The F-35 Lightning II is one of the most highly criticized weapons platforms that the US military has ever undertaken. One can find disparaging reports about it all over the internet, and we at The Duran have also extensively covered a wide field of concerns about this plane: that it is:
- too slow (maximum speed a mere Mach 1.6)
- too oriented around Stealth combat (fighting electronically from large distances)
- too expensive
- not reliable enough
- and that it cannot dogfight (owing again to its nature as a Stealth weapons platform)
This video presentation may or may not be enough to walk back these concerns.
However, it does present the plane in quite a different light. Captain Andrew Dogo Olson is a masterful pilot, and in this video we can see him taking the F-35 through its paces. Especially interesting to observe is the plane’s maneuverability, for it is able to perform maneuvers that are beyond a normal plane’s ability.
We present the video for your review and entertainment, plus a specifications list of the presently known features and capabilities of the F-35A, the variant that is featured in this video.
(Correction: An earlier version of this piece incorrectly stated that the F35A has thrust vectoring. It doesn’t. The B version has it, but that was not the model shown in this video. We give a grateful hat tip to some of our readers who pointed this error out. – SH)
According to af.mil (excepts, with the full description available through this link):
The F-35A is the U.S. Air Force’s latest fifth-generation fighter. It will replace the U.S. Air Force’s aging fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt II’s, which have been the primary fighter aircraft for more than 20 years, and bring with it an enhanced capability to survive in the advanced threat environment in which it was designed to operate. With its aerodynamic performance and advanced integrated avionics, the F-35A will provide next-generation stealth, enhanced situational awareness, and reduced vulnerability for the United States and allied nations.
The conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A gives the U.S. Air Force and allies the power to dominate the skies – anytime, anywhere. The F-35A is an agile, versatile, high-performance, 9g capable multirole fighter that combines stealth, sensor fusion, and unprecedented situational awareness.
The F-35A’s advanced sensor package is designed to gather, fuse and distribute more information than any fighter in history, giving operators a decisive advantage over all adversaries. Its processing power, open architecture, sophisticated sensors, information fusion and flexible communication links make the F-35 an indispensable tool in future homeland defense, Joint and Coalition irregular warfare and major combat operations.
The F-35 is designed to replace aging fighter inventories including U.S. Air Force F-16s and A-10s, U.S. Navy F/A-18s, U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18s, and U.K. Harrier GR.7s and Sea Harriers. With stealth and a host of next-generation technologies, the F-35 will be far and away the world’s most advanced multi-role fighter. There exists an aging fleet of tactical aircraft worldwide. The F-35 is intended to solve that problem.
F-35A data from af.mil:
General Characteristics
Primary Function: Multirole fighter
Prime Contractor: Lockheed Martin
Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 turbofan engine
Thrust: 43,000 pounds
Wingspan: 35 feet (10.7 meters)
Length: 51 feet (15.7 meters)
Height: 14 feet (4.38 meters)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 70,000 pound class
Fuel Capacity: Internal: 18,498 pounds
Payload: 18,000 pounds (8,160 kilograms)
Speed: Mach 1.6 (~1,200 mph)
Range: More than 1,350 miles with internal fuel (1,200+ nautical miles), unlimited with aerial refueling
Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (15 kilometers)
Armament: Internal and external capability. Munitions carried vary based on mission requirements.
Crew: One
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