BeechTalk - BT - F-35's First Ski-Jump Takeoff/Launch

Username Protected · **Posted:** 24 Jun 2015, 09:30

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/f-35b- ... 1713406488

Username Protected · **Posted:** 25 Jun 2015, 00:36

The F-35 doesn't impress me.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 25 Jun 2015, 05:52

Seems pretty feeble after billions spent.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 25 Jun 2015, 10:45

I'll assume smarter minds than mine have done the math on ski jump ramps, but intuitively I don't get it. Seems energy is energy, by going up the ramp the plane is converting kinetic to potential, it's going to slow down. Wouldn't simply pitching up net the same upward velocity? Does the drag added by using controls instead of a ramp really make that much of a difference? Someone with knowledge please educate me.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 25 Jun 2015, 13:12

This being a Beechcraft forum and all I always think of my model of airplane when someone makes a post about an F35.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 25 Jun 2015, 15:50

Username Protected wrote:

This being a Beechcraft forum and all I always think of my model of airplane when someone makes a post about an F35.

Well ... This is the Brand-X thread. But, hey, if you are volunteering to attempt a ski-jump launch in your F35, I am willing to attend and hold your beer!

Username Protected · **Posted:** 25 Jun 2015, 17:56

Ski ramp throws the plane on a ballistic path.

Idea is you trade a small part of your forward speed for a lot of time to accelerate.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jun 2015, 01:54

I was in the pattern with one of these at Yuma NYL trying out a PAR approach. I'm used to planes that look like this moving at "get the f***out of the way speeds", think F-18. This think was moving at Cessna 150 speeds. Very unusual.

Mark

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jun 2015, 19:24

Username Protected wrote:

Very unusual.
Mark

[youtube]http://youtu.be/kKSxlJPmz40[/youtube]