The True Cost of the F-35 and A Record Setting Crusader
The True Cost of the F-35 and A Record Setting Crusader
The most expensive weapons program in history and setting speed records in China Lake
"Any idiot can get an airplane off the ground, but an aviator earns his keep by bringing it back anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances that man and God can dream up." - Winston Churchill
On the Radar
Ironically, the F-35 program set out to save money. It still may. The result of the Joint Strike Fighter or JSF program from the 1990s, the F-35 was given what some would say was an impossible mission: Replace several outstanding aircraft, fill the needs of the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, be a stealth fighter, AND be inexpensive while being made available to allies. Nearly 30 years later, the F-35 program has produced some 960 airframes among three variants: The Air Force F-35A, the Marine Corps Short Take Off and Vertical landing or STOVL F-35B, and the Navy’s carrier capable F-35C.
A program that has had its fair share of setbacks, it does seem like it has “turned the corner” as more and more nations adopt the fighter, while procurement and operating costs go down.
Still there are several hurdles to overcome, such as the software code that is part of Technology Refresh 3 or TR3: the bugs to date have caused production estimates to be lowered for 2023. Additionally, the engine is not providing sufficient cooling capacity to the electronics, putting the timeline for the super advanced Block 4 upgrades in doubt.
With a total program cost of $1.7 trillion, it is not difficult to see why the fighter receives its fair share of critics. Tomorrow’s video will take a deeper dive into this topic, you can watch it here when it goes live at 9AM Central US Time:
More videos on the way be sure to check the channel!
This week in aviation history
21 August 1956: The twelfth production Chance Vought F8U-1 Crusader, Bu. No. 141345, set a new National Aeronautic Association speed record at 40,000 feet over China Lake. The speed recorded was Mach 1.54, or 1,015.428 miles per hour (1,634.173 kph). This broke the previous record which was set two years earlier by a North American F-100 Super Sabre. The new record was just over 193 miles per hour faster.
The aircraft was piloted by the Navy’s Commander Robert W. “Duke” Windsor, Jr. For his efforts, he was awarded the 1956 Thompson Trophy, which was presented at the National Aircraft Show held at Will Rodgers Field, Oklahoma. Commander Windsor was a Navy test pilot who was charged with carrying out much of the testing for the F8U test program, which included carrier qualifications aboard the USS Forrestal (CVA-59). The Crusader would go on to have a long career with over 1200 examples built and the last Crusader serving in an operational in 1999.
In case you missed it
F-22 pilots are testing a new helmet design that is not only more comfortable, but could help with g forces:
Photo Outlet
Here is the C-47 “That’s All Brother!” flying as part of the Tora! Tora! Tora! airshow performance. If you haven’t seen this routine, you need to!
Parting Shots
I’ve streamed on YouTube 3 weeks in a row on Sunday nights and am considering moving that effort to Twitch. I realize some of you want to see long form videos on my YouTube channel, and I will of course continue to produce content there as frequently as possible. To be clear, YouTube is my #1 priority. I began streaming to connect and converse with viewers, and perhaps Twitch is a better suited platform for that. Any thoughts? Comment below - and thank you!
That’s all for this week, thanks for reading! If you know a fellow aviation enthusiast that would enjoy these weekly newsletters, then please forward this along. Now you know!
-Tog