F-35 Lightning II cockit and HUD system

[Cosmonaut]

I can bet its the same weight as a current helmet, if not lighter, and as for an ejection then I would assume its made in such away that the awkward part at the top would just break off once its exposed to a certain airspeed or G load so it shouldn't cause the pilot any problems if he/ she is forced to leave the aircraft at high speed.

 

I wonder what the budget was for a helmet like .. a billion maybe??

[TorwaK]

The F35 is ok but it's really the same idea as the F16; how cheap can you build a strike fighter to use the current and future weapons systems. IMO after the F18 becomes redundant then why not just make UAV Strike Fighters that will be much more capable than the F22 and F35 put together. Maybe if they slung another engine on the F35 I'd be more enthusiastic but I just cant see the F35 having the same CAS capabilities that the current fighters have today.

 

In this case you're wrong if you ask me. First of all F-35 has stealth mode as like F-22 Raptor, long range capability, modern avionics, sensor fusion technolog are seperate it from all other fighter planes. The thing is Russia is inspired from F-35 to create PAF project ;)

 

There is 3 different F-35 models for ,

 

F-35A: CTOL (Conventional Take Off and Landing)

F-35B: STOVL (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing)

F-35C: CV (Carrier Vehicle)

 

F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter first flight – short but sweet

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter exceeded expectations on its 15 December first flight, despite a sensor anomaly that curtailed testing. “The aircraft handled well, better than the simulator,” says F-35 chief pilot Jon Beesley, at the controls for the 35min maiden flight from Fort Worth, Texas.

 

Beesley was surprised by the aircraft’s performance on take-off, saying: “The climb-out was steeper than I anticipated.” He praises the responsiveness and controllability of the aircraft and its engine, the 40,000lb thrust-class Pratt & Whitney F135: “I could fly to a test point and put the aircraft where I wanted to.”

 

The aircraft was flown to 15,000ft (4,600m) and 225kt (415km/h) with the landing gear down, then slowed to approach speed. “The first three sets of test points were to make sure we could land,” Beesley says.

 

The test plan then called for the gear to be retracted, but there was a small sensor anomaly and mission rules required the aircraft to come back, he says, describing the problem as a calibration issue with one of the air-data probes. “There was an angle-of-attack miscomparison. It was a little off,” he says.

 

Redundancy in the air-data system ensured the aircraft flew safely, says Dan Crowley, F-35 programme general manager. The sensor design has already been changed for future JSFs, he says: “We will go away from this type of probe to a new type.”

 

The original plan to cycle the gear during a 60min first flight was “aggressive”, according to Beesley. “We didn’t want to be bored, so we planned to raise the gear. That would have exceeded other programmes.”

 

“We completed the majority of flight-test points,” says Crowley. “The few related to raising the gear were not accomplished, but we are really pleased with the quality of flight test data we got.”

 

Lockheed plans to fly the first JSF, aircraft AA-1, five to six times a month over the next 18 months as it completes construction the 14 “optimised airframe” F-35s that will be used for the bulk of the 6,000-plus test flights. The first of these – BF-1, the first short take-off and vertical landing F-35B – is scheduled to fly in 2008.

 

Although structurally different, AA-1 is representative of the production aircraft, says Crowley: “Fit, finish and quality is the same as you will see in production. We have proved you can make a distributed international team work collaboratively.”

 

“I have never been involved with a first aircraft that was so solid, yet so sophisticated,” says Beesley. “We flew around 90% of what will be in the other aircraft.” This includes the navigation system and “finger-on-glass” touchscreen cockpit displays.

 

The F-35’s electrically signaled and actuated flight controls worked flawlessy, Beesley says, adding: “This is the first electric jet.” Handling qualities are similar to, but better than, those of Lockheed’s F-22, he says, adding: “It flies like a smaller and quicker Raptor.”

 

Tom Burbage, general manager, F-35 programme integration, says that, as soon as the F-35 lifted off from the Fort Worth runway, his cellphone began ringing with calls from the international JSF partners. “This was a flight that was heard around the world,” he says.

 

 

[Geier]

Non-Technical data

 

LOL :D

[TorwaK]

LOL :D

 

ok ok... a little bit :D

[AlexHunter]

Heh, do you really think so? I suppose the flight in ths helmet doesn't differ so much as it seems, because it *should* be made of a light material... otherwise it makes no sense

I see that I see, I do not doubt what be used easier material for a helmet can, but all optical systems too have the weight, and there it is a lot of them, I simply would like to know how many this helmet weighs!!! Also its dimensions will influence very strongly at ejection. Alexey just on it spoke, it just wrote that at testing the French helmet has simply collapsed on two.

 

That is proceeding from seen, I strongly doubt, that the given helmet will allow to leave safely plane on all accessible speeds and heights of flight.

[Geier]

I see that I see, I do not doubt what be used easier material for a helmet can, but all optical systems too have the weight, and there it is a lot of them, I simply would like to know how many this helmet weighs!!! Also its dimensions will influence very strongly at ejection. Alexey just on it spoke, it just wrote that at testing the French helmet has simply collapsed on two.

 

That is proceeding from seen, I strongly doubt, that the given helmet will allow to leave safely plane on all accessible speeds and heights of flight.

 

Does this French helmet differ from F-35's one?

[Cosmonaut]

In this case you're wrong if you ask me. First of all F-35 has stealth mode as like F-22 Raptor, long range capability, modern avionics, sensor fusion technolog are seperate it from all other fighter planes. The thing is Russia is inspired from F-35 to create PAF project ;)

 

Of course its more capable than any other aircraft around today but will it in real terms be able to replace the F18 and A10 both of which have a true below 10K ft operational ability. I would guess that it wouldn't be sent on such risky missions so maybe that's a good thing for us Bug and Warthog fans..:D

[Azrayen]

Does this French helmet differ from F-35's one?

