General > General Technical Chat
Real Engineering: Insane Engineering of the F-35B.
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tszaboo:

--- Quote from: coppice on January 29, 2023, 06:47:13 pm ---
--- Quote from: tszaboo on January 29, 2023, 06:15:57 pm ---Why wouldn't have the F35 a pilot in it?

--- End quote ---
Current fighters are built around the size and limitations of a human being. The larger ones are also designed around the size of radar that will be in their nose, but pilotless aircraft might operate in swarms with the radar function offloaded. Get rid of the pilot and you can make cheaper, lighter, stealthier planes that work at stresses no human could cope with.

--- End quote ---
It's a surprisingly cheap aircraft, even if it doesn't look that way. It's cheaper than upgrading the F16s and 18s to today's standard. It's cheaper than it would be to make those today alone, excluding the upgrades. And then you have a plane without integrated systems.
And it's designed to replace half a dozen planes, no wonder it has to be versatile. It's like the MBT, which replaced every other tank on the field. It's cheaper to have just one type. And for other roles there are UAVs, AC130s and AWACs.
Besides, I'm like 90% sure it could fly without pilot, either already or with future upgrades.
langwadt:

--- Quote from: coppice on January 29, 2023, 06:47:13 pm ---
--- Quote from: tszaboo on January 29, 2023, 06:15:57 pm ---Why wouldn't have the F35 a pilot in it?

--- End quote ---
Current fighters are built around the size and limitations of a human being. The larger ones are also designed around the size of radar that will be in their nose, but pilotless aircraft might operate in swarms with the radar function offloaded. Get rid of the pilot and you can make cheaper, lighter, stealthier planes that work at stresses no human could cope with.

--- End quote ---

there's also a bunch of safety and redundancy you can skip if you don't have to protect human "cargo"
SiliconWizard:

--- Quote from: coppice on January 28, 2023, 10:03:33 pm ---
--- Quote from: BrianHG on January 28, 2023, 06:29:40 pm --- :palm: How did a tech engineering forum post look at a technical marvel generate a first response being political in nature.

--- End quote ---
Because the F35 is not an engineering program, but a political program? Every design decision was based on its political impact.

--- End quote ---

While military programs are political by nature, and some decisions for the F-35 were undeniably questionable, the thread is about the engineering side of it, and however politically you look at it, you can't deny the insane engineering behind it.
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