issue affects.

Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.

paul mcallister 24 Feb 14, 22:25

IMHO the F-35 is just an expensive and complex lump.
Ok it will be faster than the Harrier/AV-8B and has some stealth capability,but it retains many of the so called "flaws" the Harrier/AV-8B ie limited range,limited weapons load.

Personally I think the UK were crazy to retire the Harrier/Sea Harrier until the F-35 was almost ready to go.
I doubt the F-35 will prove to be what most air arms expect of it,and it will end up being a very expensive compromise.

GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 24 Feb 14, 22:28

And from what I've read people that the F-15 could never dogfight (apparently thinking it was too much like the Clear Air Converter F-4) and the F-16 would never fly due to only having one engine...

Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey

ShanwickOceanic (netAirspace FAA) 24 Feb 14, 22:35

paul mcallister wrote:Personally I think the UK were crazy to retire the Harrier/Sea Harrier until the F-35 was almost ready to go.

Well yes, but you're thinking. Think like a politician and the only way you can get the F-35 deal to go through is if you don't have a perfectly good aircraft already doing the job. "We can save money on this because we don't really need it... but now that we don't have it, we desperately need to spend even more money to sort-of replace it."

paul mcallister wrote:I doubt the F-35 will prove to be what most air arms expect of it,and it will end up being a very expensive compromise.

Yep, and we're stuck with it.

My friend and I applied for airline jobs in Australia, but they didn't Qantas.

AndesSMF (Founding Member) 24 Feb 14, 22:46

Did the Harriers have any issues or were they just 'old'?

Einstein said two things were infinite; the universe, and stupidity. He wasn't sure about the first, but he was certain about the second.

captoveur 25 Feb 14, 01:05

AndesSMF wrote:Did the Harriers have any issues or were they just 'old'?

I am thinking no issues.. The USMC bought a bunch of British Harriers for parts.

I like my coffee how I like my women: Black, bitter, and preferably fair trade.

paul mcallister 26 Feb 14, 22:59

The Harrier`s had recently had major upgrades to GR7, GR7A and GR9 standards meaning they were capable of service until at least 2020 and some to 2025.
72 of the aircraft were sold for £116 million,around £230K each which is a shocking waste of public money. {bugeye}

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