 

Yes.

 

The Rafale has a HUD, so it's dedicated HMS should be compliant with that ;)

Not the same enginners / manufacturer as well.

 

++

Az'

[S77th-konkussion]

Dude.. the canopy opens like the hood of a Vette! Suh-weet!

 

The thing has just got to have some redundancy built in. If it doesn't- yikes....

[GGTharos]

If it's meant to outperform the F-16, then yes, it better be, at least on one axis! :)

 

Nice! :) So from that I take it the F35 is very unstable, thus the computer controls?

[RvETito]

No wonder they've got rid of the HUD, it's just part of the fighter evolution philosophy of the US. From what I read the F-35 gonna be the last human controlled fighter in US inventory. So it is very likely that the next generation US fighter won't even have a cockpit, what's left for a HUD...;)

[Skopro_PL]

well if the US gets rid of human pilots in the upcoming future, then that will mean that all of us" virtual pilots" should be the first option,in terms of piloting these aircraft,it'll be just like a flight sim :D ..

[RvETito]

Yep, but a quiet expensive one and there will be no recovery option :D

[Pilotasso]

Im seriously convinced once the initial emthusiastic impressions fades away they will eventualy change the pit back into some more sober layout.

[wsoul2k]

well if the US gets rid of human pilots in the upcoming future, then that will mean that all of us" virtual pilots" should be the first option,in terms of piloting these aircraft,it'll be just like a flight sim :D ..

 

 

Hey anyone have the e-mail from de DEV's?? my AIM-120-X just missed the target and this is not realistic :megalol:

 

BTW my AFM is a little bit undermodeled :lol:

[Mugatu]

Without the Flight Control Computers (digital channel or analog control channels) the only 10% you'll be controlling is how quickly you pull the ejection seat handle, there's no mechanical backup.

 

kudos and i agree.

 

but to GGTharos im pretty sure that without the computer controls the plane would still be 'flyable' and not 'less than 10% controllable lol its just probably really advanced flyby wire

[GGTharos]

^^^^

 

Precicely. In fact, if you lose sensors that feed the FBW, you are quite likely to lose control also.

[ericinexile]

IIRC, they have ditched the single, integrated display in favor of 2 or 3 smaller ones. Those LCD displays are prone to display corruption, and once you can't read anything on it, the redundancy of the supporting systems becomes useless. So far, from what I've seen, the CRT EFIS tubes are much more reliable.

 

My observation has been exactly the opposite. I've found from 14 years of flying both that LCD displays are far more reliable and readable than CRT displays. I do agree that a single display is inadequate.

 

Smokin' Hole

[ericinexile]

One really doesn't "FLY" this thing as it is--at least no more than one "FLYS" and elevator to the 14th Floor. I read in Aviation "Leak" a few years back about the flight control logic for the VTOL version while in VTOL Mode: The "throttle" is a vertical rate control--neutral is 0 VS, and forward and aft give pre-determined climb and descent rates. Same logic for the stick--to the stops in any direction gives a maximum lateral rate. Let go of the stick and the neutral position will command the aircraft to stop and hover. Any monkey that can fit in the helmet can do it.

 

Smokin' Hole

[ericinexile]

One really doesn't "FLY" this thing as it is--at least no more than one "FLYS" an elevator to the 14th Floor. I read in Aviation "Leak" a few years back about the flight control logic for the VTOL version while in VTOL Mode: The "throttle" is a vertical rate control--neutral is 0 VS, and forward and aft give pre-determined climb and descent rates. Same logic for the stick--to the stops in any direction gives a maximum lateral rate. Let go of the stick and the neutral position will command the aircraft to stop and hover. Any monkey that can fit in the helmet can do it.

 

Smokin' Hole

[Skopro_PL]

Yeah that would be pretty cool to do,i would defiantly be interested,although i have looked around a bit,but cant seem to find too much on qualifications,and job openings.

[ericinexile]

Roger that, Eric. :thumbup: What have you been flying? I imagine the aircraft you've flown have had EFIS systems in them that were just a bit more expensive than what I usually deal with. The highest dollar EFIS I've flown is the Bendix/King EFIS 50 in the PC-12, which had CRT tubes and was rock-solid. Some of the others, which are all LCD have had constant issues, so maybe its not the display technology but the manufacturer. I can't mention any names on the negative side though...probably wouldn't be good for my relationship with the vendors. I'm trying to work with them on this stuff so they can improve their product. It sure does get frustrating sometimes though. :)

 

Boeing and Airbus stuff. As you said very expensive. Given a choice I think I'd prefer what I am used to: A combination of round dials and LCD DUs. But that's because I'm "old" and just fly crates from A to B. If I were really shooting at things and getting shot at I would want whatever instrumentation that gives me the big picture quickly with a minimum amount of fumbling around under stress. As long as the end-user (the pilot) has a say in how the F-35 is to be instrumented then whatever they use will be fine--even if it is a big, heavy, goofy helmet.

[Geier]

Yep, but a quiet expensive one and there will be no recovery option :D

 

 

Yeah, it'll be a kind of *Full real* mode:D

[Geier]

Yes.

 

The Rafale has a HUD, so it's dedicated HMS should be compliant with that ;)

Not the same enginners / manufacturer as well.

 

++

Az'

 

Yes, but he wrote:

it just wrote that at testing the French helmet has simply collapsed on two.

 

I just wonder what kind of a testing was then... Does anybody know?

[Azrayen]

Well I'm not sure to understand the meaning of "simply collapsed on two" : Is that to say that the helmet broke in two parts ??

 

Anyway, I'm not a specialist of this system and then have never heard of problems with it (but I'm sure there were issues, new stuff always have).

 

Regards,

Az'