CAF -- CF-35a Lightning II

CF-35a Lightning II

Now that the Election is over, we know that Canada is going to be getting these new CF-35. There are 3 different Variants, Canada is getting the "A / CTOL" variant.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length:15.67m (51.4ft)
• Wingspan: 10.7m (35ft)
• Height: 14.2 ft (4.33 m)
• Wing area: 42.7m² (460ft²)
• Empty weight: 13,300kg (29,300lb)
• Loaded weight: 22,470kg (49,540lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 31,800kg (70,000lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney F135 afterburning turbofan
• Dry thrust: 125 kN (28,000 lbf)
• Thrust with afterburner: 191 kN (43,000 lbf)
• Internal fuel capacity: 8,382kg (18,480lb)

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 1.6+ (1,930 km/h, 1,200 mph)
• Range: 2,220 km (1,200 nmi) on internal fuel
• Combat radius: over 1,090 km (590 nmi) on internal fuel
• Service ceiling: 18,288 m (60,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: classified (not publicly available)
• Wing loading: 446 kg/m² (91.4 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight:
• With full fuel: 0.87
• With 50% fuel: 1.07
• g-Limits: 9 g

Armament

• Guns: 1 × General Dynamics GAU-22/A Equalizer 25 mm (0.984 in) 4-barreled gatling cannon, internally mounted with 180 rounds
• Hardpoints: 6 × external pylons on wings with a capacity of 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) and 2 internal bays with 2 pylons each for a total weapons payload of 18,000 lb (8,100 kg) and provisions to carry combinations of:

Missiles:

• AIM-120 AMRAAM
• AIM-132 ASRAAM
• AIM-9X Sidewinder
• IRIS-T
• JDRADM (after 2020)
• AGM-154 JSOW
• AGM-158 JASSM
• JSM

Bombs:

• Mark 84, Mark 83 and Mark 82 GP bombs
• Mk.20 Rockeye II cluster bomb
• Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser capable
• Paveway-series laser-guided bombs
• Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)
• JDAM-series
• B61 nuclear bomb

Avionics

• Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems AN/APG-81 AESA radar
• Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System (DAS) missile warning system
• BAE Systems AN/ASQ-239 (Barracuda) electronic warfare system
• Harris Corporation Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) communication system

Differences between variants

	F-35A CTOL	F-35B STOVL	F-35C CV
Length	15.7 m (51.4 ft)	15.6 m (51.3 ft)	15.7 m (51.5 ft)
Wingspan	10.7 m (35 ft)	10.7 m(35 ft)	13.1 m (43 ft)
Wing Area	42.7 m² (460 ft²)	42.7 m² (460 ft²)	62.1 m² (668 ft²)
Empty weight	13,300 kg (29,300 lb)	14,500 kg (32,000 lb)	15,800 kg (34,800 lb)
Internal fuel	8,390 kg (18,500 lb)	6,030 kg (13,300 lb)	8,890 kg (19,600 lb)
Max takeoff weight	31,800 kg (70,000 lb)	27,000 kg (60,000 lb)	31,800 kg (70,000 lb)
Range	1,200nmi (2,220km)	1,670 km (900 nmi)	2,520 km (1,400 nmi)
Combat radius on internal fuel	1,090 km (590 nmi)	833 km (450 nmi)	1,185 km (640 nmi)
Thrust/weight full fuel 50% fuel	0.87 / 1.07	0.90 / 1.04	0.75 / 0.91

F-35A CTOL	Conventional TakeOff and Landing
F-35B STOVL	Short TakeOff and Vertical Landing
F-35C CV	Carrier-based Version

The CF Variant
The Canadian CF-35 will differ from the American F-35A through the addition of a drag chute and an F-35B/C style refueling probe. Norway may also use the drag chute option, as they also have icy runways.






JSF Program requirements and selection

The JSF program was designed to replace the United States military F-16, A-10, F/A-18 (excluding newer E/F "Super Hornet" variants) and AV-8B tactical fighter aircraft. To keep development, production, and operating costs down, a common design was planned in three variants that share 80 percent of their parts:

George Standridge of Lockheed Martin has said that the F-35 will be four times more effective than legacy fighters in air-to-air combat, eight times more effective than legacy fighters in air-to-ground combat, and three times more effective than legacy fighters in reconnaissance and suppression of air defenses – while having better range and requiring less logistics support and having around the same procurement costs (if development costs are ignored) as legacy fighters. Further, the design goals call for the F-35 to be the premier strike aircraft through 2040 and be second only to the F-22 in air superiority.

While the actual JSF development contract was signed on 16 November 1996, the contract for System Development and Demonstration (SDD) was awarded on 26 October 2001 to Lockheed Martin, whose X-35 beat the Boeing X-32. Although both aircraft met or exceeded requirements, the X-35 design was considered to have less risk and more growth potential. The designation of the new fighter as "F-35" is out-of-sequence with standard DoD aircraft numbering, by which it should have been "F-24". It came as a surprise even to Lockheed, which had been referring to the aircraft in-house by this expected designation.

Design phase

Based on wind tunnel testing, Lockheed Martin slightly enlarged its X-35 design into the F-35. The forward fuselage is 130 mm (5 inches) longer to make room for avionics. Correspondingly, the horizontal stabilators were moved 51 mm (2 inches) rearward to retain balance and control. The top surface of the fuselage was raised by 25 mm (1 inch) along the center line. Also, it was decided to increase the size of the F-35B STOVL variant's weapons bay to be common with the other two variants. Manufacturing of parts for the first F-35 prototype airframe began in November 2003.

The F-35B STOVL variant was in danger of missing performance requirements in 2004 because it weighed too much; reportedly, by 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) or 8 percent. In response, Lockheed Martin added engine thrust and thinned airframe members; reduced the size of the common weapons bay and vertical stabilizers; re-routed some thrust from the roll-post outlets to the main nozzle; and redesigned the wing-mate joint, portions of the electrical system, and the portion of the aircraft immediately behind the cockpit. Many of the changes were applied to all three variants to maintain high levels of commonality. By September 2004, the weight reduction effort had reduced the aircraft's design weight by 1,200 kg (2,700 pounds).

On 7 July 2006, the US Air Force officially announced the name of the F-35: Lightning II, in honor of Lockheed's World War II-era twin-prop Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the Cold War-era jet, the English Electric Lightning. English Electric Company's aircraft division was a predecessor of F-35 partner BAE Systems. Lightning II was also an early company name for its fighter that was later named F-22 Raptor.

On 19 December 2008, Lockheed Martin rolled out the first weight-optimized F-35A (designated AF-1). It is the first F-35 to be produced at a full-rate production speed and is structurally identical to the production F-35As that will be delivered starting in 2010.

As of 5 January 2009, six F-35s were complete, including AF-1 and AG-1, and 17 were in production. "Thirteen of the 17 in production are pre-production test aircraft, and all of those will be finished in 2009," said John R. Kent, acting manager of F-35 Lightning II Communications at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. "The other four are the first production-model planes, and the first of those will be delivered in 2010 to the U.S. Air Force, and will go to Eglin Air Force Base." On 6 April 2009, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates proposed speeding up production for the US to buy 2,443 F-35s.

In August 2010, Lockheed Martin announced delays in resolving a "wing-at-mate overlap" production problem, which would slow initial production.